• Our Services

  • Ian Karlsson

    My mission as a therapist is to affirm the best in you. I believe that as human beings we require a sense of safety and affirmation in order to take the courageous step of examining our own lives, even those aspects that are painful. I seek to provide that safety with a warm and collaborative approach to treatment. 
     
    Especially in these unprecedented times, it can be difficult to understand why we react to situations in the way we do. Therapy is a place in which anything in our lives, even those secrets hidden away in the darkest corners, can be placed gently on a table before us so we can better relate to them. But this can be a scary process! My goal is to be by your side, pointing out that which is helpful and even beautiful in your person, and aiding you in coming to terms with the behaviors and viewpoints that might not be so beneficial to your thriving. And that’s the goal! Every human being, even those who find themselves in the most oppressive circumstances, can maximize their thriving. 
     
    My therapy is trauma focused and identity affirming. I have experience working with young adults in community mental health, as well as with adolescents in a high school setting. Both experiences have impressed on me how important it is for young people to develop a personal identity they actually like being everyday. It can be hard to figure out what social, educational, or vocational path to take as a young adult, especially when everyone has an opinion. My experience has given me the tools to help young people wrestle with the hard questions and create a sense of meaning as they decipher just who they want to be in this world.
     
    I use interventions from a number of philosophies including Internal Family Systems Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the existential tradition. Through my work, I have helped many first time, or initially reluctant, participants in therapy overcome paralyzing anxieties, insecurities, and heartbreaks they once believed would be a part of their lives forever. It is my passion to guide individuals, especially young people, to a sense of freedom in themselves, and I hope to share that passion with you.
     
    I look forward to meeting you wherever you find yourself emotionally. Please reach out and make an appointment today!

  • Ian’s Background:

    Ian received his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Azusa Pacific University in 2014. His first experiences in social work included biking from Portland, OR to New York, NY to raise money for families experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. This experience helped incite his passion for relating to persons of diverse backgrounds and ages. He went on to serve the homeless population in Pasadena, refugees in Chicago, developmentally disabled youth in Portland, and recently immigrated youth in the San Gabriel Valley. In the process of receiving his Master’s Degree in Social Work, Ian worked as a therapist at a local public high school. Since graduating from Azusa Pacific’s Master in Social Work program in 2018, he has experience providing psychotherapy for a highly diverse population in a community mental health setting. His seven years of experience working with youth, adolescents, and young adults had led him to partnering with The A Treatment Center to continue his mission of healing in mental health.