Who is Laressa Desmond. PhD, LMFT
I specialize in helping Couples in the LA area. I work with most aspects of relationship attraction, dating, living together, engagement, marriage & long distance. Private practice since 1993. I see clients at my offices in West Los Angeles & Santa Monica as well as via video and phone-sessions. If you go to the Contact Me page you can see all the issues that I counsel & specialize in and those that I do not work with.
License
Calif MFT License 29944
Degrees & Certifications
EMT
Medical Center Pre-Hospital Care, UCLA
Masters/Doctorate
Psychology and Human Sciences
Antioch/AU
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Internships & Mentorships
Communication & Couples Dynamics
Dr. Alex French, UCLA
Anger Management
Southern Calif Counseling Center
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Trauma Training & Certifications
Trauma Recovery
Mitchell Technique,
UC San Diego
Red Cross Certified in all of the following
Debriefing First Responders
Disaster Management
Debriefing Disaster Workers
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Coach Training Certifications
Certified Professional Coach
Interpersonal Coaching
College Executive Coaching, Santa Barbara
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Technical Consultant for Film & TV
Oprah, Episode on Infidelity
Naomi Judd Talk Show Pilot
Woody Allen film Scenes From A Mall
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Guest Therapist on Radio & TV
Treatment of Panic Disorder
CNN News
Issues of Life: Your Relationships
KRLA Radio
Impact of OCD Parents on Children
FOX TV
Effect of TV Violence on Teens
MTV
Crisis Therapy on 9/11
NBC
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Emotional Intelligence
Testing & Assessment
Mayer Salovey Caruso Method
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Workshops Given
FBI, LA Bureau
Depression Prevention
FBI, LA Bureau
Stress Management
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Teaching Abroad
Center for Citizens Initiatives
I taught American psychology techniques to psychologists, psychiatrists & middle school teachers in Yekaterinburg, Russia
Affiliations
American Association of Integrative Medicine
Association for Traumatic Stress Specialists
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
International Association for Relationship Research
What makes me unique as a therapist
Actually there are several unique qualities that I bring to my clinical practice. One interesting aspect is the way that I began my practice in the Los Angeles area.
After graduation and internship, I launched my practice by doing house calls and field work. The population that I initially served were those people who were homebound with PTSD due to trauma or Anxiety Disorders such as Agoraphobia. Their fragile emotional state was such that they couldn't leave their home to attend therapy.
The range of my client base extended from Santa Clarita to Santa Monica. During those home sessions, of course, it was often the case that other family members would be present, usually a spouse. It became efficient to include them in the sessions and via that I began to understand the contagious nature of emotions inside a relationship. As this process evolved I branched out into deeper theoretical and practical ways for helping couples.
My clientele included housewives, celebrities, law enforcement, first responders, executives, entrepreneurs and business owners. I am happy to share my areas of expertise in Couples Therapy and Emotional Intelligence with you.
Avoid Breakups