Alan Chudnow

I work with people who are thoughtful, self-aware, and a little tired of the usual answers. My practice draws from existential therapy, Buddhist psychology, and Gestalt three traditions that share one core idea: that lasting change comes from understanding yourself more deeply, not managing yourself more efficiently. I wrote a book about this, Growing Through Crisis, because I believe that the moments that crack us open are often the ones that matter most. I work with individuals and couples, including those navigating LGBTQ+ identities, non-traditional relationships, and kink or sex-positive lifestyles. I hold a trauma professional certification and bring that lens into grief work, relationship ruptures, and major life transitions.

I'm not going to hand you a worksheet. What I do instead is slow down with you—look at what's actually happening in the room between us, in your body, in the patterns you keep returning to. Gestalt therapy gives me tools like the empty chair to work with relationships that aren't in the

room. Somatic awareness helps us stay grounded in what's real. And the existential thread underneath everything asks: what does this mean for how you want to live? Sessions with me are conversational and honest. I'm warm, but I'm not going to let you off the hook with easy explanations—because you don't want that either. You're here because you're ready for something real.

Your first session is about getting oriented together. I'll ask what brought you here, what you've tried before, and what you're hoping for—but I'm not locked into a script. If you show up not quite knowing what you need, that's fine. Many people don't. We'll figure out together what kind of support makes sense. By the end, you should have a sense of how I work and whether this feels like a fit. My schedule is primarily telehealth throughout California, with very limited in-person availability in Long Beach.