Joanna Alpern
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Joanna Alpern
Masters of MFT, AMFT #156427
EFT Couples Therapist
Joanna believes that, as humans, we’re wired to connect, and that nothing is more frightening than feeling unseen, unheard, or misunderstood by those closest to us. If you and your partner are struggling to communicate, you are likely suffering in this way. Perhaps one of you becomes overwhelmed by conflict and shuts down, while the other gets bigger and louder, desperate to be heard. Maybe one of you is more guarded, more comfortable in logic than emotion, while the other is a sensitive soul who has been labelled “too much”. If any of this describes you, Joanna can help. Honoring these differences and celebrating your unique strengths, Joanna will work hard to bridge disconnection with acceptance, empathy, and endless curiosity
As an attachment-based, emotionally focused therapist, Joanna will help you identify the patterns you find yourself in and the emotions driving them. Using humor, warmth, and deep understanding, she will empower you to address the wounds and stuck places that keep you and your partner from feeling close.
Joanna believes no one should suffer alone. She feels all people deserve to feel safe and secure, loved and respected in your closest relationships, and is here to help you take that first step. While Joanna excels with clients who might be new to therapy, putting them at ease and helping them get curious about their inner world, she also heartily welcomes those well-versed in therapy who are motivated now to go beyond insight into implementing real change in their lives.
Licensure
- Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #427567
Education
- Campbellsville University, Los Angeles, Phillips Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
- New York University, New York, Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing
- University of St Andrews, Scotland, Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
Work Experience
- California Family Counseling Center | Trainee Marriage and Family Therapist
- Center for Discovery | Trainee Marriage and Family Therapist
Therapy Experience
In addition to individual and couples work, Joanna has extensive experience in group therapy settings, always encouraging authentic, vulnerable communication that fosters community. She has led psychoeducational groups on topics such as attachment, emotional regulation, and neuroscience, providing evidence-based approaches to healing.
As a culturally humble and LGBTQ+ affirmative therapist, Joanna has treated clientele from many diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, with different sexual identities, and with non-traditional, kink, and poly lifestyles. Additionally, Joanna has experience treating clients with a wide range of diagnoses such as personality disorders, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, bringing a non-pathologizing lens to all her work and believing in each client’s inherent capacity for growth and transformation.
Joanna is currently working towards completing certification in Emotionally Focused Therapy. Emotionally Focused Therapy is one of the most effective couples therapy approaches to date. Certification in EFT requires hundreds of hours of supervised couples therapy, which is then reviewed and approved by The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Joanna participates in weekly clinical EFT supervision by practice owner and certified EFT Supervisor, Haleigh Butler, to ensure the best care possible for her clients. Joanna also attends multiple EFT trainings annually to continue to hone her skills and stay up to date with the model.
Additional Training
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Core Skills, 48 hour Extended Version
- Completed 2024, Trainer: Robert Allen
- This 4-5 months training experience involves four 12 hr sessions scheduled four to five weeks apart. Each session is designed for a small group of participants (8 – 15) to explore and refine the primary skills used in the EFT model. Each session will include practical instruction, experiential exercises, video examples, and case consultation totaling 48 hours of EFT consultation and is a pre-requisite for Certification.
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship
- Completed 2023, Trainer: Debi Scimeca-Diaz
- The Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a 28 hr. 4 day training in EFT and a pre-requisite for all other trainings and certification. It includes an overview of all aspects of the model including steps and stages, interventions, adult attachment theory, and application of EFT with couples.
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive Training
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 1
