Marc Bruderer

I believe that emotional insights are the cornerstone of therapeutic change and growth. As an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, I provide my clients with a safe space to navigate their journey toward health, happiness, and healing. My clients range from teens to seniors, encompassing individuals, families, and couples from diverse cultural, socio-economic, and demographic backgrounds. At the age of 59, I bring a wealth of wisdom and a lifetime of experience to my practice. I have faced numerous challenges, including divorce, anxiety, substance abuse, cancer survival, family dysfunction, financial instability, encounters with the justice system, childhood abuse, traumatic events, job loss, parenting struggles, and the deaths of loved ones. These life crises have shaped me, and through my own therapeutic journey, I have found healing. Now, as a therapist, I am dedicated to helping others heal and "pay it forward." Having been a client myself, I understand that trust is a primary concern for new clients. My clients appreciate that I can relate to their experiences, fostering a therapeutic relationship built on empathy and understanding. My practice addresses issues such as anxiety, depression, family dysfunction, relationship conflicts, past trauma, grief, loneliness, life crises, shame, infidelity, self-esteem, geriatrics, body image issues, parenting problems, and divorce. I guide my clients toward their goals using evidence-based methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. For couples, I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman techniques, and Imago communication and listening skills. I received my training through a theory-based program and hold a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Cal State University at Fullerton. My research, titled "Social Media Usage, Negative Mood Regulation Expectancies, and Emotional Outcomes," explored the relationship between social media usage and emotional well-being, highlighting the therapeutic potential for highly lonely clients engaged with social media (click here to read). Before embarking on my career as a therapist, I pursued two other careers. I hold a Bachelor of Science (BS) from UC Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from USC. First, I worked as an executive in the toy and entertainment industries and later I became an angel venture capitalist, incubating and consulting startup companies. I am the proud parent of three adult children and cherish my role as a father. I am also in a long-term relationship with my life partner. I approach my work with mindfulness, flexibility, humor, compassion, cheerfulness, empathy, and professionalism. I customize my approach to meet your needs and goals and look forward to helping you on your journey to health, happiness, and healing. Marc Bruderer, MS, MBA, AMFT #138553 (949) 323-0401