Meirav  Haber  Bailey , ATR, MFTI            

I am a Marriage and Family Therapy Registered Intern (Lic #71070), under supervision of Jennifer Burton, LMFT (Lic #MFC37615), with a private practice based in Encino, CA. I earned my Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy with a focus in Art Therapy from Loyola Marymount University. I am Israeli-American, a fluent native Hebrew speaker, with a Jewish upbringing and immigration experience that informs my cultural awareness.

 

I have worked in a variety of therapeutic settings, including Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks Hospital Discovery outpatient program with severely mentally ill adults, Hathaway-Sycamores child and family services, and Hathaway-Sycamores FSP-TAY and TILP programs providing services to underserved transitional-aged youth.

 

I have more than a decade of experience and training working with adolescents who are struggling with their mood and academic performance. I embody a keen sensitivity and understanding of the changes, challenges, and uncertainties that are so inherent to this phase in their lives. Whether they have suffered traumatic stressors like loss, violence, parents' divorce, or bullying, have turned to unhealthy coping with drug use or self-harm, grapple with performance anxiety on tests and assignments, or simply struggle to find their calling, I can help them find their way to their fullest potential.

 

I have an eclectic therapeutic approach that unlocks self-expression and insight with even the most hard-to-reach teens. Aside from traditional "talk" therapy, I specialize in the following therapeutic modalities:

 

Art Psychotherapy

I am a Registered Art Therapist. I received extensive Art Therapy training and supervision through the 2-year master's program at Loyola Marymount University. Art Therapy is a method of creating art as a form of symbolic speech, exploring visual metaphors that bring unconscious material to the surface. This process allows for greater feeling expression, insight, and awareness. Often times, resistant teens experience art-making as a freeing, non-threatening, and non-punitive 'outlet' for their feelings and thus become less resistant to treatment. Art Therapy involves self-directed art or structured art directives that I devise for you to help guide treatment. All materials are provided at no additional cost. For a helpful reading on art therapy with adolescents, go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071468/

 

Seeking Safety

I am a certified Seeking Safety instructor. Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, present-focused counseling model that helps people learn safe coping from trauma and/or substance abuse in an unintrusive way. Using thought-provoking quotes, handouts, worksheets, and resources, Seeking Safety teaches countless coping skills that are accessible and easy to use. Some topics include self-reflection on time management, personal commitment, and barriers that stand in the way of improvement. For more information, go to http://www.seekingsafety.org/

 

Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

I obtained a training certification in TF-CBT. TF-CBT is a psychosocial treatment model designed to treat posttraumatic stress and related emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. TF-CBT is generally structured into a set number of guided individual and parent-child sessions. Using TF-CBT, I can help children and teens re-author their traumatic experience through art, writing, grounding, relaxation techniques, and psycho-educational handouts.

For more information and parenting resources, go to http://www.nctsn.org/

 

Progressive Muscle Relaxation & Guided Visualization

Guided visualization is a gentle but powerful technique that focuses and directs the imagination. A full visualization includes guidance through deep breathing, progressive body relaxation, a deepening trance state, positive suggestion induction, and a reversal of steps, awakening feeling light, refreshed and relaxed. In this altered state, we're capable of more deeply internalized healing, somatic pain reduction, growth, and elevated learning and performance. Although not certified, I have extensive experience and practice with progressive relaxation techniques and guided imagery, and have adapted, written, and utilized countless scripts. For more information, go to  http://acadgi.com/whatisguidedimagery/index.html