Diana Beck, LMFT, LPCC, C-DBT shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Diana, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, I’ve been finding joy through intentional connection to my mindfulness practice. Some of this includes noticing the smell of my morning coffee, breathwork through Pilates, and admiring beach sunsets during my evening walk. Creating these moments is foundational to my own self-care practice and provides the mental clarity that I need to run my business.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Diana. I’m thrilled to share about my therapeutic style and my company, Beck Family Therapy. I’m a licensed psychotherapist with a certification in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). As a therapist, my goal is to create strong relationships with the clients who embark on their therapy journey under my care. My approach is particularly helpful for adults with issues related to troubled relationships with self/others, eating disorders, complex trauma, and suicidality. I offer in-person sessions as well as telehealth appointments to make therapy more accessible to clients located throughout the state of California.
DBT is a skills-based approach and heavily rooted in mindfulness skills. I find that much of my work is geared towards assisting people in creating a greater sense of tolerance for uncomfortable feelings and bodily sensations. I incorporate somatic experiencing as a way to help clients build tolerance for discomfort and as way to access safe sources of sensory information. Rebuilding a sense of trust between brain and body is essential.
I help my clients identify current strengths and focus on teaching new skills to help with reducing problematic behavioral patterns. One of the core principles in DBT is the idea of dialectics — two opposing forces existing at the same time. I can feel sad and find a sense of happiness. I can be trying hard and need to try harder. It can be raining and the sun can be shining. Practicing dialectical perspectives has been useful for many of my clients. It has helped them transition from my office and back to a life worth living.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Great question! Bonds between people can be broken for a number of reasons – feeling unsafe, unheard, or invalidated. Ultimately, broken bonds come down to disruptions and possible ruptures in attachment.
It can certainly be challenging to restore relational wounds. The first step is to take into consideration your experience within the relationship. Does this person make me feel safe/heard? Does this person treat me well? Does this person have my best interests at heart? Is the relationship worth repairing? What do I need that I’m not getting? Answering some these questions can provide valuable information about how to proceed. If the bond is worth repairing, reflect upon your needs in the relationship and how to best communicate those needs. If the relationship does more harm than good, it might be time to move forward and pursue other connections. It can feel painful to walk away from relationships and it can be empowering (dialectics!).
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
Yes, I do. I reflect upon this moment and how it made me feel to be truly heard and understood by another person. I felt soothed, at ease. Listening creates connection and this provides healing. I hold this experience dearly as a reminder of how powerful listening can be.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would say that shared time is what matters most to me. They would tell you that most important thing to me is being able to be in the presence of the people I love.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
My sense of peace is always found near the water. I grew up in a small beach town and going to the ocean has always been my way to create a sense of comfort. The sound of the waves, the salt air, the feeling of the sand beneath my toes – this is peace to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/diana-beck-santa-monica-ca/414244
- Other: https://www.zocdoc.com/professional/diana-beck-lmft-326086
Image Credits
Brenna Farley, Annicka Elmquist
