Meet Us
Allie Levy-Akoka
M.S. LMFT #96670
Founder/Clinical Director/Therapist
(818) 974 - 1840
Allie Levy-Akoka is a licensed marriage and family therapist who provides psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families, utilizing her strong communication, interpersonal, and empathetic skills. These skills have accompanied her passion and focus to provide compelling psychotherapy and support for individuals suffering from depression, anxiety-related disorders, grief, low self-esteem, and family-related issues such as divorce, co-parenting, newly blended family struggles, abandonment, and trauma.
Allie particularly believes in a Systems therapeutic approach in that in order to make a change, one must explore themselves as individuals who are embedded in a system (family) and to also provide the much needed support for family members. She also provides therapy for clients struggling with addiction, relapse prevention, codependency, and family support utilizing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to help identify repetitive irrational thought patterns which in turn influence the behavior. Allie has an extensive history of working with the elderly and their families in dealing with difficulties associated with caregiver burnout, dementia, and other mental and/or physical health-related changes.
Candice Sosa
M.S. LPCC #13281
Founder/Operations Director/Therapist
(805) 624 - 0175
It is Candice’s mission to provide understanding, support, hope, insight, empathy and unconditional acceptance of you and your journey. Connection and collaboration are key pieces of her practice and she will utilize your strengths to help you to achieve healing and growth. Candice has experience working with individuals (kids/teens-adults), couples, and families. She has extensive experience in anxiety, depression, life issues, blended families, as well as substance abuse.
Candice takes a holistic and integrated approach with a strong foundation in strengths-based work. Her style builds on individual strengths and resources while providing a multicultural lens in order to utilize a holistic view of each individual she works with. Her approach is gentle yet honest and straightforward, and she is passionate about tailoring her work to each individuals needs. She believes that therapy is a collaborative process and that, together, we will have success in finding the solutions that you are in search of and accomplishing your goals.
Adison Buongiorno-Smith
MSW ACSW #116062
Therapist
(747) 999 - 6414
Adison enjoys supporting clients who experience anxiety, depression, perfectionism, life stress, and a multitude of other challenges that can cause them to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, worthless, or even broken. Adison also helps with launching, attachment, adoptees and/or adoptive parents, parenting, identity, and life-direction. Adison will work with you and walk alongside you until you reclaim your sense of wholeness and recognize your inherent worth. Adison’s approach is founded on cultivating self-worth and honoring what it means to be “human”. Adison’s style is compassionate and calming, and she brings genuineness, warmth, and comfort to every session.
When you work with Adison, you’ve got someone who will not only see you, but someone who will “hold up the mirror” for you to help you develop a deeper and more loving understanding of yourself. Therapy with Adison will support past, present, and future you! Together, you will process and examine your past and change patterns that are no longer serving you, you will learn effective coping skills and regain of sense of hope and control, which will allow you to reach your goals and cultivate your ideal life.
M.S. AMFT #138161
Therapist
(707) 243 - 8292
Nicole Penrod
Whether you are working to balance your creative energy with the realities of our current world, going through a major transition, or wanting to connect more to yourself, you deserve a path forward. Nicole (she/they) utilizes narrative and skills-based approaches in virtual sessions to support clients in setting and moving towards their unique goals. Her style is warm, relational, and proactive, and she brings humor and genuineness into her work with clients. Nicole is Latinx and non-binary.
While they can work with a lot of different kinds of people (and on issues including anxiety, burnout, trauma, and relationships), Nicole specializes in working with those who identify as “creatives” in some way — whether that means you work in a creative field, you do creative work on the side, or you dream of finding ways to integrate creativity into your life. Additionally, many of Nicole's clients identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and she supports them in connecting with and exploring that identity as one part of a rich and interconnected life.
MSW ACSW #119375
Therapist
(516) 902 - 2282
Rachel Simmons
Rachel is an associate social worker dedicated to providing comprehensive support for the mind, body, heart, and soul. Her approach is designed to connect the therapeutic and spiritual paths, employing a holistic and integrated perspective to guide individuals on a journey of self-exploration and healing.
Holding a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California, Rachel’s educational foundation is complemented by her earlier studies at New York Law School and New York University.
In 2015, she underwent a transformative shift from a successful law career in New York to a purpose-driven life dedicated to Yoga, Meditation, and Integrative Nutrition as a Health Coach. Rachel employs a compassionate yet direct approach, believing in the power of a Systems therapeutic approach. She acknowledges that individuals are intricately embedded in social systems and explores the interconnection of personal and social dynamics, fostering meaningful change.
Fluent in Hebrew and possessing limited working proficiency in Spanish, Rachel brings a multicultural perspective to her practice.
With a wealth of experience, Rachel has provided therapy to a diverse range of clients, spanning ages 9 to 75. Her expertise covers a broad spectrum of issues, including relationships, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, burnout, attachment issues, grief and loss, life transitions, inner child healing, emotional regulation, and mindfulness. During her clinical roles, Rachel offered mental health and substance use disorder management, integrating Feedback Informed Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Problem-Solving Therapy—all aimed at fostering positive change.
Rachel looks forward to embarking on a transformative therapeutic journey with you, dedicated to nurturing growth and well-being.
