Meet Our Therapists

Hurt hurts, and trauma traumatizes. Some wounds heal cleanly, some scar, some rebuild stronger, and others mend but stay tender. Therapy, much like physical therapy, is learning to tend to what hurts with what heals.

I’m Josh Beren, an EMDR-trained, trauma-focused Associate Marriage and Family Therapist.

I work with teens, adults, couples, and families navigating violence-related trauma, grief and loss, PTSD, complex PTSD, and the psychological impact of violent crime. I also have a particular interest in supporting first responders, veterans, and their families.

My approach is integrative and evidence-based, with Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and EMDR at its core. We begin by building enough safety and stability to make meaningful change possible. From there, we can explore what happened, what continues to affect you, and the beliefs and patterns that may have developed in response. Our work balances insight and trauma processing with practical skills for coping, regulation, and everyday life.

I speak with soft kindness about hard truths. Therapy with me is collaborative, adaptive, and creative, grounded in compassionate curiosity and respect for you, your story, and your values.

My clinical experience spans community mental health, nonprofit settings, and private practice. Through the nonprofit Program for Torture Victims (PTV), I work with survivors of torture who are seeking asylum in the United States. I also have experience providing therapy with professional interpreters for clients whose primary language is not English.

I work with individuals affected by crime through the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB). For clients who have been approved for CalVCB benefits, therapy may be eligible for coverage through the program.

I earned my BA in Philosophy from UC Berkeley and my MA in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in trauma from Antioch University Los Angeles. My additional training includes EMDR, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for traumatized children, psychotherapy for survivors of torture, dissociative identity disorder, psychological first aid, and crisis response.

If you’re navigating the aftermath of trauma, violence, or loss and wondering whether we might be a good fit, I offer a free 15-minute consultation.

Education & Advanced Training

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, AMFT #160375

UC Berkeley — BA in Philosophy

Antioch University Los Angeles — MA in Clinical Psychology, Trauma Specialization

EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Training, Basic I & II — Connect EMDR

Psychotherapy for Torture Survivors — Center for Victims of Torture, Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, and National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) — TF-CBTWeb 2.0

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Traumatized Children — UC Davis CAARE Center

Introduction to Working with Dissociative Identity Disorder — Pasadena Trauma Therapy

Psychological First Aid — National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response — Ciné-Med and the American Psychological Association

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), Member