My job as a therapist is to help you if you are experiencing a crisis of the heart, the spirit, the mind, the soul, the body, or all of the above. This is what therapy is about.

You may be feeling blue, nervous, lonely, overwhelmed, fearful, overworked, or confused about a relationship, a job, or life in general. Other words that you may put to your pain may be depression, anxiety, addiction, despair, or grief.

Together you and I can figure out what is troubling you and work to get you on the road to feeling better. You may feel ashamed to admit that you are feeling these feelings, thinking these thoughts, or behaving in ways you don’t understand, but it is part of the human condition to struggle and suffer and I can help you navigate through the rough parts.

I am an advocate for you in all your humanness, in all your expressions of joy and pain.

“A feminine approach to the therapeutic work begins in . . . a place of not-knowing, of experiencing, focused on Being rather than Doing.”

— Barbara Stevens Sullivan

“I do believe that were the public to awaken to its hunger for beauty there would be rebellion in the streets. . . . The aesthetic response—music, color, fashion, shoes, fabrics, films, dance, lyrics—leads to political action.”

— James Hillman

Young Adults

Young adults launching forth into an uncertain world can benefit from therapy by having an older person to bounce their ideas off of, express their hopes and fears, and perhaps come to terms with events in the past that may be keeping them from moving forward. Common wisdom is that the 20s is the best time of a person’s life—freedom, career, love, work, play. For some people in their 20s and 30s there is also a lot of confusion, disillusionment, and heartbreak. “Is this really what it’s like to be an adult? This is hard!” I love working with people in this age group. The tragicomic aspect of life begins to become apparent. Humor is key, as is honoring the tender heart of the young adult who is emerging from the family cocoon into the harsh light of day.

Individual Psychotherapy

I use an eclectic mix of therapeutic approaches with a solid base in the theories of Carl Jung and other depth-oriented psychologists. In addition to a practical, solution-oriented, common sense approach based on empathy and respect for the client, I am also trained in working with dreams, active imagination, bringing to light and working with different aspects of yourself, and I use play with clients of all ages to help open up possibilities of healing that our conscious minds may not have thought of. My background in the entertainment business as well as in academia helps me relate well to people of various creative and intellectual stripes.

Couples Psychotherapy

If your marriage or relationship with a significant other could be better, I can help you. Usually what is blocking growth or health in a relationship is the way that people communicate with each other, both in words and in actions, and, vitally, the way that people listen or don’t listen to each other. Obviously there may be deeper problems like abuse or addiction. Regardless, coming in to therapy will help you as a couple assess where you are and where you would like to be. I am an advocate for the relationship, not for one person over another. Sometimes one or both people in the relationship need to learn how to listen to their partner, how to really understand what the person is saying in a way that you might not have before. The same goes for the way in which needs, thoughts, concerns, and feelings are communicated to the other person—in a way that your partner can understand. I see myself as a translator between people who are sometimes speaking what might as well be a foreign language.

Men’s Issues

Men in Western culture are in a conundrum. They are still supposed to be the tough guy, the breadwinner, the one who gets stuff done. They are also now expected to be “sensitive,” in a way that a woman might. Unfortunately, many men are not taught how to be this way when they are growing up. Men are getting a lot of mixed messages from society, women, and other men.

As a therapist, I am comfortable in the world of men—the world of work, of sports, of creativity in the arts, of men at their strongest and most heroic and at their most hurt, vulnerable, and angry. Men may not admit it, but they want to be loved just as much as women do. Sometimes a man will benefit more from individual therapy work than from couples therapy.

Booking a Session

I am in practice at a company called CFND and conduct all sessions via Zoom. CFND takes many insurance plans and also books for non-insurance clients at $125.00 per session. They can be reached at 888.795.4337 or 949.463.5323 to ask about insurance plans and coverage, payment options, and scheduling with me or another therapist. You may also contact me directly at lizacfnd@gmail.com or 213.373.6155 — text or voicemail.

About Me

I come to the profession of psychotherapy as my second career with years of other work and life experience to draw upon. I grew up in Los Angeles in an academic family, went to college at Stanford University, where I graduated with a degree in History.

I worked for 16 years at Warner Bros. Records, becoming head of their Editorial Department. I have traveled to many parts of the world and soaked it all in—these experiences have shaped me as a citizen of the world. When I left the music business I turned back to an a-ha moment I experienced in my 20s when I read C. G. Jung’s Memories, Dreams, Reflections. I was deeply moved and interested by reading Jung, and after considering many options, I decided to make a career of it.

I attended Pacifica Graduate Institute near Santa Barbara, one of the only graduate schools in the country that specializes in Jungian theory and the depth psychological and humanities traditions of Jung, Freud, Joseph Campbell, James Hillman, Marie-Louise von Franz, and the many psychologists and thinkers who follow in their footsteps.

I live in Los Angeles and love its incredible diversity and energy. I take advantage of what a great city this is—restaurants, music of all kinds, opera, museums, sports. I feel that being a Los Angeles native makes me especially suited to help people find their way in this big and sometimes lonely city.