Immediate crisis
- 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text, 24/7
- Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741
- 911 for a medical or safety emergency
Home / Resources
Resources
Things worth reading, trying, and knowing
****PLACEHOLDER**** Write two or three sentences introducing this library in your voice: what a reader will find here, and who it is for.
Structure demo. Every row marked ****PLACEHOLDER**** below is a proposed piece that has not been written yet — the title and one-line summary are a content plan, each targeting a search people in Los Angeles are actually typing. The page structure, internal links, and schema are already in place. As a piece is written, replace its row with a real link; delete any row that never gets written, rather than shipping an empty promise.
Start here
How to know whether you need therapy — or just a hard season
The difference between a rough stretch and a pattern, and what usually tips the balance.
What actually happens in a first therapy session
A plain walkthrough, for people who have never done this before.
How to find a therapist in Los Angeles who is a real fit
What to ask on a consultation call, and which answers matter.
Trauma & the nervous system
Why insight isn’t enough: understanding your body’s alarm system
Why you can understand a pattern completely and still live inside it.
Somatic EMDR vs. traditional EMDR: what’s different and who it’s for
Companion piece to the Somatic EMDR guide.
Freeze, shutdown, and numbness: when nothing is the response
The most misunderstood trauma response, and what helps.
Signs of childhood emotional neglect in high-functioning adults
What it looks like when nothing obviously bad ever happened.
Relationships & attachment
The pursue–withdraw cycle, and how couples get out of it
An Emotionally Focused Therapy view of the argument you keep having.
Why asking for what you need feels dangerous
Where the risk was learned, and how it gets unlearned.
Repair after conflict: the skill that predicts whether couples last
Rupture is inevitable; repair is trainable.
Practices you can try today
Orienting: a 60-second practice for a nervous system on alert
Slow, deliberate looking around the room — and why it works.
Where do you feel it? A short body-scan script
An audio version is planned for this one.
Naming feelings when you can’t find the word
A printable feelings-and-needs sheet.
Books I recommend often
****PLACEHOLDER**** Write one or two sentences framing your book recommendations — why these titles, and who each one is for.
On trauma and the body
Three to four titles with a sentence each on who each one is for.
On relationships and attachment
Three to four titles, same treatment.
Podcasts & talks
A handful of episodes worth an hour of your commute.
If you need support right now
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Los Angeles County
- LA County Dept. of Mental Health Help Line — (800) 854-7771, 24/7
- 211 LA — housing, food, and social services
Specific support
- National Domestic Violence Hotline — (800) 799-7233
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth) — (866) 488-7386
- SAMHSA National Helpline — (800) 662-4357
Finding lower-fee therapy
- Open Path Collective — reduced-fee private practice sessions
- Community mental health clinics and university training clinics across LA
- Ask me on a consultation call — I keep a referral list
Get Started
Ready to prioritize yourself or your relationship?
The first step is a free consultation call. We’ll talk about what you’re needing, what working together could look like, and whether it feels like the right fit. No pressure, no commitment.
If you can’t find a time that works, email or call and we’ll coordinate directly.
Erika Mitchell Therapy
5044 Eagle Rock Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
erikamitchelltherapy@gmail.com
Schedule Your Free Consultation