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Serving California Residents with Online Therapy

Lisa Sonin Larsen, PsyD (CA Lic.# PSY19046)

3123 W. Ave. L 8, Lancaster, CA 93536

Phone: 661-233-6771

Welcome
to My Blog

desert scene with rainbow across dark blue clouds

Life throws lots of stressful situations at us on a regular basis. We do our best to handle it, sometimes by yourself and sometimes with others' advice. Here are some articles that explain what you might be experiencing as a trauma survivor, mourner, or person getting through this complex world, one day at a time. They're not meant to replace diagnosis or medical advice, but they can help you sort some things out for yourself. Hope you enjoy them.

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close up color photo of a Caucasian male with pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes, looking somber

close up color photo of a Caucasian male with pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes, looking somber

Small wins: Why celebrating tiny victories helps with depression recovery

When you're depressed, even small things like bathing or folding laundry feel insurmountable. This post helps you break tasks down into doable steps.

Grief & Depression

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

4 days ago4 min read

color photo of young caucasian redhaired woman in white long sleeve button down shirt, with somber expression

color photo of young caucasian redhaired woman in white long sleeve button down shirt, with somber expression

Five things to do if you’re a people pleaser and want to stop

If you're a people pleaser and want to stop, here are 5 ways you can change that tendency and get your needs met as well.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Feb 144 min read

Embracing Love with LGBT Couples Counseling

Why is LGBT couples counseling important? Your relationship may be under special stress from social discrimination, family rejection, & internalized oppression.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Feb 74 min read

white cat with black spots sitting next to a dog in a night shirt, facing away from camera, on a bed

white cat with black spots sitting next to a dog in a night shirt, facing away from camera, on a bed

How Animals Help with Coping in Grief and Other Distress

Animals and pets have the ability to help humans deal with distress in a healthy way. This post explores how animals help us cope with distress adaptively.

Grief & Depression

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Jan 104 min read

eye ball with blue and orange iris

eye ball with blue and orange iris

The Many Benefits of EMDR Therapy

What are the benefits of EMDR therapy? This post covers some of them and dispels misconceptions about what it can and can't do for you.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Jan 34 min read

brown eyed, brown haired white woman staring pensively into camera with hand to her mouth

brown eyed, brown haired white woman staring pensively into camera with hand to her mouth

What is Trauma?

This post addresses the question, what is trauma, and what distinguishes it from a merely upsetting event. Also includes info about trauma treatment.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Jan 34 min read

Christmas portrait of a young heterosexual African American couple with white dust and possibly glitter all over them.

Christmas portrait of a young heterosexual African American couple with white dust and possibly glitter all over them.

Grief During the Holidays

The holidays can be challenging for people who have lost a loved one. This post describes how to handle grief during the holidays.

Grief & Depression

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Dec 7, 20254 min read

color photo of a view outside a wood-framed window of a tranquil mountain lake with canoes in the lake.

color photo of a view outside a wood-framed window of a tranquil mountain lake with canoes in the lake.

What is the Window of Tolerance?

Discover how the window of tolerance affects how you cope with stress and what overwhelms you, creating too much nervous system activation or too little.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Nov 29, 20254 min read

Blue eye closeup with mascara and glittery, multicolored makeup

Blue eye closeup with mascara and glittery, multicolored makeup

How I Use EMDR Therapy With LGBTQ+ People

How do I tailor EMDR therapy for LGBTQ+ clients? I try to create a safe place and do extra preparation to strengthen the sense of self and mind-body awareness.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Nov 15, 20254 min read

black and white photo of several arches viewed in perspective (down a hall)

black and white photo of several arches viewed in perspective (down a hall)

Self-Discovery Through Hypnotherapy

This post explains how hypnotherapy helps discover deeper aspects of the self that motivate behavior and shape the quality of your life.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Nov 8, 20254 min read

Older African American woman in pink shirt holding dog, smiling with her two sons, younger African American men. One of them is wearing a military uniform.

Older African American woman in pink shirt holding dog, smiling with her two sons, younger African American men. One of them is wearing a military uniform.

Honoring Veterans’ Mental Health

How do we honor veterans' mental health this Veteran's Day? This post discusses some of the unique challenges veterans face and how trauma therapy can help them.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Nov 1, 20254 min read

graphic poster with 4 hands holding of different colors each other in front of rainbow background and "united against hate" in all caps, white letters

graphic poster with 4 hands holding of different colors each other in front of rainbow background and "united against hate" in all caps, white letters

Understanding the Intersection of Gender Identity and Mental Health

This post explores how gender identity interacts with mental health, including gender dysphoria, discrimination and internalized oppression. LGBTQ therapy can help.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Oct 25, 20254 min read

caucasian female hiker shot from behind, opening her arms and looking at a sprawling mountainous vista with one leg standing up on a rock

caucasian female hiker shot from behind, opening her arms and looking at a sprawling mountainous vista with one leg standing up on a rock

What is Post-Traumatic Growth?

Is it possible to fare better after a traumatic incident than you would have before you struggled? This post explores what post traumatic growth is.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Oct 18, 20254 min read

Color print of a short-haired person covering one half of his face. Both/And by Glenys Barton

Color print of a short-haired person covering one half of his face. Both/And by Glenys Barton

Equally Gifted, Equally Flawed: Preserve Your Self-Esteem in a Judgy World

How do you preserve your self esteem in a toxic culture that encourages comparison, judgment and criticism of self and others? This post explores this.

Trauma Recovery

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Oct 11, 20254 min read

Block print of crow looking at its reflection in water. Artist: Anna Heruth

Block print of crow looking at its reflection in water. Artist: Anna Heruth

Avoiding Regret in Relationships with Self-Reflection

If you want to avoid regrets in your relationships, self-reflection can be helpful. But how to develop that ability? This post explains ways to do that.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Oct 4, 20254 min read

Hypnosis for Habit Change: Are you Ready?

What motivates you to change your behaviors? Understanding this helps you succeed when you seek hypnosis for habit change. This post explores this topic.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Sep 27, 20254 min read

Interracial heterosexual couple in sweaters smiling at the camera

Interracial heterosexual couple in sweaters smiling at the camera

Why Transparency and Trust are Foundational in Romantic Relationships

Transparency is foundational to trust in intimate relationships. This post explains the barriers to open communication and how important transparency is to your relationship.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Sep 21, 20254 min read

White transgender person with big hoop earrings and eye makeup kissing the side of the head of a blond male-bodied child who has a faint smile.

White transgender person with big hoop earrings and eye makeup kissing the side of the head of a blond male-bodied child who has a faint smile.

Family Therapy for Gender Identity Acceptance

Family therapy for gender identity acceptance can help your family navigate a transgender or nonbinary person coming out and gain acceptance, understanding, and communication.

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Sep 6, 20253 min read

person in dark hoodie sitting at desk in front of laptop

person in dark hoodie sitting at desk in front of laptop

Is Your Teen Vulnerable to Pro-Ana Coaches and Social Media Content?

Pro-ana coaches are abusive predators who pose as mentors for eating-disordered teens who want to be thinner. This post explains this and what to do.

Adolescents and Pre-Adolescents

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Aug 31, 20253 min read

Caucasian het couple in formal wear looking sad at each other

Caucasian het couple in formal wear looking sad at each other

5 Tips for Mourning a Relationship

How do you mourn a person you've lost when they're still alive and possibly dating or marrying someone else? Here are 5 tips for mourning a relationship.

Grief & Depression

Lisa S. Larsen, PsyD

Aug 23, 20255 min read

Online Therapy for Teens & Adults in Lancaster, CA &
Throughout California

Lisa S. Larsen, Psy.D.(she/her/hers)

3123 W Ave L 8, Lancaster, CA 93536

No in-person sessions offered.

Please call me to make an appointment, or submit the contact form. Thank you. I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Schedule free consult

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