Aubrey Koch

YOUR THERAPIST Welcome to my practice. My name is Aubrey (she/her), I'm a psychotherapist who practices psychotherapy in-person in Pasadena and throughout the state of California. I earned a master's degree in social work from Smith College School for Social Work in 2015 and am a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). PHILOSOPHY Emotional discomfort, restlessness, feeling stuck, and the repetition of confusing patterns are often the unconscious mind's way of signaling to us that something in our psyche needs to be tended to. I approach my role as a psychotherapist with these needs in mind. Through a collaborative, attentive, and honest therapeutic relationship, we can explore your internal landscape, process your pain points, seek insight into your patterns, and pursue enlivened ways of being your authentic self. As a person with genuine curiosity and care about the inner lives of others, I approach therapy with a warmth and attentiveness designed to create an environment where you can feel truly seen and heard. I primarily practice psychodynamic psychotherapy, also known as psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This depth-oriented treatment is driven by insight and designed to get to the root causes of your symptoms rather than simply managing them. I have extensively and regularly studied this approach, and hold a certificate in psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS). I have additional education in mindful self-compassion, and my work with couples is informed by my training in the Gottman method. AREAS OF PRACTICE I often work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship issues, and difficult family-of-origin relationships. I additionally work with people who are in need of building (or rebuilding) their sense of self, struggle with internal and external boundaries, and want to stop people-pleasing. Among many groups of people, I frequently work with cerebral folks who struggle with encountering or understanding their emotions, creatives with powerful imaginations, perfectionists in need of self-compassion, and people who provide care to others but have a hard time managing their own needs (including healthcare professionals, educators, and therapists). People of all race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, spiritual, and ability backgrounds are affirmed in my practice, and I'm an affinity group therapist for the LGBTQ+ community.