Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Alexa Altman.
Dr. Altman, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
From as early as I can remember, I felt a deep fascination with relationships and all aspects of the human condition. After completing my Ph.D. in psychology, I trained for 15 years as a trauma specialist, learning many different modalities for healing. What became evident in my clinical work is that I wasn’t really studying trauma, but really discovering our innate capacity for resilience and our intrinsic desire to evolve even in the face of trauma.
My practice is now centered around how to cultivate the internal resources to thrive in this life that is full of complexities that previous generation’s haven’t experienced. We need different kinds of emotional, psychological and spiritual support today given the world we live in.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest struggle for me along the way was a sense of professional isolation. I worked in private practice for the first 13 years of my career. I loved my work but missed a greater sense of a professional community. If you asked me back then if I was unhappy, I would have answered, no. I felt engaged with my patient’s and fulfilled by my work.
In 2016, I met Dr. Omid Naim and his wife Alexis Naim. They had a vision of creating an integrative wellness center where the community is a center point of healing. They invited me to join their team at La Maida Institute, where I am now part of the mental health team and I teach meditation weekly at our meditation studio. What changed for me being part of the La Maida community?
Everything….. I now have access many different kinds of practitioners under one roof that I get to consult with, learn from and connect with daily. I see my patient’s getting better faster. I am a witness to the power of community on a daily basis. There is a deep realization that our human need for connection is the biggest one we have. We have all kinds of symptoms, both physical and psychological when that need is not met.
Dr. Alexa Altman – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In addition to my private practice, what excites me most about my work is my Kintsugi Workshops! Kintsugi is a Japanese, 15th-century art form that restores broken ceramic pottery by lacing all of the cracks, chips and imperfections with gold. The perspective of this art is that these imperfections are not only beautiful but add value to the story of the piece. I fell in love with this art and philosophy and decided to create a workshop that would be an “experience” interacting with these very powerful themes.
We work with a bowl, that represents an aspect of yourself. We use a hammer to literally crack open the bowl. It is quite explosive and evocative. The hammer can be life itself. We sit with the brokenness and reflect on how we sit with our own broken pieces. This is really hard!! Then comes the glue to begin the mending process. Healing can be slow and sometimes we need help. The participants either help each other or I am there for assistance. Finally, we lace all of the chips and cracks with gold paint.
This final step is where the deep integration happens. We are able to recognize the journey we have been on and the wisdom, understanding and self-compassion that comes from being broken open. What amazes me every time I do these workshops is that no bowl ever looks the same at the end, and every person comes with their own unique story to tell through the work. I have the great pleasure to witness the unfolding of how it all comes back together…. usually in ways that are unexpected.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My personal definition of success is the quality of my relationships. I look first at the relationship with myself. Am I treating my mind and body with care? Am I listening to my intuition, my deep knowing? Am I honoring what I Love to do for work and play?
Then I look at my relationships with my family and friends. The markers for me are around quality time. Success with my family looks like, uninterrupted time. That could look like a no Device afternoon, hike, picnic, etc.. My grandmother, who was one of the closest women in my life, used to tell me that what we have in this one precious life is one another.
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy = $200
- Mediation Class = $20
Contact Info:
- Address: 11159 La Maida Street
North Hollywood, CA 91601 - Website: dralexaaltman.com
- Phone: 323.788.1834
- Email: drlexaltman@gmail.com
- Instagram: dr.alexa_altman
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