About Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and Depression Therapy in Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Anxiety and depression are among the most common challenges adults face and among the most treatable with the right support. Whether you experience constant worry that won’t quiet down, a persistent low mood that colors everything gray, or a combination of both, psychotherapy can help you understand what’s driving these feelings and develop real, lasting tools for relief.
Dr. Sally Hackman, PhD, MFT, has specialized in treating anxiety and depression in adults for over 30 years in Santa Monica and the greater Los Angeles area. She works to understand the unique roots of your experience not just the symptoms so that the change you achieve in therapy stays with you.
Personalized Solutions
Every treatment plan is built around your specific history, triggers, and goals never a one-size-fits-all approach.
Proven Expertise
Board-licensed since 1992, with a Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology and decades of specialized experience in anxiety and depression treatment.
Key Points
Guiding You Toward Emotional Wellness.
Empowering Resilience
Anxiety and depression often have roots in early experiences and unconscious patterns. Dr. Hackman helps you identify these patterns so you can unhook the past from the present and respond to life from a place of strength rather than fear.
Healing Space
Sessions are completely confidential, non-judgmental, and available in-person in Santa Monica or via Zoom so you can get support in the way that works best for you.
Transformative Support
Using an integrative approach drawing on psychoanalytic insight, CBT, attachment theory, and current brain research Dr. Hackman tailors treatment to you specifically, not a generic protocol.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
Your Wellbeing Is Our Priority.
Anxiety and depression affect how you think, feel, sleep, work, and relate to the people you love. Left untreated, they can narrow your world significantly. But with the right therapeutic relationship, many people find not just relief but a fundamentally different relationship with themselves and their lives.
Dr. Hackman’s approach begins with listening deeply, without judgment to understand not just your symptoms but who you are, your history, and the life you want to build. From there, therapy becomes a collaborative journey toward the clarity, energy, and wellbeing you deserve.
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Years Treating Anxiety & Depression
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Serving Santa Monica Continuously
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Confidential Always
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First Session Free If You Don't Return
FAQ
Common Questions
Yes — research consistently shows that psychotherapy, particularly approaches like CBT and psychoanalytic therapy, produces significant and lasting improvements in anxiety and depression for most people.
It varies by person and the depth of the work. Some clients notice beginning improvement in a few months; others choose to continue longer-term therapy for deeper exploration and more meaningful and longer lasting improvement. Dr. Hackman discusses this openly with you and follows your pace.
Not necessarily. Many people manage anxiety and depression effectively with therapy alone. Dr. Hackman does not prescribe medication, but she collaborates with prescribing physicians when medication is part of a client's care.
Stress is typically triggered by an external cause and eases when the situation resolves. Anxiety often persists even when there is no immediate threat — it can feel like a constant undercurrent of worry, dread, or physical tension that doesn't have a clear off switch.