Meet Eve Silverman of Eve Silverman Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eve Silverman.

Hi Eve, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story actually starts long before I became a therapist. For most of my life, I was sure I’d be an elementary school teacher. I went to Chapman University to study education, played on the women’s volleyball team, and even joined their accelerated teaching program so I could earn my bachelor’s, master’s, and credential in five years. I thought I had my path all mapped out — play volleyball, get my degrees, start teaching. Easy, right?

Then life threw me a curveball. I dislocated my right kneecap twice in less than a year and ended up having surgery that didn’t go as planned. Suddenly, my college experience looked nothing like I’d imagined. The physical pain was tough, but the mental toll was even harder — no one tells you how much an injury can mess with your sense of self.

Around that time, I started questioning everything. During my junior year, I took a class called Child Abnormal Psychology and something just clicked. I realized I might be chasing the wrong dream. Therapy had always been supported in my family, so I took a leap of faith — I left the teaching program, switched my major to psychology, and never looked back.
A few years later, I got into Chapman’s Marriage and Family Therapy master’s program (yes, right in the middle of the pandemic), and after three years of grad school and two years of internship, I’m now a licensed therapist.

Looking back, that detour changed everything. It taught me so much about identity, resilience, and the mental health challenges athletes face — and it led me exactly where I was meant to be.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not all smooth sailing — but I feel really lucky to be where I am this early in my career. Beyond my knee injuries, two major challenges stand out: starting grad school during COVID and living through the Eaton Fire earlier this year.

I began my master’s program in the fall of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Therapy as a field was transforming overnight, and as someone just starting out, I had no idea how it would shape my training or career. For the first year, everything was online — I hadn’t met a single classmate or professor in person. It was tough learning such a deeply relational profession without that face-to-face connection, but it also taught me adaptability and how powerful connection can still be, even through a screen.

Then, years later, the Eaton Fire hit. I live in Pasadena, right on the Altadena border, and I had to evacuate my home. Thankfully, it survived, but the stress of that experience really challenged me as a therapist. I had to navigate how to show up for my clients while also managing my own fear and uncertainty — without crossing professional boundaries. It pushed me to reflect deeply on what it means to be human in this work while still maintaining the space my clients deserve.

Both experiences reminded me how essential self-care and flexibility are in this field. They also reinforced how important accessible therapy is — telehealth became a lifeline for so many during both the pandemic and the fires. It’s incredible to see how something born out of crisis has made care more reachable for people who need it most.

We’ve been impressed with Eve Silverman Therapy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I specialize in helping people navigate life transitions, relationship challenges, grief, and identity shifts — the moments that make us question who we are and where we’re going. I also work closely with athletes and others recovering from injury or facing changes in their physical abilities, helping them explore how those experiences affect their mental and emotional wellbeing.

At the core of my work is the belief that therapy should feel like a safe, grounded home base — a place where you can show up exactly as you are. I meet my clients where they’re at, every session and in every moment. Whether we’re processing deep pain or just talking about how much laundry you have waiting at home, I believe there’s always meaningful work to be done. My goal isn’t to tell clients what to do or how to feel, but to help them understand why they feel the way they do and how their past has shaped their present. I like to think of myself as a mix between a cheerleader, a sounding board, and an honest mirror.

When I work with athletes, I take a whole-person approach. So much of an athlete’s identity is tied to performance — but what happens when an injury happens, the season ends, or life simply shifts? I help athletes explore who they are beyond their sport, because when that foundation is solid, performance naturally improves too.
I draw from several therapeutic approaches — Attachment, Psychodynamic, Emotionally Focused, and Person-Centered therapies — with a major emphasis on helping clients make sense of early life experiences and how they influence the way they connect with others today. I’m also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based technique that uses bilateral stimulation (BLS) to help people process trauma and reduce emotional distress tied to painful memories.

At the end of the day, my work is about helping people understand themselves on a deeper level, heal from what’s been weighing them down, and reconnect with who they truly are. If you’re ready to do that kind of work, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
The first word that comes to mind when I think about myself as a kid is people-pleaser. I was anxious and always afraid of upsetting others, so I often changed parts of myself to fit what I thought people wanted me to be. Beneath that, though, I was bubbly, outgoing, and determined — I just didn’t always feel safe showing those sides of myself. My desire to belong sometimes made me doubt who I was at my core.

I carried that pattern into adulthood until my own therapy helped me understand and heal it. That process changed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I know so many people can relate to that need to be accepted and the fear of being “too much” or “not enough.” That’s a big part of why I do what I do now — to help people reconnect with their authentic selves and honor those younger versions of themselves who maybe didn’t feel as brave.

It’s absolutely possible to grow into the most confident, grounded version of yourself. Therapy is just one of the tools that can help you get there.

Pricing:

• $185 per 50 minute individual therapy session
• $185 per 50 minute couples/family therapy session
• For sliding scale inquiries, please reach out directly for more information!
• I’m an out of network provider, but offer superbills for you to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/eve-silverman-pasadena-ca/1182792

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