Find a Jewish therapist in Los Angeles
I'm Dr. Jené Verchick, a Jewish psychologist in Los Angeles with over 26 years of experience. I work with adults, teens, and couples throughout LA and California via secure video sessions.
You're searching for a Jewish therapist for a reason. Maybe it's important to you that your therapist understands the cultural shorthand — the family dynamics, the guilt, the expectations, the way obligation and love get tangled together in Jewish families. Maybe you've tried a therapist who didn't get it, and you spent half your sessions explaining context instead of doing the work.
I don't need the explanation. I already understand it.
How I Work
I'm active and direct. I don't sit back and let you stay comfortable in the same patterns that brought you here. I step in, name what I see, and help you change what's not working — in the session, in real time.
With couples, I interrupt the cycle while it's happening. With individuals, I push past the version of yourself you perform for everyone else and help you understand what's actually going on underneath. With teens, I treat them like real people — no worksheets, no condescension, no agenda.
If you've had therapy before that felt polite and passive, this will feel different.
What I Specialize In
Couples therapy and marriage counseling. The same argument on repeat. The growing distance. The betrayal no one knows about. I work with couples in real time — not just talking about the problem, but changing the dynamic while it's happening.
Individual therapy. Anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, life transitions, divorce, trauma. The high-functioning kind — where you look fine on the outside and feel like you're falling apart on the inside. Learn more about individual therapy.
Teen therapy. Anxiety, depression, school pressure, identity, family conflict. I have a Master's degree in Child, Adolescent, and Family Therapy from USC. Learn more about teen therapy.
Interfaith couples. Different traditions, holiday conflicts, in-law tension, how to raise the kids. I help interfaith couples find common ground without one partner always feeling like they're the one giving something up.
Family therapy. When the whole system is struggling — not just one person. Divorce, blended families, enmeshment, caregiving for aging parents, communication breakdowns. Learn more about family therapy.
Why a Jewish Therapist Matters
Therapy works best when you don't have to translate your experience. When your therapist already understands:
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Why your mother's opinion feels like a command even when she phrases it as a question
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Why guilt is the default emotion in your family and how it drives decisions
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Why keeping up appearances matters so much — and how exhausting it is
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Why setting boundaries with family feels like betrayal
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How generational trauma shows up in the way you parent, love, and worry
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Why success and misery can coexist so comfortably in Jewish families
I'm culturally Jewish — not a religious counselor. I don't incorporate religious practice into therapy. But I understand the landscape from secular to observant, and I meet clients wherever they are.
Jewish Therapist in Beverly Hills
I work with Jewish individuals and couples across Los Angeles, including a particular focus in Beverly Hills. If you live in or near Beverly Hills, learn more about my work as a Jewish therapist in Beverly Hills.
What Clients Say
"I tried two therapists before Dr. Verchick. Neither one understood what it's like to grow up in a Jewish family where love and control are the same thing. She got it in the first five minutes. I didn't have to explain — I could just do the work." — Individual client, Westwood
"Our families almost ruined our engagement. His parents wanted a big Jewish wedding. My parents wanted us to elope. We were caught in the middle and fighting every day. Dr. Verchick helped us stop managing our families and start building our own marriage. We're still close with both sides — but on our terms now." — Couple, Beverly Hills
"I carried guilt about everything — my career, my parenting, my weight, my relationship with my mother. Dr. Verchick helped me see that the guilt wasn't a personality trait. It was a pattern I learned, and I could unlearn it. I'm still Jewish. I'm just not drowning in obligation anymore." — Individual client, Brentwood
"My son was struggling with anxiety and identity in high school. We needed a therapist who understood the pressure Jewish kids face — the academic expectations, the family pressure, the bar mitzvah that was really for the parents. Dr. Verchick worked with our son individually and then brought us in. The whole family is in a better place." — Parents, Encino
Frequently asked questions
What approach do you use in therapy?
I take an active, direct approach. When I see a pattern between you and your partner, or within an individual patient, I name it and help you respond differently in real time. I don't waste time with endless circular conversations. We get to the heart of the issues quickly and work on them directly.
Do you work with Persian Jewish, Sephardic, and Ashkenazi clients?
Yes. I work with Jewish clients across the spectrum, including Persian Jewish, Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and intermarried families. Persian Jewish dynamics, multigenerational households, immigration trauma, and the weight of family expectations are common themes in my work with this population.
Do you work with interfaith couples?
Yes. Interfaith dynamics are some of the most common things couples bring me. Holiday conflicts, family acceptance, how to raise children across traditions. I help you find what's sacred, what's flexible, and how to disagree with respect.
Do you work with secular Jewish clients?
Yes. Cultural Jewish identity matters even when religious practice does not. Many of my clients are secular and still want a therapist who understands the cultural texture without having to explain it.
Do you work with Modern Orthodox families?
Yes. I work with Modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and observant clients across the spectrum. I respect the framework you live in and work within it.
What kinds of issues do Jewish clients commonly bring to therapy?
Family expectations, intergenerational dynamics, intermarriage tension, the weight of community visibility, holiday and observance conflicts, immigration trauma in Persian Jewish families, shidduch and marriage pressure, and the relationship between cultural identity and personal autonomy.
Do you work with couples, individuals, or both?
Both. I work with couples, individuals, and teens. I also work with families managing intergenerational dynamics or caregiving for aging parents.
How is therapy via video different from in-person?
For most patients, the work is the same. The therapeutic relationship still develops, the patterns still show up in session, and I can still intervene in real time. The practical differences are no commute, more flexibility for evening or weekend sessions, and complete privacy.