Something brought you here.

You don't have to figure it out alone.

Something feels off.

Maybe it's been quietly building — the thoughts that loop,

the feelings that won't move, the parts of yourself you can't quite figure out.

Maybe life shifted and you haven't quite landed.

Therapy is a place to put down what you've been carrying.

To say the things. To get curious about what's actually going on,

with someone in your corner, focused entirely on you,

so you can start to feel like yourself again. Or finally.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Private Practice Psychotherapy
in person in Studio City and via telehealth

I'm Karen Kushell.
Thanks for stopping by.

M.A., Registered Associate Marriage + Family Therapist

Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor

Finding the Best Therapist is About Finding the Right Fit

Many people in this search have some version of these questions running through their mind: Will this person actually get me? Is this going to feel weird or uncomfortable?

Will it actually help?

These are fair questions, all worth asking. The best therapy happens in a relationship where you feel understood, comfortable enough to be honest, and open to seeing things a little differently. It's about fit. So take a look around, and see if I seem like someone you could talk to.

Sound Familiar?

You’ve been meaning to make this call. Maybe you told yourself you can handle it, or things aren’t bad enough, or that you’ll get to it when life settles down.

Here’s the thing: doing nothing guarantees nothing changes. Doing something might.

Therapy doesn’t come with promises, but it does come with a real chance that things might feel different—with someone whose only job for that hour, is you.

What Does 'Meet You Where You Are' Actually Mean?

It's your therapy. I want to know what brought you in, and how you want to use the space.

Some people need to slow down. Some need to talk it out before anything else. Some want tools and strategies. Most need a little bit of everything, depending on the week.

I follow your lead. I pay close attention to where you are--and gently steer us back when it's useful, so we're always moving toward what matters most to you.

It doesn't have to be mysterious or intimidating. Therapy boils down to a thoughtful, focused conversation about what's going on, and working out what might help.

What Can You Expect?

I'm genuinely curious about you, in a real, what's it like behind this person’s eyes way.

You'll feel heard. You should feel understood, which is different than just being agreed with. I'll validate where you are without telling you what you want to hear — and I'll push back gently when I think it's useful.

You’ll also get the real me. I’m not performing “therapist.” I show up as warm, thoughtful, direct--occasionally funny--and authentically me.

The "And"

Many of us are walking around with an either/or story about ourselves.

Either I'm okay or I'm not. I'm handling it or I'm falling apart. I know who I am or I'm completely lost.

But that's rarely the whole picture.

And.

Some things can't be fixed, undone, or made fair. There are losses, histories, circumstances and limitations that are part of what we carry.

The work isn't about resolving all of that — it's about learning to carry it differently.

You can be struggling and resilient. Stuck and moving. Shaped by your past and

not defined by it. A work in progress and already enough.

That's what the & is about. Not either/or, not in spite of. But and — and forward.

The Practical Stuff

I'm an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, working under the supervision of Dr. Brette Genzel-Derman, PsyD.

I hold a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and trained at Occidental College's Counseling Center, and am a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UCLA.

I see individuals, couples and groups in Studio City and via telehealth throughout California.

How I Got Here

I've always been curious about what shapes us—how we communicate, form relationships, adapt to change and make meaning of our lives.

That curiosity took a lot of forms before it brought me here: a career in television and film, philanthropic work in education, years raising two kids and a nightstand permanently stacked with books on human behavior, communication, and how we navigate our inner worlds. After my children finished college, I went back to graduate school, and it felt like everything clicked.

My path wasn’t straight. I’ve taken the long way here, and I'm grateful for that. I continue to write and consult, and I'll never pass up the opportunity to learn something new.

And-- My goal is that it all shows up in the work.

I'm Karen Kushell. Thanks for stopping by.

I'm Karen Kushell.
Thanks for stopping by.