
Stephanie Payne, AMFT, MA
Specialties
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Strengthening Relationships
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Navigating Life Transitions
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Managing Anxiety
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Improving Communication
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Building Healthy Boundaries
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Boosting Self-Esteem
Therapy Modalities
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Solution-Focused Therapy
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy
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Strengths-Based Approach
Populations
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Adolescents
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Adults
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Couples
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Families
About Me.
Stephanie specializes in helping individuals, couples and families who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about their next steps. She offers a stabilizing and grounding presence, helping clients gain clarity, build resilience, and create actionable tools and solutions.
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For couples, Stephanie focuses on strengthening relationships by addressing challenges such as communication breakdowns, fractured trust, unmet needs, and navigating significant transitions including marriage and family planning, career shifts, and parenting. Stephanie has completed Level 1 and 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and incorporates evidence-based interventions to help couples improve connection, rebuild trust, and align their values.
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Stephanie's solution-focused, strengths-based approach enables her to quickly identify problem areas and provide effective strategies tailored to each client. By addressing unhelpful patterns and fostering practical change, Stephanie empowers clients to overcome challenges, improve communication, and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
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Stephanie holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University and Master’s in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. She integrates modalities such as CBT, DBT, and strength-based therapy to help clients gain insight, develop resilience, and achieve meaningful growth. She offers both virtual and in-person sessions in Santa Monica, CA, and is supervised by Danielle Jonas, LCSW (#115555).