Find a Top Psychologist Near Me in Norwalk, CA – Book an Appointment Instantly

LMFT passionate about treating psychological, spiritual and relationship challenges through self-awareness, emotional intelligence and recognition of the healing power we each inherently hold inside of us. From a framework integrating trauma, developmental and transpersonal psychology, she provides, supervises and trains multiple psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies including: MDMA-Assisted Therapy for the treatment of PTSD, Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Additionally, she has been leader in psychedelic harm reduction services pioneering psychedelic emergency care worldwide and she currently serves on the board of Alchemy Therapy Center. She co-founded the TRIP Clinics as her offering to those seeking health within a limited system of accessible, effective care and as a commitment to furthering access to cutting-edge psychedelic treatments to heal individuals and the communities surrounding them.

We are a home to state of the art psychotherapy and online couples counseling for straight, same-sex and LGBT couples in California. Building strong, intimate relationships and happy marriages is crucial for our happiness and overall well-being. While many of us strive to keep the bond with our loved ones strong, sometimes we need a bit of extra support to rekindle the spark and overcome obstacles. Couples therapy and Marriage counseling are excellent tools to do just that. Couples Therapy with Dr. Harel Clinic offers cutting-edge couples therapy and marriage counseling for you to empower and master your relationship. We also provide individual therapy to resolve depression, anxiety, trauma, sexuality-related concerns, and life transitions. In our clinic people of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities are welcomed, celebrated, and empowered.

Dr. Heather Kertesz-Briest is a Clinical Pediatric Psychologist with a specialization in the assessment and treatment of youth with acute and chronic health conditions. Dr. Heather has over ten years of experience in pediatrics, working with children, adolescents, and young adults in pediatric medical settings throughout the country. She earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University California School of Professional Psychology, completed her pediatric-focused residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and a two-year pediatric-focused fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. 
Dr. Heather has expertise in providing consultation, psychotherapeutic intervention, and psychodiagnostic and cognitive assessment for a wide range of presenting concerns including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating and feeding difficulties, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and academic and learning difficulties, amongst others. 

Every child and family are unique, and therefore Dr. Heather’s philosophy is to thoughtfully understand each young person from a holistic, bio-psycho-social perspective, integrating this information into the individualized assessment and treatment plan. She begins with a brief consultation to understand you and your child’s or teen’s concerns, and will work collaboratively with you to develop a plan to assess and address your concerns in the most appropriate, timely way. 

Dr. Heather is a mother of two girls, enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, doing arts and crafts, and outdoor activities. 

Natalie Reinfeld is an Argentina native who moved to Miami, Florida in 1994. She started her career in mental health in 2002 as the assistant director for the AmeriCorps’ Community Integration Pilot Program. This experience provided her with a strong foundation for the serious mentally ill population.
Natalie completed her Bachelor of Science degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2003, her Master of Arts degree from Pepperdine University in 2005; and her Doctorate of Psychology degree with an emphasis in Health Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in 2010. She received her California license in clinical psychology shortly thereafter. Natalie worked with a variety of populations ranging from children with autism, children and adult survivors of sexual trauma, adults diagnosed with co-occurring disorders, LGBTQ, and adults diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. All these populations were treated in outpatient, step-downs and/or inpatient settings. During the past 10 years,
her focus has been on the serious mentally ill population and the forensic cross-over. Throughout the years she has been leading a variety of teams; she oversaw 6 community programs with 70 staff, who they majority consider themselves employees with lived experience. The vast experience with interns of
all levels, teaching Master’s Doctorate degree level students, and leading a large team of individuals while maintaining a positive working culture led her to a new venture in the Industrial/Organization psychology realm of the field. She is currently the Director of Internships, Onboarding & Orientation, is a
content reviewer for the Zur Institute; and serves in the Intervention & Evaluation Committee and is an expert witness consultant for the California Board of Registered Nurses.

Dr. Ataipour has extensive experience working with individuals with multicultural backgrounds and upbringings. Her fluency in Farsi has enabled her to help individuals dealing with acculturation struggles, generational difficulties, discrimination and the effects of immigration on family members. She understands the importance of cultural sensitivity and tailors each individual’s treatment accordingly.As a therapist, Dr. Ataipour brings her whole self to the clinical process with an appreciation and compassion for the uniqueness of each person and their experiences. She considers the roots of mental illness to be emotional injuries which can keep individuals blocked, fearful and full of negative associations. She works with clients to manage through these barriers in order to fully realize their life’s potential.

Education and Background

• Psy.D in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology
• MA from California School of Professional Psychology
• BA from UCLA
• 20+ years providing psychotherapy to Adults, Adolescents, Couples and Families

Clinical Orientation

• Psychodynamic
• Client-Centered Humanistic
• Solution-focused
• Family Systems
• Cognitive Behavioral

Specialization and Interests

• Depression
• Managing stress and anxiety
• Handling job loss and career revival
• Couples and families with relationship conflicts
• Recovery after trauma and abuse
• Adjustment to life transitions

Clinical and health psychologist Elena Bagourdi, PhD, is the co-founder and program/clinical director of EXIS Youth. Located in West Los Angeles, California, Dr. Elena or Dr. B., as her clients call her, has expertise in the treatment of addictive behaviors, trauma, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders.

Since 1998, Dr. Elena has been working as a psychotherapist with individuals and their families. As the program/clinical director at EXIS Youth, Dr. Elena is highly invested in constantly expanding the therapeutic modalities used. She stays up-to-date and seeks out the most cutting-edge therapeutic approaches to incorporate into their existing program. This way, she can sustain the effectiveness of their program and further enrich its breadth.

Dr. Elena holds a PhD in clinical/health psychology, as well as a master’s in clinical psychology and organizational and economic psychology. She has a deep interest in her community, and she is on the board of local nonprofit organizations. Dr. Elena has also collaborated extensively with nonprofit organizations overseas. For instance, she co-led the World Health Organization (WHO)'s "mhGAP" pilot project in Greece on behalf of EPAPSY, a local nonprofit organization.  

In addition to EXIS Youth, Dr. Elena has a successful private practice as a psychotherapist.