Welcome!

My name is Ava Shokoufi and I am happy you're here today!

I hope that my website will help you learn more about me and the work that I do. I am a psychotherapist practicing in a private practice in Westlake Village, California. I received my M.S. in Counseling Psychology from California Lutheran University and B.S. In Graphic Design from Art University.

I work with individuals, couples, trauma survivors, women in transitions, creative-minded, and highly sensitive people. My presence, acceptance, and empathy will help you explore and understand your inner experiences and patterns of negative beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and your unique needs. Together we can make sense of your struggles and use this awareness to make more intuitive and authentic choices toward your growth, productivity, and to create a more satisfying life and loving relationships. I feel honored to help you discover and unlock negative thoughts, feelings, and patterns of the past, allowing you to focus on the present to feel more fulfilled and grounded,while achieving your goals for the future. If you feel depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, stuck or unsatisfied with your life or relationships and you’re looking for the right person to talk about your life's challenges, I am here to help you.

Therapeutic Approach

My therapeutic approach is holistic, client-centered and collaborative. I offer long term in-depth therapy as well as short term solution focused therapy. Based on my client's needs, I integrate expressive art therapy, relaxation, mindfulness, and guided imagery techniques in the treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma, and stress or pain management. I have advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of depression and anxiety; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for treatment of trauma and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for those who are struggling with borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation as well as for those who have histories of self-harm and suicidal thoughts; Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) focusing on emotions and attachment styles to help couples rebuild deeper emotional connections, intimacy and trust, improve communication skills, cope with psycho-social stressors (e.g., living with in-laws, maintaining sobriety, coping with chronic mental illness), recover from a major betrayal (e.g., extramarital affair), co-parenting more effectively, and creating more meaningful connections and fulfilling relationship; I have also extensiviely trained in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety and PTSD. This intervention, based on attachment science, facilitates emotional processing and helps to create secure relationships with self and others while transforming restrictive emotional patterns to foster a new sense of balance and connection.

Prior to becoming a therapist, I was an art director and graphic designer, which gives me a deeper understanding of the healing power of art and creativity. Engaging with art can help us focus on the present moment and positively affect our mood and well-being. During my educational courses and training, the main focus of my research was exploring topics related to the treatment of Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD in cancer survivors and their families using an expressive art therapy approach. I have extensive experience conducting educational and process group therapy (i.e. Women in Transition, Life After Divorce, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Expressive Art Therapy, and HealthyRhythm Drum Circle) to improve a variety of mental health issues including stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain management, sleep difficulties, creativity coaching, or for personal growth and empowerment. At Mindful Thrive Therapy, I offer expressive art therapy groups and workshops, to assist my clients with stress reduction, pain management, symptom reduction of depression and anxiety, and burn outs all of which contribute to their well-being and their improved mood.

In my personal life, I enjoy being creative and spending time in museums and art shows. I love to read, to meditate, to listen to music, to paint, and to make jewelry. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends cooking, spending time outdoors, or traveling.

I look forward to meeting you in person and to thrive together.

Ava  Shokoufi

Want to get started? Click here to request a Free 15 Minute Consultation.