Adult Psychotherapy in Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Life can feel overwhelming and you don’t have to face it alone. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, a painful loss, a relationship in crisis, or a major life change, individual psychotherapy offers a confidential space to slow down, understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and move forward with clarity.
Dr. Sally Hackman, PhD, MFT, has been helping adults in Santa Monica and the greater Los Angeles area navigate exactly these challenges since 1992. With over 30 years of experience, post-doctoral training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and a fully licensed Marriage and Family Therapy practice, she brings both depth and warmth to every session. The first session is free if you don’t continue, because finding the right therapist matters, and she wants you to be sure before you commit to anything.
Compassionate Care, Expert Guidance.
Adult psychotherapy is not just for crisis moments. Many people come to therapy wanting to understand themselves better, break recurring patterns, improve their relationships, or simply find more joy and ease in daily life. Whatever brings you here, you will be met with curiosity, warmth, and zero judgment.
Personalized Solutions
No two adults carry the same history or the same struggles. Dr. Hackman tailors every treatment plan to your unique needs, background, and goals so the work is always about you, not a one-size-fits-all formula.
Proven Expertise
Board-licensed since 1992 with a PhD in Clinical Child Psychology and graduate-level training spanning psychoanalytic therapy, CBT, attachment theory, and relational approaches Dr. Hackman integrates the best of many current methods to support lasting change.
OUR COMMITMENT
Your Wellbeing Is My Priority.
For over three decades, Dr. Sally Hackman has dedicated her practice to providing the highest quality psychotherapeutic care to adults in Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, West Los Angeles, and throughout the greater LA area.
Her 15 years of experience teaching role as Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA Medical School keeps her at the forefront of research — and she brings those insights directly into her clinical work.
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Years of Licensed Practice
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Serving Santa Monica & Los Angeles
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Strictly Confidential
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First Session Free If You Don't Return
Key Points
Guiding You Toward Emotional Wellness.
Empowering Resilience
Build the inner strength to face anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief, and the ongoing pressures of adult life with tools and insight that stay with you long after therapy ends.
A Healing Space
In-person sessions in Santa Monica or via Zoom a warm, confidential environment where you are truly heard, never judged, and fully supported at every step.
Transformative Support
From understanding unconscious patterns rooted in early experience to developing practical coping tools for today therapy with Dr. Hackman creates real, lasting change.
AREAS COVERED
What Adult Psychotherapy Can Help With
Dr. Hackman works with adults navigating a wide range of challenges:
FAQ
Help for Common Mental Health Concerns.
Have questions? I’ve answered the most common concerns about my counseling services to help you feel informed, comfortable, and confident before getting started.
Adult psychotherapy addresses a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, major life transitions, and the emotional impact of illness. Sessions are tailored to your specific history and goals, so the focus is always on what's actually affecting your life not a generic treatment plan.
Adult psychotherapy is individual work focused on your own thoughts, patterns, and goals, while couples or family therapy involves working through dynamics between multiple people. Many clients start with individual therapy and later bring a partner or family member into sessions if that becomes relevant Dr. Hackman works with both formats.
Both. Dr. Hackman sees adult clients in person at her Santa Monica office and via Zoom for telehealth sessions, so you can choose whichever fits your schedule and comfort level or use a mix of both over time.
There's no fixed timeline it depends on your goals and what you're working through. Some clients come in for a specific issue and see meaningful change in a matter of months; others use therapy as ongoing, longer-term support for deeper patterns rooted in earlier experiences. This is something you and Dr. Hackman will revisit together as you go.
Your first session is about getting to know each other Dr. Hackman will ask about your history, current challenges, and what brought you to therapy now, and you'll begin building the foundation of trust that the rest of the work relies on. If it doesn't feel like the right fit, the first session is free, so there's no pressure to commit before you're sure.