Meet Dr. Audrey Davidheiser

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Audrey Davidheiser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Audrey, what do you attribute your success to?
Like all of us, I have many identities: Psychologist. Author. Wife. Daughter. Friend. But at the core, I’m a Christian, because my relationship with Jesus Christ motivates everything I do. On that note, I strive to execute what I sense God is calling me to do—not because of fear that He might squash me like an empty Coke can if I don’t, but because He loves me and I love Him, too. I’ve learned through experience how His plan is always better than my own. Not surprisingly, I’ve also learned that following the Lord’s nudges will eventually lead to desirable outcomes, even if things look downright ugly in the meantime. All this to say, if I’ve achieved a measure of success—no matter how you define success—it’s because the Lord has helped me along the way. I wouldn’t dream of doing life without Him, and that includes running my business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Let’s face it—LA has so many therapists. What sets me apart, I think, is my passion for Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. There’s a reason for this enthusiasm. Therapy in general couldn’t do much about my emotional pain until I found IFS therapy; so, suffice it to say, IFS changed my life personally.

I got so excited after discovering IFS that I immediately signed up for their official level I training. I’ve since become certified as an IFS therapist and approved as a consultant for therapists who wish to learn IFS. Because I’ve seen what IFS can do to change lives, I’d love to see even more people healed. However, at my practice I’m limited to seeing only so many clients. That’s why I wrote Grieving Wholeheartedly to help mourners gain breakthrough by applying IFS to their grief.

Has my professional journey been easy? Ha! Far from it. I faced many hardships, including my dad’s unexpected death. From the time I launched Aim for Breakthrough (my private practice) in 2009 to now, I’ve had to weather the ups and downs of not having a predictable amount of paycheck every month. In fact, I couldn’t draw a salary at all for the first couple of years of Aim. There were simply too many expenses and too little income. (When I first got started, I had clients who only paid me $5, $20, $35 per session). But, through it all, the Lord sustained me. Consistent with His promises in the Bible, He never abandoned me.

That’s the bottom line for my story, I suppose: that God is for us—never against us. He’s a very present help in times of need. He loves us!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1 would be spent around Pasadena (including Old Town), because that’s where my office is. We might stop by Lee’s Garden in Alhambra for fried chicken legs over rice. Then we’d drive through San Marino just to admire the mansions there and their manicured lawns. We’d also hit up Montrose’s charming shops. Dinner could be at a number of different places—Boston Lobster for their lobster over garlic noodles? Joon Shabu Shabu in Glendale? If we went to Happy Morning in Hacienda Heights, I’d definitely order their Hainanese chicken unless they ran out, which has happened before.

The next day, we’d venture into Long Beach. Not only could we take a stroll around Belmont Shore, Naples is right there, too. If my friend felt like pretending we were in Venice, I’d book us a gondola ride. We’d catch the last ferry to Catalina Island and spend the night there. Visiting Catalina an experience in itself!

How about touring the Korean side of LA once we’re back? I’d ask my friend if she wants to go to K-town or the Orange County version. The Source OC is this outdoors mall in Buena Park that boasts many different restaurants, food courts, coffee and ice cream shops, as well as clothing stores. Whether it’s K-town or Buena Park, there’s no shortage of K-bbq, tofu dishes, bulgogi, etc. that we could choose from.

Next, I’d take her to the Grove. We could people watch while also enjoying the architecture. I’d definitely point her to Anthropologie because something on their sale rack might catch her attention (or mine!). For lunch, I’d let her choose between the neighboring Farmers Market—or, if she’s curious, we could also drive to Little Tokyo. I love the Shabu Shabu house over there, although you really can’t go wrong with any establishment at the Japanese Village Mall. And unless she objected, we’d stop by the place that sells piping hot red bean cake while we’re at the Mall. I love watching the cook pour the batter into its mold and then rotating it, as I wait in line to get my chewy treat.

I’d love to introduce my friend to my favorite Indonesian restaurants next. There’s Medan Kitchen in Rosemead, where it’s hard not to drop a dozen dishes into your basket, including their famous “nasi bungkus” (a rice dish with meat and vegetables wrapped in banana leaves). If we swung by Mr. Sate in West LA, I’d definitely order their corn fritters. Noodle Stars in Monrovia are renowned for their (guess what?) noodle dishes. I recommend #6, drizzled with their spiciest hot sauce.

Let’s head up to the mountains next. I love, love, love Lake Arrowhead. There are a number of restaurants we could go to. For breakfast, we could head to Cedar Glen Inn or Old Country Coffee Shop in Running Springs. Cedar Glen Malt Shop could be just the thing to do for lunch—but only if my friend was willing to wait, since there’s always a line. Lou Eddie’s pizza could be our dinner (even though we’d probably have to wait 2 hours to collect our pies). There’s a tiny book store bursting with books and stationery that I always frequent every time I’m up there. The art gallery, Pendleton, Coach outlet, and the rest of the clothing stores at the Village are all places I’d take my friend to.

On the way down the mountain, I’d make sure we stop by Tempe House Spicy Food in San Bernardino. Their fried tempe is not to be missed. I dare you to buy only one!

I could also take her to Santa Monica—the pier, the stores, the mall, or make our way down to the beach itself. Speaking of beaches, we could take a road trip to Newport Beach, then Laguna Beach, down to Dana Point and San Clemente. Or the opposite direction—we could spend a day in Santa Barbara.

This whole itinerary makes me want to coax my best friend to come over here already! 🥲

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh, wow. There are so many individuals who deserve credit for where I am today. Let’s start with my parents. My dad’s death prompted me to write Grieving Wholeheartedly, which, through no planning on my part, was published one day after his 7th anniversary. Thank God my mom is still here. My parents’ love for each other and for me built a secure foundation for little Audrey to grow up. And then there’s my husband, who exemplifies 1 Corinthians 13—you know, the passage on love that you sometimes hear in weddings? John’s not only my spouse; he’s also my best friend and most ardent supporter.

Can I also give a special shout out to Harvest Rock church? They’re this amazing group of Christians who love Jesus and are the opposite of legalistic. I grew up in the church, but I’ve never met a friendlier group of Christians until I encountered them. Finally, on the matter of spiritual support, I’d be remiss not to honor all the pastors who shaped my faith along the way.

And when it comes to writing, I’d like to highlight my high school English teacher, internship director, and post-doc supervisor. Each in their own way planted a seed that caused me to view writing as a talent I could develop further. Margaret Feinberg’s writing course taught me how to capture a reader’s attention, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.

Website: https://AimforBreakthrough.com

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