“We live in the shelter of each other.” — Celtic saying

Who is RJ Thomas?

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and I earned my Masters Degree with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications from Washington and Lee University in Virginia. I have extensive post-graduate training in family therapy and couples counseling. In addition, I have done post-graduate training in crisis intervention, working with adolescents and assessment and diagnosis. I am very comfortable working with high conflict situation. 

As a father and husband I have personal experience raising children and know what it’s like to work hard on a good relationship.

Prior to becoming a therapist I had extensive experience running a business and understand the forces and pressures that come with professional life. In addition I have spent the last 6 years volunteering as a leader in a youth program working with kids from 7 to 18-years-old. This experience has given me a glimpse into their lives and the issues they face that I could not have gotten anywhere else. 

I have had high level training in leadership skills and believe these help me to connect with people on all levels and allow to me to help others succeed. 

In my personal life I am passionate about photography, the outdoors, sailing, surfing and ice hockey.

TRAINING:

Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples

Structural Family Therapy

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Crisis Intervention

Assessment and Diagnosis

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: 

International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists  (CAMFT) Serves on Board of Directors for Long Beach-South Bay Chapter

Psy Chi: National Honor Society in Psychology

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)

Services

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

People seek counseling and therapy for many reasons. Whether it's a major life transition such as death, divorce, a new job or a new relationship or it's a more personal crisis something isn't working right now and you need help. Sometimes people seek help for themselves or their kids with depression and anxiety or things like ADHD, parenting, addictions and self esteem. And sometimes people can just feel overwhelmed and need help to make sense of things.  A therapist can provide guidance, encouragement and skills to help you cope, feel supported during difficult times and to help you navigate transitions and changes in your life. 

MARRIAGE and COUPLES COUNSELING

Couples counseling can help couples of all types recognize resolve conflicts and improve relationships. It can help partners make thoughtful decisions about supporting, defining and rebuilding relationships. Keeping a relationship loving, vibrant and passionate isn’t easy. Money, kids, sex and who knows what else can all be a challenge to making it work. Couples counseling can help you identify and work toward the relationship you want.  

Marriage counseling is often short term and typically includes both partners, however sometimes partners might choose or need to work on issues individually either before, during or after couples work. 

CHILD and ADOLESCENT THERAPY

Working with adolescents often focuses on helping them navigate the delicate balance between home, school, family and friends. When children reach the teen years they want to pull away from family, seek independence from their parents and greater approval from their friends. They may also start taking risks neither they nor their parents are comfortable with. This can be a challenge for kids and parents alike and can lead to family conflict and a host of emotional issues. Setting clear boundaries and making sure everyone in the family communicates is key during this time.

 FAMILY THERAPY

Family therapy can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts. Family therapy works to help families learn new and better ways to interact and can even help individuals with specific problems or more general parenting issues. The whole entire family does not need to be present. The approach is adaptive enough to include individual therapy and couples therapy as well as whole families - and sometimes combinations of all those. In this way, family therapy is effective even when only one or two can participate. It is usually provided by a licensed therapist who has undergone specialized training to learn how to work with a family system. 

Family therapy can be relatively short term, but your specific treatment plan will depend on your family's situation.

Insurance

I do not accept insurance and I am considered an Out-of-Network Provider. I do not bill insurance, however I can provide you with a bill you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan but it is important to check your coverage carefully by contacting them and asking the following questions:

• Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
• What is my deductible and has it been met?
• How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
• What is the coverage amount per therapy session?

I can provide you with information to submit to your insurance carrier for full/partial reimbursement.

Payment
Cash, check, Visa and Mastercard. Fees are collected at the end of each session unless other arrangements are made.

Cancellation Policy
If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified me at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of the session.