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About the Therapist, Ofra Obejas

LICENSE #LCSW60551

Registered Play Therapist #T3434 (Association of Play Therapy)

My Approach to Therapy

Witnessing the personal transformation in the therapy room feels nothing short of magical.

A common explanation about how psychotherapy works used to go along these lines: “Psychotherapy is a science and an art. We don’t know exactly how it works, but it does.” Now, with neurobiology research, we know more. There are methods underneath the magic. At any point in the session, if asked, I could explain what I’m doing and why. Sometimes this involves explaining what is happening in the brain and the rest of the nervous system. Other times, it’s summarizing patterns I notice, re-evaluating them, and suggesting ways to change them.

Psychotherapy is about healing. The four elements that lead to healing are:

  • being heard
  • being understood
  • being accepted
  • being supported and encouraged

The therapist uses these elements to create an environment where clients can tolerate their feelings and thoughts without being overwhelmed. This helps them gain insight into causes for their ideas and behavior. With guidance and support, therapists encourage clients to attempt more adaptive solutions.

Ofra Obejas, LCSW

"Witnessing the personal transformation in the therapy room feels nothing short of magical."

Degrees & Practicum

Bachelor of Science: University of California Irvine, 1991. Physical science with concentration in Applied Mathematics.
Master’s of Social Work: California State University, Long Beach, 2007. Concentration on children, youth and families. Master’s thesis: supportive services to foster care youth grant proposal. Educational stipend awarded.
1st year practicum: Harbor Regional Center, Torrance, 2006: Psychotherapy for regional center clients and their families. Support groups for caregivers of children and adults with Down Syndrome, and siblings of children with special needs.
2nd year practicum: Child Guidance Center, Long Beach, 2007. Individual play therapy for children and talk therapy with teens. I was introduced to and trained in Experiential Play Therapy by Ken Schwartzenberger, RPT-S, faculty at the U.C. San Diego Play Therapy program.

Training & Certificates

Play Therapy Certificate, U.C. San Diego, 2016. Completed 150 hours of training, qualifying for the educational requirement for the Registered Play Therapist credential (RPT).

Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT), Play Therapy Institute of Colorado, 2017. This therapy model explores what is happening in the brain and nervous system through the play therapy process, how change happens, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels. SPT teaches how to stay present when the child’s behavior is highly aggressive or disruptive.

Play Therapy with EMDR: Play Therapy Institute of Colorado, 2018. Advanced training in EMDR with children. Applying research on neural anatomy, mindfulness, attachment theory and brain development for combining EMDR’s Adaptive Information Processing model with Synergetic Play Therapy.

EMDR: 2017. Completed training in this somatic trauma therapy that utilizes bilateral stimulation, such as eye movement, to alleviate distress resulting from painful or disturbing experiences. (What is EDMR?)

Employment

Star View Adolescent Center, Torrance, 2007-2009.
Residential treatment for Severely Emotionally Disturbed teenagers. In 2 years, I observed every diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual (DSM IV-TR).

Aviva Family and Children Services, Hollywood, 2009-2011.
Residential treatment for teenage girls removed from home and probation youth. Individual and group treatment for childhood abuse, anxiety, depression, attachment, social skills, and communication disorders.

St. Francis Children Counseling Center, South Gate, 2012-2013.
Outpatient, school-based and home-based treatment for elementary-school aged children and their families. Treatment modalities included Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Alternative for Families CBT, sand tray, and play therapy.

Private Practice (2014-ongoing).

Volunteer Work

Orange County Sexual Assault Network, 1989-1992: survivor support group, crisis hotline. This is where I learned how helpful support groups are, and that helping people heal from trauma is a great feeling.

The Gathering Place, Torrance, 2017-ongoing: grief and loss support groups to children, teens, and adults. On-call community crisis response.

Helping people in their grief recovery informed my practice with children, because many events in a child’s life are experienced as a loss, even when not strictly meeting the definition. These can be as devastating to a child as a death of a loved one can be to an adult, e.g, the cat who ran away; friendship break up; loss of belief, as in finding out about childhood myths.

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Booking Guidelines

How do I begin?

You can schedule a 15-minute phone consultation using the self-booking calendar.

Why can’t I schedule a full session, only a phone call?

Existing clients can schedule any type of session during available hours. Prospective clients can only schedule a free 15-minute consult call. Before scheduling a first full session, I want to make sure that I am the right therapist for you. A good fit between client and the type of issues the therapist can treat is crucial to the success of treatment.

Also, during consult, I will address medical insurance. If I cannot address your therapy needs or if I do not take your insurance, I will try to find a referral for you.