PamelaPinePHD.com

Finding the therapist that's right for you
Choosing your therapist is a personal, important decision—just as important as selecting your medical doctor. The relationship you develop with this person in the therapeutic process is crucial. Your therapist is going to help you in identifying, understanding and solving problems and destructive patterns which, once solved, will hopefully change the direction of your life.

Credentials, training and trust
Certainly, credentials and education are important factors in identifying a qualified psychotherapist, however, there are other factors to consider as well, such as experience and emotional sensitivity. Finding the right therapist is sometimes a difficult task. It’s important to realize that in order to get the most out of the therapeutic process you will need to ultimately be “baring your soul” to this person. Therefore, it is imperative you choose someone you have the potential of trusting.

Five key questions to ask yourself
These are the questions you might ask yourself to help you in making your choice:

Did I learn or understand something about myself that I didn’t know prior to the session?
Did I feel listened to?
Did I feel understood?
Did I feel comfortable?
Was the therapist respectful, knowledgeable, non-judgmental, open, and invested in his or her work, having the potential of being trustworthy?

These are key elements that make for your best progress—healing, growth and improved functioning. From my perspective, working successfully with you is based first and foremost on the quality of what I bring to the relationship. Conversely, what you put into the relationship in terms of information and honesty will be a major determining factor in the outcome of the work we do together.

How I work
I strive to not make assumptions, but to listen to you with an open mind, to respect you and your feelings, to be sensitive yet objective and flexible, honest, and direct. My challenge is to craft a treatment specifically for you and your unique needs (not the other way around) and to keep you clearly in my focus.

My experience, training and approach
I've been practicing as a psychotherapist over eighteen years. I'm trained and extensively experienced both in shorter and longer term psychotherapy – Cognitive/Behavioral and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, respectively. Shorter term work identifies problems, consequences and solutions. Longer term work is a journey into understanding the nature and origin of repetitive destructive patterns, consequences, healing, repairing damage, and developing new constructive thought and behavior patterns.

Areas of special experience
I work with adults and with adolescents. I have done and continue to do extensive work with couples. My clientele range widely in their origins and backgrounds: ethnicity and race, religious, sexual orientation, gender, age, occupations and lifestyles.

I have many years of successfully treating people with depression, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders and anxiety disorders, including panic attacks and phobias.

I work comfortably and empathetically with people in crisis and crisis situations who have suffered from trauma—physical, mental and emotional. This includes those who suffer current or post-traumatic stress and includes those who have experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse and who may be victims of domestic violence. I am also comfortable and experienced working with people with substance abuse and addiction. I do well with people who have realized they have serious destructive behavioral patterns they don't understand how to change or fix.

My professional viewpoint and approach
I take my profession seriously, I have a no nonsense-direct approach, and treat my patients with dignity and respect.

Recently I have formed Pine Psychological Services, comprised of a group of Licensed Psychologists dedicated to providing quality care in various specialties which enable us to provide services to a broader range of people seeking psychological services through their insurance.

To inquire about treatment
To inquire about treatment, schedule an initial consultation or to ask other questions, please phone (310) 275-1867. If I am in session or away from the office, please leave a message and I’ll return your call at the earliest possible moment. However, when I do so, I will only leave a message if you have specifically requested me to do so; this is to protect your confidentiality should others also have access to your phone and/or voicemail.

Education
Post Doctoral Training: Psychoanalytic Center of California
Ph.D. Cambridge Graduate School of Psychology
M.A. Loyola University
B.A. UCLA

Professional Affiliations
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
L.A. County Psychological Association
California Psychological Association
American Psychological Association

Links
Psychology Today Therapy Directory
Pine Psychological Services a Professional Corporation

Offices in Beverly Hills, CA and Sherman Oaks, CA

For questions or to set up an initial consultation, call:
(310) 275-1867 or email Dr. Pine