On the outside, your life may look more simple than how complicated feels inside. Maybe you’ve learned to carry yourself in a way that looks polished and successful, even when you’re holding stress, doubts or exhaustion just below the surface. You might feel a constant pull to keep up appearances, to meet invisible standards, or to live up to what others expect of you. For some, that pressure started long ago - the need to make parents proud, to fit into a certain role or to stand apart and prove something. Those early dynamics can still shape how you move through life now. At times, it may feel like you’re caught between wanting to belong and questioning if you truly do. For many, this creates a quiet sense of disconnection: from yourself, from your relationships, and from the ease you wish you felt in daily life.
If you’re a parent, these patterns can take on new layers. You might find yourself pouring into everyone else and leaving little room for yourself. Or maybe you feel the pressure to be the “perfect” one while quietly wondering if you’re doing it right. Even in moments of gratitude, there can still be a part of you that longs for more ease, authenticity, and connection.
Therapy gives you the chance to pause and look underneath the roles you’ve had to play. It’s a space to explore the parts of yourself you’ve kept tucked away: the doubts, the longings, the questions about what truly matters. Together, we can uncover what’s been driving you, make sense of the patterns that no longer serve you, and create space for you to feel more grounded, free, and fully yourself.
I am Dora, a Croatian born and raised licensed marriage and family therapist with the office in Hermosa Beach, working with clients across Manhattan Beach and South Bay or virtually from anywhere in California.
People come to therapy when they notice something isn’t quite working; when old patterns, lingering stress or inner tension keep showing up despite their best efforts. They come when they’re ready to understand themselves more deeply, heal, and start making changes that actually feel meaningful.
Individual clients often need help with overcoming trauma, shame, hopelessness, fear, divorce or parenting, existential wonder, difficulties setting boundaries, childhood neglect, learning how to trust themselves, self-worth, letting go, feeling and being comfortable with who they are, relational issue, self sabotaging, loss and grief, religion/ spirituality, family and family of origin, and many more.
In therapy we explore how your behaviors, emotional patterns, and needs show up in daily life. We trace these patterns back to early experiences and attachment wounds, creating space to understand how your earliest relationships shaped the way you relate to yourself and others. From there, the work moves into relational healing by tending to the younger parts of you that learned to protect, adapt or survive in ways that no longer serve you. Finally, we focus on practicing new ways of being: responding to yourself with care, setting boundaries that feel right, and making choices that reflect who you truly want to be. So, what would it feel like to live your life if you could show up fully as yourself without the old patterns holding you back?
more about me
About me
We might be a good fit If...
You’re highly capable and successful, but inside you feel anxious, restless or empty.
We might be a good fit If...
You learned early on to take care of others and keep it together even when it meant silencing your own needs.
We might be a good fit If...
You feel a constant pressure to perform or achieve, and rest never feels truly restful.
We might be a good fit If...
Relationships can be challenging. You crave closeness but different fears get in a way. How do I prevent rejection or not being burden on others?
We might be a good fit If...
You sometimes feel like no one really knows you because you’re always in the role of the strong, reliable one.
We might be a good fit If...
Conflict feels uncomfortable, so you avoid it, but resentment quietly builds over time.
We might be a good fit If...
You struggle to slow down or just be, and when you try, feelings of guilt or discomfort show up.
We might be a good fit If...
You’re aware that childhood wounds still echo in your life, but you don’t know how to heal them.
We might be a good fit If...
You want to feel more connected and not just admired for what you do, but truly seen for who you are.
You’ll learn to identify and voice your needs clearly without shame or fear of being too much. We’ll practice recognizing what truly matters to you and communicating it in ways that feel safe and authentic. Over time expressing your needs will become easier and more natural, strengthening both self-trust and your connections with others.
