Community Highlights: Meet Atalie Abramovici of Atalie Abramovici Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Atalie Abramovici.

Atalie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As far back as my memory takes me, I recall having an avid interest in the mechanisms of the mind and the perceptions of others. As a young child, I was captivated by the possibility that others might experience the world in ways that were drastically different from or strikingly similar to my own. This intrigue in the mind’s intricacies and how they shape us and our interactions with others continued to blossom and eventually branched into my academic, professional, and creative life.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz with Honors in the Major, while also studying abroad at King’s College in London. Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew I was studying the most meaningful subject I could be learning about, and I fully immersed myself in my coursework and the inquiry that followed.

After graduating, I intentionally took time to gain life experience through work and travel before becoming a therapist. I worked as a private tutor and transitional kindergarten teacher with individuals of various ages, learning styles, and cultural backgrounds, and I later gained experience as a behavioral therapist and case manager with children with developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder. During this time, I traveled as much as possible, including becoming certified as a Registered Yoga Teacher in Koh Samui, Thailand. This deepened my study of mindfulness practices, breath work, and the cultivation of non-judgment, self-compassion, and self-study. It also broadened my understanding of the profound impact of addressing trauma at the somatic level.

I completed my graduate studies at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology in the daytime program at the Malibu campus, where I also worked as a graduate teaching assistant. After graduating, I completed my clinical hours in a group practice in Mar Vista, where I honed my work as an individual and couples therapist. Opening my own practice just shy of a year ago has actualized a dream I’ve held since I was sixteen.

I now live my passion as a private practice owner and adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, where I assist current graduate students with treatment planning, problem-solving their client cases, and supporting their development as future therapists.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey to becoming a therapist was shaped by challenges that ultimately informed the multidimensional clinician I am today. My parents’ decade-long divorce profoundly altered my sense of stability and required me to develop coping strategies, some healthier than others, as I learned how to move forward.

During that time, I worked hard to excel academically, stay connected to my creative outlets (painting, ukulele, photography, writing… the list goes on!), and reminded myself that each challenge I faced and overcame was building resilience, deepening my capacity to relate to others, and would ultimately allow me to evolve into a more attuned, empathetic, and effective therapist.

I was also able to recognize a deep fire within me to not only survive, but to thrive and excel, which developed into my natural interest in humanistic/person-centered therapy. I believe deeply in each individual’s fullest potential and their ability to fulfill it, as well as in the significance of fostering a strong relationship with the self, as I understand it to be the longest and most intimate relationship we have in this life.

My own experience in therapy played a meaningful role in this process. It supported me in understanding my wounds, building my own set of tools, and, most importantly, not feeling isolated in my experience. As a result, one of the core values I bring into my work is a sense of team and togetherness—whether through fostering a strong therapeutic alliance or helping couples recognize the importance of functioning as a unified, supportive partnership.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering individual and couples therapy to clients throughout California, with in-person sessions available in Encino. I work with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, self-esteem challenges, ADHD, trichotillomania, relational stress, and major life transitions. I specialize in couples therapy using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help partners strengthen communication, repair trust, and deepen emotional connection. As a first-generation American, I bring a lived understanding to my work and specialize in supporting first-generation individuals and couples as they navigate the nuanced challenges of identity, belonging, and the complexities that arise when different cultural values, expectations, and communication styles intersect within relationships.

My practice is authentic, collaborative, relational, and highly individualized to each client’s needs and goals. I draw from attachment-based, trauma-informed, and mindfulness-based modalities, tailoring therapy to each client rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model. I also integrate an understanding of the nervous system, explore family history and intergenerational patterns, and consider both internal and external life factors to better understand what has shaped someone’s experience. Together, we explore what got you to where you are today and work to untangle all of these facets to help build a path forward to where you want to be.

When you work with me, you can expect a wide range of emotions to be welcomed into the room—sessions often hold both tears and laughter. I believe in creating balance while honoring the duality of our human experience. Many of the areas I specialize in are meaningful to me not only because of my clinical training, but also because of my lived experience. I relate to my clients with empathy and a deep belief in their capacity to heal and thrive because I’ve been there as a human being as well! Our struggles shape us, but they do not have to define us. We can be the authors of our own story.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve been deeply blessed with support from family, friends, and mentors along the way who always saw the potential in me and encouraged me to fulfill it. My parents, brothers, close friends, and my partner, Omer, have been there to support me through my struggles as well as celebrate my victories and accomplishments.

I’ve also been profoundly impacted by the support of mentors and colleagues throughout my journey. I will always be grateful to Valerie Segall for hiring me on the spot to teach transitional kindergarten at Ilan Ramon Day School, alongside Gina Socher, who was truly one of the most harmonious people I could have worked with. She encouraged me to bring my creativity into the classroom, whether through yoga with the kids each morning or playing ukulele to their favorite songs in the yard. In graduate school, Dr. Susan Hall and Dr. Kathleen Eldridge gave me invaluable opportunities to work as a graduate teaching assistant while completing my degree, and later offered me an adjunct professor position, allowing my journey to come full circle. Becky White, my supervisor while I gained my associate hours, was a significant mentor and immense source of support throughout my clinical journey. She consistently encouraged me to bring my natural gifts into the therapy space and to be authentic—a quality I continue to embody to this day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.atalieabramovicitherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atalieabramovicitherapy/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atalie-abramovici-262558114
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@atalieabramovici3810
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/atalie-abramovici-encino-ca/896135

 

Image Credits
Shawnee Urrere