Psychodynamic Therapy in Los Angeles

Psychodynamic therapy is depth work. It starts from the assumption that present symptoms and patterns were shaped by earlier experience and relationship, most of it operating beneath awareness. The work goes to the source.

I'm a psychodynamic therapist in Los Angeles; I see clients in person in Northeast Los Angeles, serving Pasadena, Highland Park, and Downtown LA, and online across California.

What "depth therapy" refers to

Psychodynamic therapy goes by other names: depth therapy, insight-oriented therapy. Unlike short-term, symptom-focused modalities, depth work addresses complex dynamics like early relationships, repeated patterns, and the defenses that keep them out of view.

Method

This work is relational and collaborative. We move at a pace the material can bear, connecting what's happening now to the history that built it. Name a pattern clearly enough and it may loosen its grip. I work somatically as well to manage trauma that keeps the body and nervous system on high alert.

Common presentations that benefit from depth therapy

• The same conflict, relationship after relationship
• Anxiety and imposter syndrome that seem to come from nowhere
• Feeling stuck, flat, or numb while everything looks fine
• The sense that short-term, symptom-focused therapy left the deeper questions open

What to expect

We start with a brief phone consultation to feel out our fit and name what brings you in. Then early sessions uncover developmental history, family and relationship, the presenting concern, and how the past keeps arranging the present. From there, sessions are usually weekly often more frequently. Depth work tends to be open-ended and the material sets the pace. Change comes through understanding first, then the patterns themselves loosen.

Who it suits

This work suits people curious about themselves and willing to look beneath the surface. I see adult clients for anxiety, trauma and PTSD, depression, grief, and life transitions; I treat each person's personal and cultural background as central to the work.

Frequently asked questions

How is psychodynamic therapy different from CBT? CBT works on current thoughts and behaviors with structured technique, over a set course of time. Psychodynamic therapy works on unconscious patterns and where they came from. It takes its time. The two can work together and I bring in skills where they help.

How long does psychodynamic therapy take? Longer than symptom-focused models, as a rule; lasting change in old patterns takes time. The length follows the goals. Some work is brief and focal; some is open-ended.

Is online psychodynamic therapy effective? Yes. The research on telehealth therapy shows outcomes on par with in-person care for most concerns. Sessions are run on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform.

Fees and insurance? I charge $200 per 50-minute session for individuals. A limited number of sliding scale spots are available.

I do not take insurance but I can provide superbills for you to submit for reimbursement.

For a free 15-minute consultation: 818-925-8623 or yasmin@yasminsauditherapy.com.

Yasmin Saudi, MSW, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker #141050