Lori Davidoff, M.A., MFT

Where I started:

My studies in Psychology began in 1997 at Rutgers University on the East coast of the United States. My natural curiosity of people, culture and social behavior led me to travel abroad to South Africa while pursuing my undergraduate degree.

There, I had the opportunity to begin experiencing true diversity while igniting my passion for travel and new cultural experiences. This trip broadened my perspective of the world by enhancing my connection to people, nature & spirit, which began to open me up to the vast possibilities that life has to offer.

What I learned:

After college graduation, I moved from New Jersey out West to California to volunteer with AmeriCorps NCCC. I teamed up with other like minded individuals to offer help within the four sectors of human service to communities in need.

I learned two important lessons about myself from this experience.

1) I’m happiest when I’m collaboratively helping others

2) To best support others I must take really good care of myself.

With self care in mind,  I found my new home within the pristine nature of the coastal beaches & ancient redwood trees of Humboldt County.

A higher calling to heal:

In my twenties, I lived a less traditional lifestyle and prioritized travel over the accumulation of material things. I spent significant time on the Hawaiian Islands, which is where I attended a school that taught somatic bodywork methods, awareness & meditation practices.  With these skills, I was able to return back to Northern California to share somatic healing  and awareness practices to the community for over a decade.

While on an educational trip to Asia, the Fukushima power plant exploded, creating a palpable sense of fear, wonder and contemplation of mortality worldwide. In the aftermath, I found myself in a deep existential exploration of my own purpose. I woke up the middle of the night, every night for weeks, pensive around what my next step towards greater contribution would be. Finally, one fateful morning around 4 a.m., my purpose became clear. I wanted to become a Psychotherapist. I knew instinctively that this would lead to my own personal healing as well as to the path to serve others.

With this in mind, I returned to the classroom and received an MA in Counseling Psychology from Humboldt State University in 2014.

Experience:

Gaining a Master’s level of education in psychology and human behavior was something that I was able to apply to my own well being before sharing it with my extended community. I found that gaining a better understanding of my own psychological & behavioral conditioning, while practicing tools for cognitive reframing, set a firm foundation for managing mental health symptoms.

Personally, I was finally able to make sustainable changes to the ways in which I interact with myself, other people and the world. This helped me to understand from an empathic lens just how much mental health affects life satisfaction.

Professionally, I now hold space for other people to learn effective tools, techniques and concepts to build their abilities to reach new levels of personal/interpersonal freedom.

In Practice:

I currently work in Private Practice with adults and couples, offering  an integrated approach to psychotherapy that explores the impact of one’s past experiences on their present thoughts, feelings & behaviors.

With heightened awareness, we work collaboratively to shift maladaptive patterns.  Using the right tools, practices and perspectives to work towards finding greater personal, relational & professional satisfaction.

My practice experience includes working with: adjustment disorders, anxiety, depression, identity exploration, personality disorders, relational issues, substance use and trauma/PTSD.

On Line:

A lot has changed over these past few years…including our cultural approach to accessing mental health services. As our society has leaned into embracing the conveniences of technology, I too have felt a pull to reach more people with education around mental health.

This year, I created my first online program ” The Managed Anxiety Method” , an intensive program designed to teach sustainable anxiety management techniques to help people learn how to manage anxiety and finally live life the way they truly want to.

With Gratitude:

It is my honor and pleasure to offer Psychotherapy Services to the community of  Arcata, California, conveniently located in Sunny Brae Professional Center as well as other areas of California via tele-health services.