Lyndsay McLaren Therapy, LPCC
-Therapy in Santa Monica & Across California (online). Helping teens, adults, and families navigate anxiety, relationships, and life transitions with clarity, compassion, and real tools for change.
Life can feel overwhelming at times. You might be struggling with anxiety, relationship challenges, self-doubt, or a difficult life transition. For teens and young adults especially, the pressure to manage school, relationships, identity, and expectations can feel intense.
Therapy offers a supportive space to pause, reflect, and gain a deeper understanding of what you’re experiencing, while also developing practical coping skills to navigate life’s challenges with greater clarity and balance.
I provide therapy for teens, young adults, and families in Santa Monica, Brentwood, & West LA helping clients strengthen their sense of self, improve relationships, and move toward a more grounded and connected life.
Who I work with:
Teens struggling with depression, anxiety, identity, peer relationships, low self-esteem
Young adults navigating life transitions
Adults exploring personal growth and self-understanding
Families and couples seeking better communication and connection
Many of my clients come from Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, and West Los Angeles.
What I help with:
I work with teens, young adults, and families experiencing:
Anxiety and chronic stress
Depression and low self-esteem
Trauma and PTSD
Family conflict and communication challenges
Identity exploration and life transitions
School avoidance and academic pressure
Grief and loss
Substance use and disordered eating
My Approach:
My approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in genuine curiosity about each client’s experience.
I believe meaningful change happens when people feel safe, understood, and accepted as they are. In our work together, we’ll explore the patterns, emotions, and relationship dynamics that may be contributing to distress while also building tools to help manage stress, regulate emotions, and navigate life with greater confidence.
My work is rooted in psychodynamic therapy and family systems, while also integrating evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, Internal Family Systems.
Experience in Residential Treatment:
Before transitioning to full-time private practice, I spent seven years working in prominent residential treatment centers in Los Angeles as an individual therapist, family therapist, program director, and clinical supervisor.
In these intensive treatment settings, I supported teens, young adults, and families navigating complex mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and family conflict.
My time working in residential treatment helped shape my understanding of how deeply mental health struggles can affect both individuals and family systems, and how healing often begins through consistent, supportive relationships and thoughtful therapeutic care.