in-person THERAPY IN LOS ANGELES and online SERVING CALIFORNIA

Linda Shing, PsyD, LMFT

I help high-achieving artists and professionals overcome perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and low self-esteem.

Will therapy work for me?

You may be curious, hopeful, and even excited about therapy, on the one hand, and concerned that it will be a waste of time, money, and energy, on the other. This makes sense! Therapy means, after all, working through some of your biggest challenges and hurts with a total stranger.

If you’re here, though, it’s likely you’ve hit a crossroads of some sort. It may be a decision you need to make about how to proceed in a relationship or career. Or a behavior that’s limiting your potential. Or maybe you are just sure that how life looks and feels right now is not how you would like it to be tomorrow, and it’s time to give something new a try.

These are all common reasons people seek therapy, and yes, therapy can help with all of the above and much more. See how to track if therapy is working for you. Or keep reading to see if we may be a good fit.

 
A woman in California is relaxing outdoors thinking about the pros and cons of starting online therapy
 

We may be a good fit for therapy if:

  • Our work together will involve slowing down and diving more deeply. You are likely to hear me say, “Would you be open to trying a little exercise around this?”  You can always say no, of course!  However, a new experience, perspective, or insight – discovered in session –  often sets the stage for positive change during the week and beyond.

  • Not checking their watch constantly because they’ve scheduled people back to back; not cutting you off at the 45 minute mark when you’re in the middle of something really important; and not sitting passively or letting you just vent week after week. 

    I intentionally space out how I schedule clients to not have that unhelpful time pressure on either of us. I am an active and engaged participant in our sessions, not a “blank slate.” And while venting is a necessary release valve at times, it rarely leads to change or healing on its own. 

  • Welp, it’s been a minute since I had such awesome problems!

  • We will define your goals and actively target them from the get-go, with constant input from you on how things are going and what you want more/less of. If you are up for it, you are likely to get assignments in between sessions that will accelerate growth. These may be videos to watch, articles or books to read, skills to practice, experiments to try, or other activities we come up with together. See more tips on how to get the most out of every session.

 
Therapist Linda Shing sits in a comfortable brown leather chair, ready to greet clients in her Los Angeles office

About Me

As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, I spent a lot of years navigating cultural differences and trying to satisfy my parents’ high expectations while also trying to make sense of my American-thinking but non-American-looking self. 

I made amazing lifelong friends but still felt “other” in the mostly White and wealthy community I grew up in. Shame and a longing to belong were my constant companions, though I had no words for these experiences or awareness of the roots.

Shame often manifests as feelings of worthlessness, of being broken, bad, helpless, or hopeless. It’s incredibly common, not only among marginalized communities and trauma survivors, but also among high achievers and those who struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overthinking.

I know from my own journey, as well as 18+ amazing years as a therapist, that you can figure out the source of long-standing negative emotions and beliefs and you can resolve them. Whether they stem from intergenerational trauma, childhood events, or other painful losses, you can heal those wounds and the damaged sense of self connected to them.

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Experience, Education, and Approaches to Therapy

Therapist Linda Shing smiles as she sits on the beige couch in her Los Angeles office
 
 

    • PsyD, Psychology, California Southern University; summa cum laude
      Dissertation: Stress, Strain, and Coping in Professional Writers & Actors

    • MA, Organizational Behavior, Phillips Graduate University

    • MA, Marriage and Family Therapy, Phillips Graduate University
      Thesis: Chronic Rejection in Actors and Writers

    • BA, Political Science and Interdisciplinary Field Studies, UC Berkeley

    • CA LMFT 45930

    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) -Certified

    • Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) - Master ART Certified

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS) - IFS Institute Level 1

    • Brainspotting - 1, 2, Expansion

    • The Flash Technique - Standard & Advanced

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Certified

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    • Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Don’t worry if these acronyms and therapies sound like psychobabble.

I work from multiple modalities but one thing is common: sessions with me tend to be experiential, meaning we will practice new skills, tap into the wisdom of the body, dive into internal conflicts, and heal the painful experiences that haunt you.

We will not just talk about problems but rather seek to resolve them.

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Trauma Therapy

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Anxiety Therapy