About Stephanie Groom
My passion for working as a psychotherapist began with my general interest in people and human conditions. I have found myself fascinated with all human conditions, especially those in which help was crucially needed. I asked myself why is this happening? what could help change this suffering? and what am I capable of doing to contribute? My desire to help others is visceral. I am curious about and am driven to learn how our inner worlds directly influence and manifest in our conscious life. Through my studies and my in depth observations working with my clients, I began to understand the great influence that our unconscious mind has on our whole being. I recognized that an exploration of self within the safety of the therapeutic relationship can improve an individual’s capacity to move towards authenticity and a calm center. I have been inspired and humbled by the rewarding experiences I’ve had with clients who, through therapy, have found personal insight and strength that has influenced a more fulfilling progression through life. I strongly believe in and value using human connection as a means for healing and fulfillment. In the many external conditions, both positive and negative, that we are exposed to throughout life; and, in the internal struggles we encounter as we strive for self-acceptance and becoming whole, a common healing aspect can be achieved through sharing our experiences and deeper insights with the support of another. I believe that the therapeutic relationship has the capacity to foster growth and movement toward my clients improved self-worth, more fulfilling interpersonal interactions, and healthy pathways for living.
I have a B.A. in Psychology from University of California at Irvine and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles. I completed my training and licensure requirements to obtain a license as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-license # 80868. I am also a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
I have been practicing psychotherapy since 2004. I started my counseling career as a therapist in a community mental health clinic working with individuals who were “homebound” either by physical ailments, or by psychological conditions such as; agoraphobia, OCD, Panic disorder, or psychosis. The therapy I conducted enabled me to gain invaluable experience treating individuals with debilitating disorders. I was able to use both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral approaches to help clients learn skills to reach goals to reduce their anxiety. My interventions, which included carefully tailored exercises to incorporate mindfulness and relaxation and in vivo exposure therapy, allowed individuals to move from being homebound to improving their quality of life and increasing their ability to function outside of the home. My work enriched my knowledge of avenues for support and how my collaborative role as therapist could be of benefit to facilitate change.
For over twenty years, I have specialized in providing psychotherapy in the community setting to individuals with persistent and severe mental illness such as Schizophrenia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Bipolar disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I grew to recognize that traumatic events and childhood trauma often contributed to the emergence of symptoms associated with many of these disorders. Through confronting symptoms and allowing space for the individual to feel accepted and heard, individuals are able to release repressed memories and difficult emotions that have held them back from fully functioning. It is then possible to review the steps that were taken to survive through the trauma which provides insight into strengths and gifts to be shared in their worlds. Clients I have worked with have experienced intense relief by identifying how their patterns of addictions, relationship issues, fears, mistrust, and limited access to their goals, were directly correlated with unconsciously held beliefs or repressed experiences and memories that needed to be understood and processed.
I have worked with children with various symptoms and situational stressors leading to behavioral problems and reduced ability to function in their homes, schools, and social settings. I have helped children with anxiety disorders, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorders. I have also worked with children affected by traumatic experiences, parent-child relations, children who are adopted or have alternate family member raising them, children of recently separated families dealing with the changes and children who have had other significant changes in the family causing behavioral disturbances. My work with children focuses on improving self worth and self acceptance, facilitating a deeper understanding of situational stressors, integrating the ability to identify and label emotions, and learning skills to manage behaviors that have been disruptive to their functioning.
I have worked with couples to identify strategies to help strengthen their communication within the relationship and renew their commitment to one another. I believe that when any relationship issue occurs it is crucial to understand what it is about the relationship itself that has caused disruption. Therefore, it is essential to understand the background of each of the partners and what they have brought forward into the relationship. When the relationship is explored in depth, more meaningful understandings of behaviors and feelings emerge opening the window for more intimacy and more fulfillment within the relationship.
When clients make positive change, I always ask, what has been beneficial to your progress? In most cases, they tell me that having someone there who really listens, someone who shows care and concern for them, and who is actively engaged in knowing who they are allows them to feel comforted and more apt to explore and challenge their long standing issues.
My approach to therapy includes the use of psychodynamic and humanistic modalities. I will provide safety, genuine concern, and authenticity in order to develop the therapeutic alliance. I will help you navigate through unconscious material that emerges in our sessions or is brought into session so that you can develop a deeper understanding of self. I will help you integrate what is discovered as unconscious material into consciousness, with the hope of reducing conflict and improving your ability to live authentically and with greater clarity and purpose. When you truly illuminate meaning behind past experiences, memories, dreams, and ingrained belief systems that reside in your unconscious, you can begin to live with the freedom to address your desires and life purpose with acceptance and strength.
Making the decision to partake in therapy involves being vulnerable and open to explore experiences and feelings that are sacred to you. I deeply respect who you are and value your unique self. It is my priority to offer the assurance and space that encourages your true self to emerge and evolve into your intended goal. I will create an environment of trust, empathy, and the sensitivity to your individual needs and ways of relating necessary for positive change. Though I am sensitive and caring, I do not hold back my observations. I believe that direct communication of what I see happening inside our treatment setting and how you relate to me in session is crucial to how you relate outside of the therapy sessions. You will become attuned to what I observe and be able to explore further your thoughts, feelings, and motivations. I believe that discovery and healing is possible in therapy if you are open to the process and willing to commit to the work.
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside awakens.” —Carl Gustav Jung.
