My name is Emily Narvaez, I am a bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Los Angeles, California, and work with clients via Telehealth. I work with adults, children, and adolescents specializing in anxiety, depression, and trauma, using a Cognitive Behavioral and Psychodynamic approach to help make progress and ultimately reach goals.
My approach
My therapeutic approach varies on the needs of each client I work with. The two most common theoretical approaches I use in my work are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychodynamic. I use these two approaches to assist the client in identifying and challenging their negative cognitions, feelings, and behaviors as well as looking at behaviors in their present and past in order to explore how it has affected their life.
My focus
I frequently work with children, adolescents, and adults who are dealing with transitional periods in life, as well as daily tasks that impair functioning in work, school, or community settings. I am comfortable treating many diagnoses but some of the more common ones I work with are anxiety, depression, and trauma-related diagnoses.
My communication style
I like to set the tone and environment depending on the client, meeting them where they are at. I make sure the client feels safe, and comfortable sharing and processing thoughts and emotions. I actively listen and engage in a non-judgmental manner. I tend to build rapport to get to know the client.
My journey to mental healthcare
What attracted me to a career as a therapist was learning how rewarding this field is; assisting clients to become vulnerable in a safe space processing their thoughts and feelings in order to achieve their goals and become better versions of themselves. I am passionate and driven to do this work by knowing that I am impacting a person's life to make a change and feel supported every step of the way.
My goals for you
Setting goals with clients is usually a team effort where I encourage the client to determine and prioritize areas of improvement and identify what they would like to get out of therapy. We will create an attainable, realistic goal and measure weekly progress.
My first session with you
Clients should expect our first session together to spend most of our time assessing feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. I will ask questions to gain clarification on areas of focus. I believe it is very important to also build rapport and for the client to get a feel for the type of therapist I am to ensure I am a good fit for them.