Dr. Linda Thompson

Every client has different needs, and oftentimes, I find, the same client may have differing needs from one session to the next.  Sometimes there is a need to vent, sometimes a need, to be honest with oneself, a need to instill motivation for change, a need to be educated, and a need to be treated.   Some of the most useful tools in my toolbox include Motivational Interviewing, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Hypnosis, Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Bibliotherapy.

I am not just a psychologist, I am someone who has struggled and continues to grow through my own personal psychotherapy and spirituality as well.  I truly love my work, I love to learn, I love my family and friends, and I absolutely love to laugh. I find joy in humor, movement, meditation, nature, animals, adventure and all this life has to offer.  

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

This fact always surprises people, but I knew at the age of five years old that I wanted to be a psychologist and I have dedicated decades of my life learning about myself, relationships, various approaches to therapy and multiple specializations throughout my career. At the young age of twenty-three years old, I started my psychotherapy career after I attained my master's degree.  Working as an intern for twenty hours a week at a local community center with patients who were are recently released from inpatient psychiatric hospitalization for over a decade, while I studied for my Ph.D. at the University of Southern California (USC), prepared me to work with some of the most difficult situations. I completed my pre-doctoral internship at the USC counseling center, where I counseled very bright and diverse college students, and where I learned the importance of the relationship dynamic as a tool for therapeutic change. My post-doctoral fellowship was in the counseling center at the Claremont colleges as an eating disorder specialist. It was here that I was able to draw upon my specialty of chemical dependency in my Ph.D. program and implement a technique called motivational interviewing, which I find is helpful for increasing motivation for any type of therapeutic change. After I became licensed by the state of California in 1999, I started a private practice in Redondo Beach, California and have enjoyed working with a wide variety of clients from the age of 13 to 83.  

Please call (310) 977-9944 or email me at [email protected] to see if we are a good match.  

• Years in Practice: 29 Years
• School: University of Southern California
• Year Graduated: 1998
• License and State: PSY16656 California

• Avg Cost (per session): $200 - $250 but willing to slide in times of crisis such as now.
• Sliding Scale: Yes
• Accepts Insurance: No