VanderHaar|Parekh

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Mitesh Parekh, PsyD

Varying experiences across practice, teaching, and training continue to guide my work with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. With dedication and collaboration I focus on anxiety, depression, developmental disorders and psychodiagnostic assessment.

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Dustin Vander Haar, LMFT

With a decade of experience in residential services before moving to a hospital setting, I continue to have a passion working with child, adolescent, and teenagers focused on regulating emotions, anger, and anxiety symptoms.

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Luis Baeza, MA

I work closely with parents on creating the behavioral change necessary to address a multitude of symptoms related to separation, mood regulation, and behavioral control. I further have the unique experience working directly with academic environments in creating the desired change for improved outcomes.

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Since 1993

About us

How do you know if you are making the right choice to seek help from a psychotherapist? Choosing someone to work with you, your child, or your family is a difficult decision. You want to make sure you are making the right decision, you want to ensure you are not over reacting to an innocuous situation, and you want to trust the person you are working with to not lead you astray. With your child, you want to ensure that your child can work with and trust the person he or she is dealing with.

Child, adolescent, and young adult psychology is the core specialty of our practices.We focus our work from a systemic perspective meaning that our focus is on the entire family. We work with individuals to improve communication and we provide specific tools to our clients and their families to deal with symptoms that occur as a result of anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, video game addiction, attachment issues, learning struggles, bullying, and anger management.

 

Give us a Call @ 626.744.9055

We know that finding a therapist for your child and family is a difficult decision, and we want to be assured that it is a good fit before services begin. Please feel free to reach out directly to speak with any of our team members with any questions you may have.

Therapy

We specialize working with children in bringing their unique and distinct voice to the conversation. By operating from a family systems perspective we understand the importance of family in nurturing a child while acknowledging the immense knowledge and insight your time with your child is able to provide. Whether it be difficulties in the marriage, with a child, or adjustments to many of life’s changes and developments, we look forward to working with your family to rediscover the joy, heal the wounds, and prepare for a more positive and hopeful tomorrow.

Group Therapy

Our group sessions provide a unique opportunity for boys aged 12-15 to learn from one another, establish social skills, learn the body cues to recognize and regulate their emotional response. The tendency of male youth to act out their emotional distress often results in them being targeted for discipline which can develop an identity of being "the bad kid." Group sessions can provide the space for individuals to learn that they are not the only one who struggles regulating their response in order to shift this identity.

Psychological Testing

There are many kinds of assessment measures designed to give parents and teachers additional information about how an individual child may learn.  Within our practice, we provide basic psychoeducational testing which is done in the course of 2-3 sessions that amount to 2 hours each session. We also provide TOVA testing for ADHD symptoms and a variety of outcome measures to assure progress remains on track.

Seminars & Forums

Building a better community provides the environment in which children and their families are able to thrive.  With that in mind we continue to make ourselves available for informative seminars on child and adolescent development such as addiction, bullying, blended families, mood disorders, ADHD, and many other issues effecting children today.  Please contact us today to learn more about our customizable seminars for your next gathering or community event!

mitesh

Mitesh Parekh, PsyD | Parekh Psychological Services

I am often asked why I have chosen to work with children and adolescent clients.  Contrary to popular thought – no – I’m not in need of my own services.  I have known since my undergraduate days that I had a knack to understanding the child and adolescent mind.  I have been able to perceive problems and struggles from a youthful perspective while also communicating and helping individuals through an adult lens.

During my undergraduate studies at the University of California at Irvine, I began my work with children working as an assessment administrator for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder at The UC Irvine Child Development Center. I enjoyed the work so much, i wanted to challenge myself in working as a behavioral modification therapist for a child diagnosed with Autism.  After beginning my graduate studies at the California School of Professional Psychology, I did a practicum level internship at Santa Anita Family Service Center.  Following my time at Santa Anita, I realized that my calling was in child and adolescent psychology.  I did an internship at the Glen Roberts Child Study Center where my knowledge and experience with children and adolescents was taken to a deeper level.  My final internship was completed at the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic.  Following the completion of my doctorate degree, I was hired as a therapist at the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic. I began working privately in 2005, and have been servicing the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys since that time.  In addition to my work as a private therapist, I work as a supervisor at the Glen Roberts Child Study Center as well as adjunct faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology.  As the years progress, I learn more and more, not only about the field, but about specific nuances that distinguish one client from another focusing specifically on the symptoms of anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior disorders, and attachment.  I appreciate any consideration for the use of my services and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you and your family.

Contact me at 626.744.9055 or E-mail me directly!

Child Treatment, Therapy, Psychology

Dustin Vander Haar, LMFT | Vander Haar Family Therapy

Children and adolescents continue to inspire me with their creativity, ingenuity, and energy.  While these qualities are not always used appropriately, the  malleability of these behaviors continues to offer hope that not only families and individuals can change, but that communities as well can be transformed by the powerful forces of the upcoming generation.  It is now that children, adolescents, and teenagers are developing their character, habits, and self-understanding which will continue to form and drive their future.   It is with this in mind that I continue to work with children and their families.  Recognizing that no individual is unaffected by their environment and those around them, I seek to work with the family from a family systems perspective to build the community where all are able to thrive and seek the happiness and success desired.

Throughout the past 10 years of working with children and adolescents I have continued to develop and focus my treatment orientation.  During my undergraduate studies I began working with teenagers and adolescents building stronger communities through service oriented events in the Midwest. While working with these teenagers I began to understand more fully my ability to connect with young adults and children while mutually inspiring one another to build and develop our strengths.  My passion for working with children and their families led me to Southern California to pursue my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. During this time I continued to work with the challenging situations and behaviors of traumatized and neglected children in residential treatment. It was here that I also had the opportunity to develop and create an online treatment tool used in residential facilities to measure change and goal progress.  I then became a clinical supervisor seeking to train and lead other clinicians in treating the complex behavioral needs in residential treatment before transitioning to a hospital setting as the Director of Mental Health services.  Despite the fact that much of my day to day role now consists of training upcoming clinicians, I have a passion for direct work with children, adolescents, and their families which I continue to focus on within my practice.


Contact me at 626.744.9055 or E-mail me directly!

Child Treatment, Therapy, Psychology
School collaboration, anxiety, anger control, group therapy

Luis Baeza, Associate MFT | Parekh Psychological Services

Working with children and their families struggling with bullying issues, separation, communication problems, mood disorders, and development issues continues to be my focus. I have the unique experience of working directly with elementary and middle school children within their academic environments, with knowledge of how these environments shape and direct their behavioral response.  I am experienced in working with the full family system in a variety of shapes and forms, and focus much of my work on transferring behavioral change from the therapy room to the home environment and family system.
​Through formal education and life experiences I have been able to acquire an extensive knowledge base from which to guide therapy for both the child and parents. I understand the complexity of managing career, family, and other social components simultaneously. I also understand the added difficulty created when internal and external factors converge. Through methods that include addressing family issues, internal processes, and employment of successful coping strategies, individuals are able to take control and see positive change.
​I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The California State University, Los Angeles and a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I am currently an Associate MFT #96246, and I am currently under the supervision of Mitesh Parekh, PsyD.

Luis Baeza, Associate MFT | Parekh Psychological Associates

Working with children and their families struggling with bullying issues, separation, communication problems, mood disorders, and development issues continues to be my focus. I have the unique experience of working directly with elementary and middle school children within their academic environments, with knowledge of how these environments shape and direct their behavioral response.  I am experienced in working with the full family system in a variety of shapes and forms, and focus much of my work on transferring behavioral change from the therapy room to the home environment and family system.
​Through formal education and life experiences I have been able to acquire an extensive knowledge base from which to guide therapy for both the child and parents. I understand the complexity of managing career, family, and other social components simultaneously. I also understand the added difficulty created when internal and external factors converge. Through methods that include addressing family issues, internal processes, and employment of successful coping strategies, individuals are able to take control and see positive change.
​I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The California State University, Los Angeles and a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I am currently an Associate MFT #96246, and I am currently under the supervision of Mitesh Parekh, PsyD.

Contact me at 626.744.9055 or E-mail me directly!

33 S Catalina Ave Pasadena CA