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 & intimacy. Private practice since 1993. I see clients at my offices in West Los Angeles and Santa Monica as well as video and phone-sessions. I am also a Certified Professional Coach.

What makes me unique as a Therapist

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 office sessions 2 days week and house calls 3 days a week. The house call population that I initially served was those who were homebound due to PTSD or anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia. Their fragile emotional state was such that they couldn't leave their home to attend therapy.

In the field work aspect of my house calls I went with clients to malls, airports,  grocery lines also on trains, freeways, elevators, etc. I taught them arousal control, systematic desensitization and habituation in order to face and free themselves from phobias that limited their freedom.

The range of my client base extended from Santa Clarita to Northridge to Lakewood, 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.

For you convenience I have listed below all of the issues that I specialize in and do treat, along with the issues that I do not treat but can give you a referral for.

License 

CA LMFT 29944

••••••

NPI

Yes, I have one

••••••

Degrees, Specialty Trainings & Certifications

Emergency Medical Technician

Medical Center Pre-Hospital Care, UCLA

•

Masters/Doctorate

Antioch/AU, Psychology & Human Sciences

••••••

Internships & Mentorships

Couples Communication & Relationship Dynamics

Mentor: Dr. Alex French, UCLA

•

   Anger Management  

1 year internship at Southern Calif Counseling Center

••••••

Trauma Training

Trauma Recovery

Certified in the Mitchell Technique, UC San Diego

•

I am Red Cross certified in all of the below

Early Stage Disaster Management

Crisis Debriefing for Emergency Services Personnel  

Crisis Intervention for Disaster Workers & First Responders

••••••  

Workshops I presented

FBI, LA Bureau  

Workplace Depression, Impact & Prevention

•

FBI, LA Bureau

Stress in the Workplace

••••••  

Teaching Abroad

                    I taught American psychology techniques to

        psychologists, psychiatrists & middle school teachers

Yekaterinburg Russia

••••••  

Coach Training Certifications

Executive Coaching

Individual Coaching

Interpersonal Couples Coaching

CPC Certified Professional Coach in all of the above

College Executive Coaching, Santa Barbara, CA

••••••  

Consultant for Film and TV

Oprah Episode on Infidelity

Naomi Judd Talk Show Pilot

Woody Allen film Scenes From A Mall

••••••  

Guest Therapist on Radio and TV

      Treatment of Panic Disorder...CNN

Issues of your life - Relationships...KRLA Radio

Impact of OCD Parents...Talk or Walk, Fox TV

Effect of TV Violence on Teens...MTV

Crisis Therapy for Families Impacted by 9/11...NBC

••••••  

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence: Testing & Enhancement

Mayer Salovey Caruso Method

•

Social Intelligence

Daniel Goleman

••••••  

Affiliations

American Association of Integrative Medicine

Association for Traumatic Stress Specialists

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

International Association for Relationship Research

••••••  

Divorce or Separation

Children/Adolescents

Child Custody

Child Protective Services

Bi-Polar Disorder

Autism Spectrum

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Schizophrenia

Sex offenders

Trafficking Recovery

Stalking

Issues that I do work with

Couples Communication

Marriage Counseling

Problem Solving Skills

Fertility & IVF Support

Infidelity Help & Recovery

Relationship Repair

Sex & Intimacy

Relationship Coaching

Second Marriage

Commitment Reboot

Resentment Recovery

Exclusive discount for video sessions

Premarital Counseling

Couples Therapy

Ending Power Struggles

Moving in together

Co-Habitation Adjustment 

Angry Relationship Rescue

Breaking Toxic Patterns

Grief & Loss

ADHD partners

Avoiding Break-ups

Reconnecting Love

Issues that I do not work with

Suicide

Self-Harm

Domestic Violence

Active Drug Addiction

Active Alcoholism

Gambling Problems

Sexual Addiction

Compulsive Shopping

Smoking

Eating Disorders

Internet Porn Addiction

No Legal System Issues

Child Abuse

Rape

Please Note: I am not a recovery specialist and do not work with the constellation of issues that stem from addiction/substance abuse. If you have problems in a relationship where these factors are present you need to address them before true Couples Therapy can actually help you. I can provide you with referrals.

I don't work with homelessness or clients who are in danger of harming themselves or others. Additionally, I don't work with any aspect of the legal system.

If you are having any kind of urgent situation please call 911 or your local police.

The phone number for the suicide prevention hotline is

800 273 8255