The North Star Families team has years of specialized experience working with individuals, families and children. We are committed to continuously learning through trainings and consultations with other pediatric experts. We are intentional both in our relationships with our clients, as well as in examining our practices and conducting self- reflection.
Dr. Wendy Denham, PhD, (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, and coach who works with parents, children, adults, early childhood specialists and organizations to develop the reflective capacities that support lifelong mental health and healthy, connected relationships. She works with patients in-person and through technology to help achieve goals of many kinds.
Dr. Denham has coded hundreds of interviews with patients to assess reflective capacity and has witnessed firsthand its protective power, both in her private clinical practice and as a Senior Trainer for two evidence-based parenting interventions at the Center for Reflective Communities.
In addition to therapy, Dr. Denham uses her research-based reflective approach to coach people who want to make a different kind of impact in their personal or professional lives, including business leaders who want to become exponentially more effective in their relationships. Apart from her work with individuals, Dr. Denham consults with Mobius Leadership and other organizations who seeking to develop more reflective cultures, with resulting improvement in morale and performance.
Dr. Denham has also been a supervisor and trainer for fifteen years, training therapists nationally and internationally in the assessment and application of a reflective approach. She has worked with community partners within Los Angeles and beyond through her work with Center for Reflective Communities, including Ben Gurion University in Israel and the University of California Los Angeles. She has published and spoken about the benefits of parental reflective capacity in many settings, including Zero to Three’s National Conference and in the co-authored chapter “Reflective and Mindful Parenting: An application of parental metallization theory toward a new relational model of assessment, prevention, and early intervention.”
Dr. Denham was formerly the Coordinator of the Infant Mental Health Program at The Maple Counseling Center where she trained and supervised therapists to work with families of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged children. She has collaborated with Twigtale.com to write two books for young children and their parents related to family themes. She also brings her training in the United Kingdom as a Drama Therapist to her work with families.
Dr. Denham is married with two children and considers Los Angeles and Australia her home.
Monica Manibusan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Clinical Director of North Star Families. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Diego State University and completed her masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at USC. She has worked with children and adolescents for over a decade and has extensive experience working with individuals with developmental delays and their families. Providing individual, family, and group therapy for children and adults, she believes that the greatest growth can be achieved through strong relationships. Monica pulls from attachment theory, strategic family therapy, and mindfulness strategies to create individualized treatment plans. In her free time you can find her exploring with her friends, baking, reading, or hanging out with her cat, Meeko.
Janet (she/her) is North Star’s Intake Specialist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over nine years of experience in school and community mental health settings. Janet began her career as a school-based therapist, consultant, trainer, workshop facilitator and clinical supervisor, which has cultivated her current practice to provide psycho-education along with strategies to help clients and families feel empowered.
Embodying a culturally sensitive ethos, she models curiosity and self-compassion to help children, adolescents, adults and parents identify patterns, links, defenses, risk factors, and tools to move towards progress. Janet implements her expertise in trauma and resilience-informed care to help clients increase their reflective capacity and more openly explore the underlying stressors impacting their physical, emotional and behavioral health.
Janet incorporates Attachment Theory, Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness while utilizing a trauma-informed lens and remaining person-centered. She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Reflective Parenting Program (RPP), Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP), and Seeking Safety. Through a relational approach she guides clients in exploring lived experiences and ongoing stressors in order to collaborate, build on internal resources and strengths, and help foster growth.
Janet is fluent in Spanish. As a Latina therapist born in Mexico, she is passionate about disrupting intergenerational trauma and chronic cultural stress.
Kyle Williams (she/her) will handle all your office related needs. If you have any questions regarding billing, insurance practices, and/or Simple Practice portal setup and maintenance, she is here to help!
Kyle wants to make you feel supported in your and or your families therapeutic journey and is available to email or hop on the phone to talk things through.
As someone who has benefited from therapy and continues her own treatment, she is acutely aware of the time, effort, and sometimes sacrifice it takes to find the right therapist and maintain a commitment to the work, and she is honored to have you become a part of our practice. Kyle has been working for Dr. Wendy and this team since 2021 and will do her absolute best to make you and your family feel happy and heard.
Krista Anderson (she/her) is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (140143) supervised by Wendy Denham, PhD (PSY20898). She specializes in child development, autism spectrum disorder, attachment issues, ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders. With an empathic, attachment-informed approach, Krista believes that finely attuned relationships are the foundation for healthy development and psychological well being.
Krista received her bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia Vancouver, and completed her masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena. She has worked in the Los Angeles area as a DIR/Floortime therapist and case manager, and has several years of experience working in homes, schools, and clinical settings with children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Krista is certified in DIR/Floortime by the International Council on Development and Learning. Additionally, Krista is experienced in early intervention for autism (ages 12-48 months) using the Early Start Denver Model (UC Davis MIND Institute). During her clinical traineeship, Krista worked as a counselor for adults and seniors at The Center for Professional Counseling in North Hollywood. There, she provided adult psychotherapy via telehealth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic focusing on issues of grief, aging, life transitions, and relationships.
Krista’s therapeutic approach is influenced by her background in music and art. She works sensitively and creatively with people across the lifespan, and integrates a collaborative, often play based approach with clients. Informed by developmental capacities and an understanding of individual sensory differences, Krista uses the therapeutic relationship to facilitate her clients in their personal growth, resilience, and curiosity.
Nicole (she/her) received her Masters in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago and then went on to serve in the Peace Corps for two years. From there, Nicole expanded her work with children serving as a Crisis Specialist and School Social Worker in the Chicago Public School System and then as a middle school English Language Arts teacher in Guayaquil, Ecuador and Medellín, Colombia. Later, Nicole continued her social work at Global Kids in New York and then on to be the Founding Director of Student Engagement at a charter school, leading a team of social workers and counselors, and expanding restorative practices.
Most recently, Nicole led the Health Education department and acted as Dean of Social and Emotional Learning at Marlborough School in Los Angeles. Her wealth of experience in the education system as a mental health professional, classroom educator, and school leader allows Nicole to connect with families and children of all ages.
Nicole’s approach to therapy is multi-faceted, client-centered, and respectfully responsive. Some of her clinical focuses include cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness/meditation, solution-focused brief therapy, complex trauma and PTSD, and gender expansive-affirming interventions.
Nicole is also bringing a very exciting colleague to the practice, Barry, her adorable therapy dog with the sweetest smile and calming presence.
Barry is a licensed service animal with a focus on cuddles and calming vibes. Barry accompanies his Mom and co-therapist, Nicole Beck using a two prong approach to working with clients; unwavering support and nuzzles.
Emily Glickman (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Southern California and completed her master’s degree in Marriage and Family
Therapy at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Emily completed her post graduate training at Cheerful Helpers Child and Family Study Center in Los Angeles, CA using a psychodynamic and attachment theory orientation.
Emily strives to create a nurturing and supportive environment that promotes trust and emotional connection. She believes that approaching each child
and family with authenticity and respect is the best way to build reparative relationships in therapy. She feels that a collaborative approach, in which parents and children work together is essential in bringing about meaningful
change.
Emily’s clinical experience as a family therapist spans a wide range of social, emotional and developmental challenges, including autism, neurodivergence, ADHD, behavioral problems as well as anxiety and depression. She has also facilitated Parent and Me counseling groups to help children better understand and regulate their emotional experiences and has conducted parent support groups to help parents achieve deeper insight into their children’s behavior. Passionate about her work, Emily finds deep satisfaction in witnessing the positive changes that occur and cherishes the meaningful connections she forms with each family.
Children’s lives are complex. The world seems gigantic to them. They have ‘big feelings’ that they struggle to control and sometimes can’t even understand. They want to grow up right now but they also need to feel protected and loved. And we expect more of them than we realize.
Keith (he/him) has extensive experience working with a wide variety of children, from toddlers to teens (and everything in between). He believes that, at its core, therapy provides a safe and supportive environment to explore life’s big questions about who we are and how we fit into the world around us. His areas of interest include neurodivergence, sibling rivalries, bolstering self-confidence, treating anxiety and depression, gender exploration/identification, parent coaching, somatic regulation, academic anxiety, and self-advocacy. Keith feels that the most effective therapy should be individualized, meaning that it is the responsibility of the therapist to create a unique way of working with each client, taking into account that individual’s specific needs, interests and strengths.
A former Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), School Leader in the Young Storytellers Program as well as a father himself, Keith has a long history of helping children meet their challenges through a lens of curiosity, respect, and joy. An alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of London, Antioch University, and USC, Keith trained at The Maple Counseling Center where he worked with a full slate of child and adult clients.
Kelly Broffman (she/her) is an Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Child Studies from Antioch University Los Angeles. Kelly completed her clinical training hours at Cheerful Helpers Child and Family Study Center where she worked as an in-class clinician for their therapeutic preschool-kindergarten program, supported parents as a family therapist, and facilitated a child-parent group therapy program. Her training was immersive and provided her with extensive experience in early intervention techniques for a range of neurodivergent children with diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, executive functioning disorder, global developmental delay, sensory processing disorder, and anxiety disorders.
Combining attachment theory with the psychodynamic and family systems modalities, Kelly works with both parents and children to support them in building confidence in themselves and their relationship. She understands that this world presents constant challenges for a neurodivergent child and believes that early intervention, fortified by unconditional acceptance, is essential to the development of lifelong tools that will empower a child to bravely express their feelings, clearly advocate for their needs, safely self-regulate in times of activation, and successfully connect with peers. Likewise, she holds a space of respect and empathy for parents who have found themselves in a child-parent relationship that at times can be challenging, alienating, and disheartening. Kelly believes that every parent is the expert on their child and that in working together a parent can expand their expertise and their capacity for understanding, supporting, and connecting with their child.
Roxane Cohanim is a compassionate and thoughtful therapist whose training and experience have shaped her dedication to creating a warm and supportive therapeutic environment. She holds an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling with a Certificate in Child and Family Mental Health and Wellness from Boston College and a B.A. in Art History with a Minor in Psychology from the University of Southern California. Roxane has been trained in psychoanalysis, psychodynamic play therapy, reflective parenting, college mental health, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which she integrates into her work with clients of all ages. Roxane has also been trained and is currently being supervised by Joshua Durban at Vista’s Autism Center, where she works with autistic individuals and neurodivergent clients, deepening her expertise in this area.
Roxane specializes in working with children, teens, and adults, guiding them through life’s complexities with compassion and insight to foster greater self-awareness and resilience. She has experience addressing a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, body image issues, eating disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), life transitions, perfectionism, pregnancy and postpartum, identity development, and relational challenges. She tailors her approach to meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring a personalized and meaningful therapeutic experience.
Roxane strives to create a safe and collaborative space where clients feel seen, understood, and empowered. She is committed to providing an environment that encourages curiosity and compassion.
As a mother of two young children, Roxane brings warmth, empathy, and a relatable perspective to her work. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys visiting museums, attending concerts, traveling, being physically active, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Karena Lee (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage, Family therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, a former first grade teacher, and a mom to two boys (and one dog named Turtle!). Karena can provide therapy services in both English and Spanish and works with children, families, and individuals.
Karena believes that there’s a way to build better relationships with oneself and others. Does your child struggle with BIG emotions that are impacting your daily life? Are you and your child seeking a deeper understanding and effective strategies to manage these overwhelming feelings?
You’re not alone.
Many parents and kids are navigating the challenges of childhood, searching for ways to strengthen their family bonds and daily functioning. Karena’s approach begins with an assessment to pinpoint your specific challenges and develop a personalized treatment plan to outline how to meet your individualized goals. Karena offers a safe place to explore and identify your needs, specific strategies and/or live coaching, and informative feedback to celebrate your strengths and enhance your relationships.
Cynthia (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 15 years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, children, families, and groups to help them better understand themselves and each other as they navigate life’s many challenges. Fluent in English and Spanish and conversant in Hebrew and Portuguese, Cynthia works with a diversity of clients on topics such as family dynamics, parent-child attachment, work and social challenges, depression, anxiety, and life transitions. Cynthia is certified in Reflective Parenting, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Gestalt Therapy through the Violet Oaklander Foundation. She also has extensive training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy.
Cynthia’s approach to working with individuals and groups combines several evidence-based practices and, more importantly, empathy, curiosity, and a deep sense of wonder about her clients’ lived experiences. This approach builds a client-therapist relationship that is based on trust, mutual understanding, and a clear sense of how clients can achieve their goals. Cynthia employs both a somatic approach — centering the therapeutic process on how feelings are experienced in the body — and mindfulness techniques together with traditional talk therapy so clients can feel safe to explore their emotions and their hardships. She meets clients where they are, offering a compassionate presence that allows them to look at themselves and others with more care, grace, and understanding.
Childhood is a period of discovery and growth, a time for children to get to know themselves and to see how they fit into their world. How each child approaches this can vary based on their circumstances, temperament, and unique traits. For some children, this can seem like a seamless transition into adolescence and adulthood, while for others it can be daunting and filled with fits and starts. In today’s world of growing demands and expectations, it’s easy for parents and children to become overwhelmed during this time. If you or your child are struggling, therapy can help you get back on track and to enjoying your time together.
As a therapist, Michael (he/him) approaches each individual he counsels with the belief they have within them the innate potential to grow and thrive, and he works from a place of curiosity and warmth to foster this. What therapy looks like and how it progresses depends on the client and their specific needs, but Michael believes a playful and trusting partnership is key to facilitating growth and change. At the core of his work, Michael aims to provide his clients a safe space to test out who they are and how they want to be, which can increase confidence and self-worth and reduce symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, and other psychological difficulties.
Michael holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Science from Boston University. He received training at the Family Service Agency of Burbank, where he served families, teens, and adults. He’s counseled clients through a range of difficulties including grief and loss, familial discord, life transitions, relationship struggles, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma. He also worked at Burbank High School’s Care Center, where he provided crisis management services and group therapy to teens experiencing bullying, identity and family issues, peer-to-peer challenges, LGBTQ+ concerns, and trauma. In addition to his work with Dr. Denham, Michael serves as a teletherapist to individuals throughout California. He has completed the Reflective Parenting Program’s Level 1 training and is enrolled in ongoing training for the Violet Oaklander Gestalt Play Therapy model.
Camila (she/her) is a child specialist and relational psychotherapist offering individual therapy for young children, teens, and adults (ages 2+), as well as couples therapy and parenting support. Known for her warmth, humor, and deep listening, Camila creates a safe, supportive foundation where clients and families can explore their challenges, emotions and needs without judgment. What we see on the surface in behaviors is often a clue for unseen challenges and support needs that Camila helps to uncover alongside you.
Camila specializes in working with neurodivergent individuals, including ADHD, autistic, and twice-exceptional (2e) children and adults, and is LGBTQ+ affirming. Camila supports children and adolescents with social difficulties, emotional dysregulation, overwhelming feelings, challenging behaviors, sensory differences, family conflict, anxiety, OCD, transitions, grief and depression. Camila is passionate about partnering with parents and creating an environment for parents that feels supportive, safe and encouraging. A former creative professional raised in Los Angeles, Camila has unique insight into the needs of creative families and the experiences of children growing up in LA.
In her work with young adults, Camila has a specialty in supporting individuals who feel disconnected from who they truly are, who may struggle with patterns of anxious attachment, self-doubt, people-pleasing, and perfectionism, and who want to feel more authentic and empowered in relationships. With clients of all ages, Camila believes change happens through a healing relationship and a genuine connection between therapist and client. She integrates her training and background in various modalities including psychodynamic therapy, parts work, play therapy, expressive arts, attachment-based family therapy, CBT, ERP, and trauma-informed care. With couples, Camila is specially trained in emotionally-focused couples therapy (EFT), a focused, attachment-informed approach that can help couples to address painful cycles and build stronger connection at the root.
Camila holds an M.S. in Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy (CSUN) and a B.A. in Psychology (UC Berkeley). She is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (137865) under the supervision of Wendy Denham, PhD (PSY20898). In her free time Camila enjoys dancing, people-watching and being in nature.
Ally Zhou (she/her) is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist practicing under the supervision of Monica Manibusan. Ally graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. During her traineeship, she worked with low-income BIPOC communities that struggled with a range of topics, including trauma, anxiety, identity exploration, grief/loss, and interpersonal conflicts. She also has experience facilitating groups for high school students and giving psychoeducational presentations to large groups of parents and families.
Ally approaches the therapeutic process from a person-centered and strengths-based perspective. She is trained to conceptualize problems from a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive lens, with an emphasis in upholding anti-racist and queer-affirming practices. Specializing in OCD, racial and intergenerational trauma, and cross-cultural identities, Ally draws from a variety of theories to inform her work, including psychodynamic, narrative, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Ally deeply values the importance of the therapeutic relationship and aims to intentionally co-create a space where her clients feel accepted and understood.
Ally is also fluent in Mandarin. When she is not working, Ally enjoys playing piano, trying new foods, hosting game nights, and spending time with her cat, Thor.
Zelma Studebaker (she/they) graduated from The California Institute for Integral Studies in the Sound, Voice, and Therapeutic Studies program. Zelma has 13+ years of experience working alongside children ages 18 months to 15 years old. They also have an extensive background woking with children who have special needs. Zelma is also an Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapist working one on one with autistic and neurodivergent children and has been an Assistant Special Needs Teacher for Sensory Social Playgrounds in San Francisco.
Zelma leads with patience and empathy having been a nanny for years prior and au pair in Switzerland. They are available to work one on one in the home or assist at school to empower your child to learn, laugh, and grow.
Zelma is also a musician who incorporates the love of song into their work with kids.
David Hayes is dually Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and Professional Clinical Counselor with a wide range of clinical experiences working with adults, couples, and families in private practice, residential, and outpatient settings. He has a background in somatic therapies, Mindful Parenting Groups, and mediation. David is currently a doctoral candidate, training to be a psychoanalyst at LAISPS (Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Study.)
David has been involved in healing work since 1997 when he began working with the body to resolve pain and studying how emotions are held and often stuck in the body. As this work evolved into how thoughts and feelings relate to patterns in the body, David was drawn to psychoanalytic theories, as he felt them to be the most complete attempts to describe mind and body experiences while bringing scientific and philosophical principles to areas that were previously under explored.
David’s early clinical exposure included psychoanalytic psychotherapy training in object relations theories with adult patients and mother/toddler dyads. Simultaneously, he worked in integrative medicine centers at the hospital and clinic level where traditional and alternative approaches to healing were being used.
David is a certified mediator and has completed Reflective Parenting Program’s Level 1 training. He maintains a private practice and works with Dr. Denham to support parents, couples, and adolescents. David is married to Dr. Denham and they are parents to two young children.
