Our Team

Allyn Rodriguez, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
PSY 27459
Dr. Rodriguez earned both her Masters in Counseling and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, IL. She has worked in a variety of different clinical settings including inpatient, residential, community mental health, and private practice. She has also worked with a diverse group of clients with regard to ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and age. Although she now works mainly with adults, she also has extensive experience working in early childhood education. Her special interests include group therapy, identity issues, and working with survivors of trauma. In addition to her clinical work she has worked as an adjunct professor at both the Chicago School of Professional Psychology - LA Campus and University of the West in Rosemead, CA. She has taught courses in Group Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy and Diversity, as well as Professional Development. She is a former board member of the Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles and a member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. She now trains pre-licensed clinicians in her private practice to provide integrative, trauma-informed care. Dr. Rodriguez's statement on her clinical work: "As a psychologist, I see mental health as inherently linked to our earliest experiences with care giving. From my perspective, patterns developed within early relationships are adaptations to one’s original environment, but may become problematic later in life if inflexible. In my experience, this inflexibility often leads to psychological symptoms. Therefore, I believe that change occurs through the exploration of past relationships patterns within the context of a uniquely supportive relationship that can serve as a new model for relating to self and others, and a new way of understanding your symptoms. Because we become who we are through relationships, discussing interactions and making meaning of how others perceive us is an important focus of therapy. This involves reconstructing personal experience in a way that helps individuals move towards accepting all parts of themselves, both “good” and “bad.” Although thoughtful exploration of past experiences can be an important and powerful aspect of therapy, I also encourage my clients to consider ways in which they would like to develop in the future, including but not limited to, feeling more able to handle life’s challenges. In particular, the knowledge and skills I have learned from the DBT approach are aimed at strengthening an internal foundation from which to help this part of you evolve. Ideally, this combination of future and past focus helps pave the way for a more authentic version of your self to emerge."
(504) 408-1762

Abby Goldstein, M.A.
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
AMFT #112691
Abby earned her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles, CA. She has worked with a wide variety of clients including adults and children from diverse backgrounds. Abby has previously worked primarily in community mental health and is now establishing her private practice focused on long-term individual and couples treatment. She also is passionate about working with tweens and teens. Abby works from an integrative, trauma and attachment-informed perspective. Her areas of specialty include grief and trauma, as well as parenting. She also has training in emotion-focused couples therapy (EFT) and is currently training in DBT and somatic approaches (SE) in her supervision with Dr. Rodriguez. Abby formerly worked in the film industry as a producer and brings her strong interpersonal skills and creative-problem solving abilities to her role as a psychotherapist. Abby’s statement on her clinical work: “I can’t imagine a more fulfilling way to use my curiosity, life experiences, and interpersonal skills than supporting them in changing, growing and finding in purpose in their lives. I recognize the importance of creating an open, trusting, loving relationship in the room in order to help people bring that to the relationships in their life. If we have learned anything from the Covid-19 pandemic it is that we all need and thrive in relationships. Therapy is an important tool for developing and nurturing positive relationships within the yourself and with others in your life. I provide a safe, warm, non-judgmental environment, where together we discover and heal the obstacles to you having a deeper, more meaningful life. I believe that it is not the challenges or traumas that form us but how we respond to them. Collaboratively we can build resiliency to navigate life’s challenges.” You can contact Abby directly at (323) 828-2589 or agoldsteintherapy15@gmail.com to speak with her further about whether she'd be a good fit for your needs.
(323) 828-2589

Kathleen Locker, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
PSY34059
Dr. Locker earned both her Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology in Colorado. She has worked in a variety of different clinical settings including forensic, community mental health, intensive outpatient, and private practice. Dr. Locker has also worked with a diverse group of clients with regard to ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and age. She now works with children, particularly with young children and their caregivers, as well as adults, and couples. Her special interests include attachment therapy, parenting skills, and boundary setting. Dr. Locker's statement on her clinical work: “Our early attachment experiences with our caregivers shape our relationships throughout our lives. If we felt unheard or misunderstood by our families it can lead to difficulties in our adult relationships with friends, romantic partners, and ourselves. In working with young children and their caregivers, I hope to help parents understand how their own parenting impacts their identity as a caregiver as well as helping them understand their child’s needs and develop a deeper connection. Working with older children, adolescents, adults, and couples, I strive to help you understand how your early caregiving experiences are impacting your current wellbeing and interpersonal functioning. My goal is to create a secure relationship where you can feel understood and valued and better understand yourself through our work together.” You can contact Dr. Locker directly at (818) 208-7307 or drkathleenlocker@gmail.com to speak with her further and discuss your therapeutic goals.
(818) 208-7307

Sadie Mohler, Ph.D.
Registered Psychological Associate
PSB #94027560
Dr. Sadie Mohler received her B.A. from Occidental College in Critical Theory and Social Justice and earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Duquesne University, which specializes in a human science, philosophical, and depth-oriented approach to understanding suffering and healing. Dr. Mohler completed her predoctoral internship at the West Los Angeles VA where she is currently a postdoctoral resident in the Integrative Health and Healing Clinic. Additionally, she has trained within community-based clinics, hospital settings, and university counseling centers. Dr. Mohler’s statement on her clinical work: “Everyone has the innate capacity to adapt, heal, and grow. As a psychologist, my aim is not to ‘fix,’ but rather to help cultivate the conditions for you to connect to this intrinsic capacity. Often, we are disconnected from this reality because of our experiences in our environment — from childhood, past relationships, socio-political systems, cultural expectations, etc. In my experience, the therapeutic relationship can be a powerful tool to increase insight about how our previous experiences shape the way we move through the world. In addition to seeing therapy as a space to increase insight, it is also a space to strengthen our capacity to turn toward our struggles with curiosity and compassion. I believe that as we recognize, understand, and tend to our difficulties and wounds, healing and transformation can occur. In addition to working with what is challenging, I also believe therapy is a space to explore what brings you joy, delight, and meaning. Both are equally important ingredients for living a full life.” As a clinician, Dr. Mohler draws from her undergraduate and graduate training in the humanities and her clinical training in various evidence-based treatments. The foundation of Dr. Mohler’s approach is relationally psychodynamic and integrative — in addition to using the therapeutic relationship as a tool, she also weaves in other perspectives, such as mindfulness and self-compassion interventions, somatic interventions, ACT, and CBT to create a therapy that fits each person best. Additionally, Dr. Mohler has trained in exposure-based trauma treatment (Prolonged Exposure and Written Exposure Therapy). Dr. Mohler has worked with people of various racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, socio-economic, and religious identities and has a strong commitment to bringing cultural humility to her work. Within therapy, she believes it is critical to acknowledge the impact that systems of power and oppression have on the well-being of people and communities. Dr. Mohler works with adults with a wide range of concerns including complex trauma, PTSD, chronic anxiety and/or depression, grief, life transitions, chronic health challenges, relationship stress, family of origin trauma or estrangement, and issues related to sexual and gender identity. Dr. Mohler is currently a Psychological Associate under the licensed supervision of Allyn T. Rodriguez, Psy.D. (PSY 27459).
(424) 341-4946

Nicola Persky, M.A.
Mariage & Family Therapist
LMFT #134368
Nicola Persky is a Los Angeles-based Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles, CA. Before private practice she worked in community mental health. Nicola treats individual adults, couples and children. Her special interests include working with dissociation, depression, trauma and anxiety. Nicola's statement on her clinical work: "I come from a psychodynamic perspective and bring somatic tools, EMDR training and mindfulness practice to the healing space. I offer a warm, open heart and deeply curious, intuitive mind, utilizing the therapeutic relationship to foster safe healing. I understand that many of our symptoms today come from small, insidious, chronic, repetitive experiences we go through when young, which in turn shape our thoughts, feelings and patterns of behavior. These patterns dictate the way we relate to ourselves and to others. Often we aren't aware of these patterns and therapy provides the space to recognize and work through the old stories and unintegrated experiences that may be running our lives and limiting our choices." To speak to Nicola directly call (310) 963-0477 or email nicolaperskytherapy@gmail.com.
(310) 963-0477

Taylor Schreiber, M.A.
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
AMFT #126851
Taylor Schreiber earned his Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to private practice he worked in community mental health as well as inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment. Taylor’s style uses empathy, humor, and gentle confrontation. He focuses on a range of topics and concerns such as complex trauma, addiction, depression, existential/identity issues, men’s mental health, and psychedelic integration. Taylor works with individual adults and adolescents, couples, and has experience running groups in a variety of settings. Taylor’s statement on his clinical work: “I believe in every individual’s unique ability to heal themselves. My goal is to help people gain awareness into their past and how it informs their present. In my experience working in a variety of settings, I have seen that people unconsciously live their lives according to stories that no longer serve them. Through our relationship we will create an environment that will inspire awareness, call for authentic feelings to be expressed, and for a new story to emerge. I provide an environment that consists of compassion, non-judgment, and a deep appreciation for the change process.” Taylor’s approach is informed by psychodynamic, attachment theory, mindfulness, and Internal Family Systems principles. He is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems informed as well as Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry. Taylor provides sessions via telehealth and in-person in Los Angeles. Taylor can be reached directly at (323) 452-6754 or info@taylormft.com.
(323) 452-6754

Nicole Strauss, Ph.D.
Registered Psychological Associate
PSB #94026428
Dr. Nicole Strauss received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Statistics from University of Maryland, College Park. She then worked in a research lab studying social cognition in adults with schizophrenia at Columbia University Medical Center, prior to obtaining her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University. She has worked in a variety of different clinical settings, including community mental health, residential, inpatient, and private practice. She has also worked with a diverse group of clients with regard to ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and age. Her special interests include identity and self-esteem issues, emotion dysregulation, and complex trauma. She has trained in dialectical behavioral therapy, compassion-focused therapy, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy, Jungian psychology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and humanistic/existential psychology. Dr. Strauss is currently a Psychological Associate under the licensed supervision of Allyn T. Rodriguez, Psy.D. (PSY 27459). In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Strauss has published work in Psychological Medicine, A Journal of Neurology, Neuroimage Clinical, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Personality and Individual Differences, and Journal of Counseling Psychology. She conducted her dissertation research on the roles of attachment style and self-disclosure in the development of intimacy among strangers. She is also currently a member of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association. A statement on her clinical work: "I view all people as whole within themselves, though this is often buried under layers of conditions and beliefs we have learned in our lives. My task as a therapist is to help you rediscover yourself. In doing so, I've found that the therapeutic relationship is at the forefront of the work, as research suggests that it is essential for change to occur. It is also often the case that the therapeutic relationship tends to mold into a similar one to others you may have. I am dedicated to establishing a strong relationship with you and using this to guide you to explore yourself more deeply and unlearn patterns no longer serving you. In addition to the relational component, I will also work with you to build your set of tools so you are better equipped to interact with the world around you and whatever challenges you may face. I strive to draw out the beauty that lies below the surface such that you will feel better and shine brighter." Dr. Strauss is passionate about helping her clients to discover their inner light and live with ease and confidence. She is also passionate about spirituality, movement, and living a life of wonder.
(408) 214-3043

Talia Banayan, Psy.D.
Psychological Associate
Dr. Banayan earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University. She has been trained in a variety of different clinical settings including school systems, community mental health clinics, medical centers, and now private practice. She has worked with a diverse group of clients with regard to ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and age. Dr. Banayan works with individuals across the lifespan and has focused training regarding infant mental health, health psychology, parenting services, and trauma recovery. Dr. Banayan’s statement on her clinical work: “As a psychologist, I see therapy as an extremely personalized journey with therapy being a client-centered experience. Given that I work with individuals as early as infancy all the way through adulthood, I have a wide breadth of therapeutic skills that adjust based on the client’s developmental stage and individual needs. The first phase of my work with a client of any age is to listen to their needs and work together to establish the approach that is most beneficial to the goals they have and the reasons they come into therapy. I recognize that therapy is often the first time many people have a safe and supportive place to sit with their most private thoughts and prior life experiences. As a psychologist with adults and young adults, I follow my client’s lead while infusing therapeutic techniques including but not limited to emotion-focused approaches, mindful grounding, somatic/body-based learning, and cognitive-behavioral skills. So many of us live our lives on autopilot, without recognizing the factors of our own behaviors that serve us and those that are hurting us. This can cause individuals to live life in a state of reactivity rather than engaging from a values-driven and centered state. Therapy is a place to make the unconscious experience conscious. So much of the unconscious experience can be stored in the body and presents as physical pain. I value the incorporation of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and somatic skills to release this pain. I do so by using warmth and strength-based communication to cultivate a space that feels safe, supportive, and empowering. When working with children in their early years, I actively involve parents in order to support their child to the greatest potential. I see my role as a child psychologist as a facilitator of therapeutic skills to be used at home and daily living by the family. While I teach children to use their coping skills to regulate themselves, I believe in involving parents making it a process of supported regulation rather than isolation. Beyond the use of behavioral interventions, I believe that cultivating a deep understanding of the family culture and specifically regarding the parents’ own life experience and their views on parenting allows me to tailor my work most appropriately to best meet the family’s needs.”
(504) 383-3626