Focus

Specialty areas include:

• Relationships, dating, sex, marriage, and breakups/divorce;
• Perfectionism, overcontrol, "impostor syndrome," and people-pleasing;
• Highly sensitive people (HSPs)
• ADHD, autism & neurodivergence; 
• Shyness, loneliness, late bloomers, and misfits;
• Parenting, especially highly sensitive children;
• Trauma, including relational trauma, religious trauma, bullying, and neglect;
• Adult children of emotionally immature parents, family dysfunction, and narcissistic abuse. 

Many of my clients are in the arts, tech, healthcare, nonprofits, or academia and/or are creative or technical hobbyists.
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Antiracist, sex-positive, and LGBTQIA+ affirming.

Approach

Treatment is customized for you but may incorporate the following evidence-based therapies: 

• DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) — strengthening interpersonal and emotion regulation skills;
• RO DBT (radically open DBT) — building mental flexibility and reducing loneliness; 
• CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) — shifting thoughts and behaviors to feel and function better;
• ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) — identifying values and goals that make the inevitable pain in life meaningful and worthwhile.​ 

We may also explore attachment theory, psychodynamics, narrative therapy, and evolutionary psychology.

You can find my blog here:

The Strong/Sensitive Type.

Testimonials

 "Working with Rebecca has changed my life in the ways I'd hoped — I'm more confident, less anxious, and take things less personally. But I also now feel a genuine comfort with being seen that I didn't know was possible."
—Vanessa P.

"I've been to a lot of therapy and have gained something from most of those experiences but Rebecca offered me tools and perspectives that took things to another level very quickly. I feel both deeply accepted and able to make changes that have bugged me for years."   
—Chase M.

"I appreciate Rebecca's sense of humor as much as her willingness to go to some very dark places with me. Rebecca held space for me like no one and nowhere else in my life." 
—Julie R.

About Rebecca

A shy kid, first-generation college graduate, and National Merit Scholar, I earned my B.F.A. in drama and politics from NYU. In my early 20s, while working in theater and film, the family history of depression and anxiety hit me hard and perfectionism no longer helped. I turned to therapy and personal psychological and contemplative study to find my way out. The experience was so rewarding that I decided to become a therapist, earning my master's in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles.

I completed my clinical internship at the highly regarded Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, treating adults and couples from a psychodynamic perspective. I then fell in love with DBT, and its offshoot RO DBT, comprehensive, evidence-based methods for enhancing our ability to think and feel deeply and clearly. Along with ACT, these third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies are powerful pathways to growth, particularly for people who tend toward overcontrol due to high sensitivity and/or a history of family dysfunction. In order to help clients heal more deeply, penetrating beyond the thinking brain, I also offer trauma treatment through Brainspotting and other evidence-based approaches.

Prior to entering private practice, I worked for several years in rigorous, nationally recognized mental health treatment centers such as Clearview in Los Angeles, served on the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center crisis hotline, and was a supervisor on the Teen Line crisis line at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. 

My style is warm, collaborative, occasionally irreverent/f-bomb-y, and full of respect. I'm passionate about well-timed, screen-shared nerdy handouts to help things sink in (and as supported by research). If you're ready to try new things, I can help you meet life with more strength, grit, and ease.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, rehabbing plants, art, and furniture, winning my cat's affection, and stepping on Legos (I have two young children). And no, I don't put that (see above) much effort into my hair or makeup on a daily basis...

Many people need desperately to receive this message: I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.
—Kurt Vonnegut

FAQs

I've never tried therapy before. Where do I start?
Therapy can be a profound, life-changing investment of time, money, and heart. But it can also be hard to pull the trigger (although I have been told that I'm quite approachable). If you would like to inquire about how I may be of service or just get a sense of what it would be like to work together and if we may be a fit, please contact me to schedule a free 20-minute phone consultation. Find a preview of what generally happens in therapy here, or a taste of my personal therapeutic style here. 

I've tried therapy before and felt lost/confused/judged/overstimulated/understimulated. Why should I try again?
It may not have been the right therapist fit or treatment style before, or perhaps not quite the right time in your life. I would be happy to schedule a free consultation call so that we can explore what the obstacles may have been previously and whether my style and approach may be more beneficial. As risky as it can feel, and having encountered many dead ends on the road to life-changing help myself, I encourage you to not give up on reaching your goals. Don't spend your one long life stuck in suffering. 

Which areas do you serve?
My practice is online only, available to California or Pennsylvania residents. A central California native, I lived in L.A. for almost 15 years before moving with my family to the leafy Philadelphia suburbs in 2022. 

What is your fee?
Please get in touch to discuss current rates. I accept debit/credit cards, including HSA/FSA cards. I am in network with one insurance: Optum/United Healthcare. Upon request, I can provide a "superbill" which you may submit for  reimbursement from other participating insurance plans (or use a service like Mentaya that submits on your behalf). I'm happy to offer sliding scale appointments when available in order to help make therapy accessible.

Is telethealth as effective as in-person therapy? 
In general, teletherapy has been shown to successfully impact issues of access, quality, engagement, coordination of care, and cost effectiveness. It's much easier for people to hop on a video call vs. hop into their car. I've also found that it can put clients at ease to be able to meet in the comfort and familiarity of their own space. 

What is a highly sensitive person (HSP)?
An individual with an innate trait or predisposition to process information more deeply than many others (read: feel, think, and sense more deeply). Found in 15-20% of the population, and also referred to as empaths or people with sensory processing sensitivity (not disorder), HSPs may notice subtleties that others miss, become more easily overstimulated, and tend to observe before taking action. HSPs are often but not always introverts (approximately 30% of HSPs are extroverts). You can learn more, and take a self-assessment, at psychologist Elaine Aron's website, hsperson.com/test. Here is an example of HSPs in popular media. My work focuses on maximizing the incredible gifts that HSPs often possess (such as creativity, curiosity, passion, and dedication) while managing common vulnerabilities (such as moodiness, overwhelm, and issues with boundaries). (And yes, I <3 HSPs in part because I am highly sensitive myself, scoring like 26/27 on the assessment.)

High sensitivity and (intellectual) giftedness are often present with autism and/or ADHD as well. Much research to date and the medical-model Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) focus on unwanted symptoms rather than the underlying causes and utility of these differences but that seems to be shifting. Formal diagnosis can be helpful and validating in many cases but is by no means required, set in stone, or definitional.

Do you work with people who are not highly sensitive?
Yes; about a third of my clients do not identify as highly sensitive. Additionally, I see introverts and extroverts, folks from all religions or none, as well as those with religious trauma, BIPOC and multiracial folks, poly and ethically nonmonogamous folks, all genders, partnered parents, single parents, child-free people, and more. 

Do you do DBT?
Yes, I incorporate DBT skills and principles when it will be beneficial and of interest. Although I'm intensively trained and practiced high-fidelity DBT for several years (including all modes of treatment: individual therapy, skills training group, phone skills coaching, and consultation team), in private practice my work is DBT-informed. In addition to standard DBT I practice RO DBT (radically open DBT), which is beneficial for folks who -- like moi and many other therapists -- tend toward an overcontrolled coping style.

​Do you treat trauma?
Yes. I'm trained in an evidence-based treatment method called Brainspotting which uses eye position to facilitate grounded, mindful reprocessing of traumatic material. I also incorporate methods from EMDR, Somatic Experiencing (SE), and Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM). These treatments can help advance healing to a deeper level, targeting the root of issues in a safe, holding relational frame.

How do I know if I'm picking the right kind of therapy?  WTF with the acronyms.
First, I draw upon many effective modalities and your treatment planning will be a process undertaken jointly between the two of us, with plenty of reflection on whether you need more space and flexibility to simply process or more structure and "tools" in order to progress. Second, research suggests that one of the strongest predictors of success in therapy, at times stronger than treatment model, is therapist-client fit. The relationship itself is part of the healing. So be patient in finding a therapist and settling in to therapy, as building trust and comfort can take time, but also listen to your gut about therapist fit. A felt sense of being seen, understood, and valued is key.

How can I prepare for my first session?
Once we've scheduled a session, I'll send you intake paperwork to complete online which will help to ​guide our work. Other than that, just be yourself. While it can feel intimidating to contemplate participating in a first session, clients almost always acclimate quickly; there may be a brief "vulnerability hangover" for folks totally new to therapy but the common fear that it will open up "everything" and feel overwhelming just isn't true, and in fact generally the reverse is: finally getting to share is an unburdening. We can always work as slowly as desired. Also for many people, especially introverts, talking about oneself so much can feel strange, but I promise, it gets easier, and is a valuable skill to practice, in an exceptionally safe environment. 

What if cost is a barrier?
Feel free to inquire about sliding scale spaces. If these are taken, and you're unable to find other care, here are some resources to consider.  And here is a straightforward breakdown of why therapy costs so much.

How do I get in touch?
Rebecca@sensitiveandpractical.com or 323-673-1603. 

Rebecca Robinson, LMFT
Sensitive and Practical Therapy

Understanding, insight, and skills to help you feel and live better.

rebecca@sensitiveandpractical.com
​blog: strongsensitivetype.com
​323-673-1603

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