Marcela Avila, L.M.F.T.

Available For In Person & Virtual Sessions 

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and I love working with people. I completed both my undergraduate work in Psychology and my Master's Degree in counseling at California State University, Fullerton. I have worked in various community agencies allowing me to gain experience with relationship issues, couples counseling, life transitions, schizophrenia, PTSD, bi-polar disorder, depression, anxiety, grief, and personality issues. I strive to foster a safe space where clients can tell their story, gain insight into how that has impacted them, acknowledge the various unique contexts which impact their lives, connect with their strengths, and learn new ways to strive toward wholeness and personal growth.  I am passionate about helping individuals, families, and relationships of any kind to help people better connect with themselves and others. In couples therapy my goal is to decrease conflict, increase friendship and intimacy and restore the loving connection to build a meaningful and lasting relationship. I utilize various therapeutic approaches including mindfulness, emotion focused therapy, existential therapy, gestalt therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and person centered therapy. I encourage my clients to pursue a holistic approach to mental health, incorporating exercise, proper sleep and nutrition, spiritual practices, nurturing relationships, and activities they enjoy. I believe clients have the answers within them and with help they will find a deeper awareness of who they are, who they want to become, and how to propel themselves onto a path of healing, growth, and actualization. I believe therapy is a collaborative process to help clients increase self-awareness, gain new perspectives, decrease and understand where symptoms are coming from, and increase personal strengths to have a more meaningful life experience. To inquire about setting up an appointment with me please call our office at 562-566-4257