Meet Jessica Steinman | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Steinman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, what do you attribute your success to?
My therapy private practice as well as my work as the Director of Clinical Programming for Westwind Recovery is all about connection, trust, empathy and being authentic and genuinely loving being for all of my clients. My desk has a sign on it that says “Mama Bear” and I am proud to have many people call me that and think of me as a mother figure; someone who is loving and always there for them. That way of approaching my clients, the people that come to me and connect with me, feel valued and heard like a Mother would hear and be there for their loved one. That causes people to return, that causes people to refer me to others they love and it causes people to keep me in their lives as long they can. To me, that is the ultimate success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Many people are shocked to hear about all the different roads and paths I have been on before getting to the career path I am on today. I was a student at New York University for Voice and Music Theatre thinking I was going to be the Star of Broadway, but that didn’t happen.; Then I attempted a singer/songwriter career and that didn’t happen. For 8 years I managed a high end salon and spa in New York City and after returning to Los Angeles had multiple jobs as a bartender, Event Director for a Luxury Hotel, Cantorial Soloist for synagogues and an assistant to an incredible local Event Planner. Through out all those job and experiences, I was able to connect with many kinds of people and see many different sides of life for others and it helped shape how I approach clients once I became a therapist. I have always and will always be a people person, and a nurturer and a caregiver so the role and career as therapist seemed to be the exact perfect fit for my permanent career choice. Going back to school for a Master’s degree,6 months after the tragic death of my mother, navigating a new city and attempting to financially stay afloat was one of the hardest experiences of my life. Some days I was in “robot mode.” Other days, I was hustling and doing everything I could to make ends meet,. The day I passed my licensing exam as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is one I will never forget after all the trials and tribulations and extensive training. I am most proud and excited about the work I do as the Director of Clinical programming for Westwind Recovery Treatment Center. The clients have a wide range of issues and concerns they come to us to work on including many types of addictions and mental health disorders. When a client completes our program, and attends their one year, then two year and so on “cake or chip” meeting to celebrate their sobriety, my heart explodes each time. I am beyond proud to have a small part in making sure people can get healthy, sober, and learn to love themselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many exciting and wonderful things to do in LA. Some are tourist hot spots, and some are secret hideaway things that only locals know about. I am a foodie through and through so if someone comes to visit me, they know they are going to eat well! I love driving along the coast, past the busy areas and crowded beaches, I drive for many miles, windows down, music blasting to the quieter, less bustling beaches of Malibu. Someone new to LA can have their breath taken away when they see Point Mugu in Malibu. Then drive through the Santa Monica Mountains for a mountain lookout experience. Food! I love food! I can’t just pick one place. Many people love trendy, exciting and different exotic restaurants. I love those places, don’t get me wrong, but I stick with what I know and I have been a patron of for years. One of those is : Hop Li Chinese Restaurant on Pico Blvd and Veteran. It is out of this world, I have been going there since I was a little girl. For my birthday every year, I order their Dungeness Crab in garlic and Black bean sauce (HEAVEN!) Sushi is a must and I stick with an oldie but very very much a goodie, Matsuhisa on La Cienega (Nobu’s first location) Italian Food is a favorite, I LOVE Rossoblu in downtown or a favorite near my home is Della Terra. CANNOT LEAVE without having my favorite sweet treat which is the Skronut (a cronut) from SK Donuts on 3rd St.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am the therapist I am today because of the mentorship and teaching of a wonderful professor and therapist colleague of mine, Joanne Koegl LMFT. She was my first professor at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA when I attended their program for my Masters. She is an incredible teacher, therapist and woman. She has recently gone through the hardest year of her life due to multiple losses of family members because of Covid-19, but her resilience and strength is the piece of her I love and value the most and am excited for her to get back to work in her practice helping all the people she can.

Website: www.jessicasteinman.com www.westwindrecovery.com
Instagram: jessicasteinman630
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-steinman-ma-lmft-4795b47/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.steinman.18