Stephen Mardell, LMFT
Clinical Director
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT 33517) in the State of California with 30 years of experience working with children, teens, families, and adults.
Welcome and thank you for visiting our website.
I received my Bachelor Degree in Psychology followed by graduate studies in Psychology and Family Systems. For many years, I have provided extensive clinical supervision to interns and other professionals, as well as managing clinical programs both privately and for community mental health agencies. I have specialized training in child, adolescent, family therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and play therapy and have a wide range of experience in treating clients with: anxiety and mood difficulties; psychosis; ADHD and learning disabilities; defiant/disruptive behaviors; substance use; grief/loss; trauma; attachment and separation; parent-child conflict; families of divorce; autism and pervasive developmental disorders; crisis management, and other mental health challenges. As a Neuro-Feedback provider, I have training and experience focusing on emotional and behavioral regulation by balancing brain functioning.
All this professional training and experience took many years and a great deal of effort to complete, but it really doesn’t say much about who I am as a therapist or a person. I believe it takes more than degrees and a license to help others. One size does not fit all as people’s needs are different, and many times can change.
For some, I am “the one who finally listens and doesn’t judge,” helping to unwind feelings of shame and faulty childhood criticisms, while helping to replace them with a realistic, constructive self-appraisal. For others, I thoughtfully and compassionately become “the one who calls it like it is,” helping confront the denial and rationalizations that keep folks stuck repeating negative patterns. And for all, I try to be “someone who goes the extra mile” because I don’t know any other way to be a therapist. My career is about being of service to others, and this is, the informing spirit of this website. My hope is that you will find this site helpful and informative. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or would like to discuss concerns regarding yourself or a loved one.
