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The relationship with your therapist may be one of the most important in your life. As a wise teacher once said to me, “there is nothing more therapeutic than a good relationship.”

Monica Blauner, LCSW, CSAT

Painful or unsatisfying relationships in your past may have had a profound and enduring effect on your current relationships, as well as your view of yourself. The key to improving your quality of life is often improving the quality of your connection to others.

As a therapist, I offer the benefits of 30 years of experience and advanced training. I provide an empathic, non-judgmental environment that ensures you an emotionally-safe space for help with any of the following problems:

  • Relationship difficulties
  • Grief and loss
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Poor self-esteem
  • Alcohol or substance misuse or abuse
  • Problematic or addictive sexual behavior
  • Infidelity
  • Career or work issues
  • Coping with trauma
  • Aging

About Monica

Education and Experience

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychoanalyst, with over thirty years of experience practicing psychotherapy.

My Master’s Degree is in Social Work (MSW) from Smith College School for

Monica Blauner, LCSW, CSAT

Social Work, and I earned a Certificate in Psychoanalysis from The New York Freudian Society Psychoanalytic Training Institute. This training has provided the foundation for my work as a psychotherapist, teaching me how our minds work, how we manage our feelings, the centrality of relationships to our well-being and sense of self, and how to use the therapeutic relationship to help others heal.

I have been in private practice for over twenty years. I have worked in a number of mental health and addiction treatment settings, including the Department of Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and served as Program Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute for the treatment of sexual addictions.

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The Work of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is about exploring your feelings and experiences, both past and present, in order to achieve a deep understanding of your current situation. We often discover that the feelings in our current relationships echo those from the past. Identifying and expressing those emotions within the therapeutic relationship is key to changing patterns of relating. Our work may also involve recognizing fears or other internal barriers that prevent you from achieving your goals. Understanding “how I got here” can be the way to begin on a new path.

Therapy is a joint endeavor. The therapist’s role is like that of a mountain climbing guide: the therapist knows how to climb a mountain, what equipment to use, how to deal with ice or rock, when to push forward and when to proceed with caution. Each client is like a unique mountain.

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Contact

Monica Blauner, LCSW, CSAT
    • You can reach Monica

    • by phone: 310.289.7928
    • or use the contact form below to leave a personal message.