"With both clinical knowledge and wisdom of lived experiences, I am committed to the therapist-client relationship and the healing power it has to transform lives."
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-Sydney Burkhardt
About Sydney
I am a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist who assists child, adolescent, and adult clients. I hold a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northcentral University and a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of California Irvine. I am a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California, and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.
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Additionally, I have post-graduate training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy for Attachment Trauma, and Somatic Therapy for Trauma Treatment.
My experience as a therapist has consisted of work in middle school, high school, college, community mental health agencies, and private practice where I have had the opportunity to provide therapy to a wide range of clients with self-harming behaviors and suicidality, individuals with gender identity issues, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, ASD, depression, and families in crisis.
While these credentials undoubtedly carry weight, I think it is important that I share equally important parts of myself with you, so that you may get a greater sense of who I am, and if you would like to work with me.
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As a native Californian, living now in Los Angles, I have lived in many cities up and down the west coast. I have also had multiple careers and life transitions, including work in consulting, sales, marketing, food and recipe development, and as an entrepreneur. All of those experiences have made my work as a psychotherapist that much richer. And while I still have an entrepreneurial spirit, it is filtered through the lens of a therapist, which means creative endeavors are now framed with wellness and wellbeing in mind.
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I am also a mother of two and a partner. I am an avid animal lover with two big wonderfully messy dogs, ride horses regularly, find calmness and creativity in cooking, retreat to nature often for peace, and am committed to daily movement for overall health.
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Finding this balance and these healthy coping skills have been a journey, and at many points an arduous one. My journey with therapy first began as a young child- brought to a counselor due to my parents' decision to separate from one another. From that point on and throughout my adolescence, my visits to therapy ebbed and flowed. And while therapy was helpful at times, it wasn’t until I was an adult and I entered into therapy willingly, that I could feel the true power it held.​
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​For me, a key ingredient in the healing process was the compassion I felt in therapy, which slowly turned into self-compassion. With that heartfelt tenderness for myself, I was able to connect and make meaning from my story- I learned how to take ownership of my life, felt agency to act, and trusted that I had the resources within to change myself and my relationships for the better.
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It is with this same commitment and spiritedness woven into my clinical expertise that I make the journey alongside my clients. With both clinical knowledge and wisdom of lived experiences, I am committed to the therapist-client relationship and the healing power it has to transform lives.
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EXPERIENCE AND CERTIFICATIONS
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EMDR Therapy- Training through Institute for Creative Mindfulness, EMDRIA approved provider
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Equine Therapy- Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning Certification, through H.E.A.L
Emotionally Focused Therapy- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy for Attachment Trauma Training
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Somatic Therapy for Trauma Treatment Training
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training
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Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
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