Life & Work with Steve Friedlander of Miracle Mile/Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Friedlander.

Hi Steve , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Like many who do this work, for me it seemed to be more of a calling or inner pull , rather than a decisive choice. Of course at some point, decision and choice entered the picture but from a young age, I was very interested in all things related to Human evolution, consciousness, psychology, mysticism and philosophy. I had a significant amount of early developmental trauma and grew up relatively independent; I was on my own from a young age and suffering, felt a strong urge to find healing and ways out of my own pain so this was undoubtedly a catalyst. The urge to ‘wake up’ and end inner conflict was always the driving force of my life, although other things were happening externally such as jobs, creative pursuits, playing in bands, relationships, traveling and such. At some point along the way, I began working in the field of recovery as a coach and this really illuminated my love for being with other people in the healing arts and I just dove into committing myself to learning and evolving as much as I could about how to best help people unshackle themselves and live lives that were more aligned with who they want to be. Of course, a big part of this was doing my own work on myself in various modalities, methods and systems.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In some ways it has been smooth but my own personal journey has definitely not been. My own personal journey has been quite turbulent as there were significant traumas and adverse childhood experiences that set me up for all of the classic challenges that individuals who come from such environments endure such as a sense of safety, security and belonging in the world as well as struggles with depression and anxiety. Nonetheless, I am grateful for these experiences as they fostered resilience and determination as well as the ability to deeply empathize with people I work with. In terms of the external process of becoming a therapist, I would say that was quite smooth and I experienced a great deal of grace in terms of how the career has unfolded and the opportunities that have availed themselves to me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I pride myself in being extremely well versed in multiple disciplines, therapeutic orientations and working in a wide variety of environments and with a very diverse and eclectic population. I have worked a lot in treatment over the years and with those struggling with addictions and cooccurring disorders. I spent several years working with teenagers and adolescents in treatment as well. I identify as a trauma therapist and am a somatic Experiencing practitioner and EMDR trained therapist. I did intensive training in narrative therapy, which continues to have a big influence on my work. In addition to this, I am personally very influenced by depth psychology and both eastern and western mysticism and believe developing mindfulness, presence and objective awareness is an integral part of the therapeutic process. Dreams and dream work are an area that I continue to have a passion for. I veer towards the philsophy that therapy is more about creating oneself as opposed to finding oneself. I have worked for many years in the psychedelic arena and have certifications from both IPI and MAPS. I have facilitate hundreds of Ketamine assisted therapy sessions and have observed profound shifts in a great many people. At the end of the day, for me, the relationships I develop with my clients trumps any theoretical orientation and I am most proud of the degree of care and love I have for the people I work with, their trust in me and my ability to understand and empathize with their very human dilemmas. I don’t know if there is anything that sets me apart from others besides my own unique and varied lived experiences which have included a lot of world travel as well as a great deal of creativity. I believe we are all unique and have unique gifts and therapists inevitably work with those who they can serve best. It shouldn’t be a competition.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe luck is commiserate with one’s alignment to their own deeper life purpose and the archetypes that are most dominant in their present life path. I have experienced good fortune as a therapist as I feel it is the work I am supposed to be doing however there were other things I pursued in life that felt like a struggle. Attitude, expectation and beliefs are undoubtedly factors in what we perceive as ‘luck’. External circumstances and events tend to be reflections of our inner worlds

Pricing:

• $250/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: https://friedlandertherapy.com