culturally affirming therapy Archives

How to Tell If Your Teen Is Struggling Socially (Not Just Being a Teenager)

July 30, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges,

Most of us can remember struggling through adolescence, and those are definitely years that I am glad to have survived and left behind. When I was in high school, my parents were struggling financially, my father was in poor health, and my family was seemingly always in crisis. I was confused about my sexuality and my classes felt impossible. It all hit me, and hard,…

What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy and How Do You Know If It’s Right for You?: Understanding Trauma Informed Therapy

June 16, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy

I saw my first therapist when I was a child, and have seen close to a dozen since. In Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of them, and while I was fortunate to work with some who were genuinely helpful, I’ve also had my share of experiences that were, at best, unhelpful and at worst, harmful. Therapists are human. We make mistakes, we miss things, and…

What Is Your Anger Really Trying to Tell You?: Understanding Anger, What Lies Beneath It, and How to Begin Listening

May 28, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, grief counseling, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy

Growing up in my Iranian household, anger scared the shit out of me. My parents, who both worked all the time and were generally overwhelmed themselves, weren’t necessarily quick to anger, but when they felt angry, they would explode. It wasn’t uncommon, and it never felt okay. I remember my father’s left eyebrow jumping up before the yelling started. That was the signal to make…

Flowers held over a person's shoulder in what looks like a self-embrace to reflect learning how to forgive

What Is Forgiveness and Why Does It Matter for Your Mental Health?

April 27, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, grief counseling, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

Running a business has taught me things I never expected to learn about myself, and not the things you might think. Yes, I’ve navigated the learning curve of marketing, profit and loss statements, and building a website from scratch. I once spent months dealing with a legal threat after using a photo without permission, and I settled in a way that still stings a little…

Can Therapy Help With Chronic Pain? What the Research Shows and Why Therapy for Chronic Pain Helps

March 17, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

When my older brother was in his last year of college, he developed a condition where he would break out in intense, painful hives whenever he was excited or stressed, when it was hot outside, when he was exercising, or even when he stepped into a hot shower. I watched as it turned his life upside down. He had been struggling with depression before college,…

What Is EMDR Therapy?: A Los Angeles Therapist Explains How It Works and What to Expect

February 24, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

I learned about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) long before I ever experienced it. People described it almost reverently, as a kind of last resort that actually worked, something that helped people recover when other approaches hadn’t. Of course I was curious. It took me years to fully understand how much of what I was struggling with was rooted in trauma, so I didn’t…

What Is Emotional Dysregulation? Signs, Causes, and Tools That Actually Work When You Feel Out of Control

January 29, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

Yesterday morning, my daughter and I were running late to school. Again. The crosswalk light was blinking as we approached the busy intersection near our home in Los Angeles, and she started to dart across the street. “I don’t want to be late!” she yelled over her shoulder. My body reacted before my brain caught up. My heart lurched, my breath caught, and I screamed…

Anxiety vs. Depression: What’s the Difference? Can You Have Both?

November 28, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

I’m no stranger to depression or anxiety, and have been managing both for the duration of my adult life. Depression, I’ve known since adolescence. I was a tween when my critical inner voice got louder and louder, when I would struggle to get out of bed, and when I would find myself thinking about dying far more than I now know is normal. I may…

Back-to-School Stress?: A Therapist’s Guide to Easing the Transition

August 29, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, relationship challenges, self-care,

Back-to-school season can be exciting, but it can also bring a wave of stress and anxiety for both kids and parents. From shifting routines to worries about friends and teachers, the transition after summer can feel overwhelming. In my own family, I was reminded just how big these feelings can be when my kids received their teacher assignments the night before school started. During summer…

Take Root Therapy July Newsletter

July 29, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, grief counseling, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, , work stress

We consider the impact stress has on our mental health, offer support during ICE raids, and build a support system without a traditional family structure. A Letter From Our Founder Dear friends, I’ve been thinking a lot about stress lately. Not just as a therapist, but as someone living through these times alongside all of you. The ongoing ICE raids here in Los Angeles…

Image of a person sitting on the floor with their hands wrapped around their knees and their head resting on their knees to illustrate what stress and depression can look like

Can Stress Cause Depression? 5 Ways To Prevent Depression

July 25, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

When I think about the early days of the pandemic in Los Angeles, I remember feeling overwhelmed and scared, but I think there was also a feeling of excitement. I may be rewriting history here — and I don’t want to downplay the real fear that I was experiencing (and the magnitude of how many people were dying)– but as the eternal optimist, I assumed…

Take Root Therapy June Newsletter

June 30, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, relationship challenges,

We talk about bi+ erasure, ground through yoga, and support our immigrant neighbors. A Letter From Our Founder It’s the end of Pride Month, and I’ll be honest. This year, it has felt like Pride faded into the background. Not because it does not matter, but because so much else has been happening. The ICE raids here in Los Angeles, the war abroad, and…

culturally affirming therapy

CONNECT WITH US