Meet Yossi Benperlas

As a therapist who has worked with individuals and families within the community for the last 20 years, it is my goal to provide you with an opportunity to create change in areas of your life where you feel stuck. Whether your struggle is in a relationship or stress related to some other circumstance, we will discuss the issues so that you can feel empowered to take action that will lead to positive change.

Though we all go through challenges in life (myself included), we don't have to remain stuck because of our circumstances or our past relationships. Devoting time for therapy every week or even every other week can make a big difference in making things better. I am a warm, caring, curious and solution-oriented therapist who understands that clients want to see change in their life. When things change for the better, they feel hopeful and depression and anxiety diminish. 

About Mr. Benperlas:

I grew up in Canada and the United States. My parents were originally from Morocco and Israel. Because of my background, I am fluent in English, French and Hebrew. I also understand and speak basic Spanish. If there is one thing I have learned about speaking several languages, it's that there are certain expressions that can only be conveyed in their original form. Not everything can be translated accurately into other languages. Knowing this has given me an appreciation and sensitivity for cultural differences and the nuances that exist and which must be respected. I am very familiar with Judaism both from an Ashkenazi and Sepharadic perspective. I am familiar with Moroccan, Israeli, and Persian culture as well. Still, having worked with hundreds of clients over a 17 year period at a local counseling center means that I can work comfortably with most cultures and people. 

Though I don't believe in total disclosure online, I can generally say that as a man in my late 40's, I have been through many of life's joys and challenges. Marriage, children, death of loved ones, work and financial difficulties have all been part of my personal journey. One positive aspect of this for clients is that I can understand some of your experiences more personally. Of course, that still does not mean that I am not curious about your unique experience. But it should save time in having you explain basic truths that we all know when we have a shared lived experience. 

For me, being a therapist is not just a job. I get tremendous satisfaction from being helpful in alleviating the suffering of my clients and assisting them in creating positive change. For that reason, I am deeply invested and interested in seeing growth in my clients. Clients say that they find me to be warm, engaged, practical and that I have a good sense of humor. 

Feel free to reach out for a free 15 min consultation to find out if we are a good fit. 

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Speech Communication (Cal State L.A.)

Master's degree in Clinical Psychology & Marriage, Family Therapy (Antioch University Los Angeles)

Certificate in Management Essentials (Harvard Business school online)

Partial list of recent Continuing Education Courses: 

• Imago Therapy 32 hour certification course
• Understanding Vicarious Trauma and its Path to Resilience
• Lessons from Person-Informed Trauma care
• Eating disorder diagnosis and treatment
• Family assessment and intervention
• The Role of Humor in Psychotherapy
• Emotional resilience
• Rules of Estrangement: Common reasons for estrangement, common mistakes therapists make.