Psychodynamic therapy is a relational evidence-based approach derived from Psychoanalytic theory.

This approach emphasizes present emotion, being known in relationship, increasing insight into personal history, and an exploration of conscious and unconscious patterns with curiosity.

Psychodynamic therapy is often longer-term and depth-oriented.

Therapy is an investment in your emotional health, relationships, and overall well-being. Session fees are set to reflect the level of individualized attention, clinical expertise, and continuity of care we provide.

Individual Sessions: $225/ 50 minute session

Relationship Sessions: $285 / 75 minute session

If finances are a barrier, I offer limited reduced-fee sessions depending on availability. I also provide detailed receipts, called “superbills,” which may allow you to seek partial reimbursement from your insurance company if you have out-of-network benefits.

Compassionate Collective is a private-pay practice and does not directly bill insurance. This allows therapy to remain focused on your personal goals, emotional experience, and treatment needs rather than insurance-driven diagnoses or session restrictions.

Some patients choose to use out-of-network benefits if their plan allows it. Upon request, I am happy to provide a detailed receipt you may submit to your insurance carrier for possible reimbursement.

I work with adults and couples navigating emotional, relational, and identity-related concerns. Although I work with a variety of issues, I specialize in treatment of religious and relational trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, and body image.

As a psychodynamic therapist, my therapeutic approach is depth-oriented and relational. This means I am interested not only in symptom relief but also in understanding the breadth and depth of patterns, experiences, and meanings that shape your life.

If you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself or others, I aim to create a space where you can explore those experiences with compassion and curiosity.

You don’t need to be in crisis or have everything figured out before starting therapy. Many people come to therapy when something in their life feels painful, confusing, or difficult to carry alone.

Psychodynamic therapy can be a good fit if you are interested in developing a deeper understanding of yourself beyond quick fixes or symptom management.

Psychodynamic therapy invites you into a space of deeper knowing and meaning-making. The work can feel emotionally and personally challenging at times, but I strive to make it a relational, holding, and gentle environment. My goal is to support real change that unfolds without judgment or shame.

If you are looking to better understand your patterns, relationships, identity, or emotional experiences, therapy may be helpful.

If you are unsure, you are welcome to schedule a consultation so we can talk about your concerns and see whether working together feels like a good fit.

Psychodynamic therapy is often considered long-term work, but that does not mean therapy must last for years.

What it means is that I do not place an arbitrary clock on your therapy. Instead, I focus on doing the work together until it feels like it has reached a natural and meaningful conclusion.

We will regularly check in about how therapy is feeling for you, whether your goals are shifting, and whether the work still feels useful. I always make space for time — we continue the work until it feels complete rather than rushing toward an endpoint.

Compassionate Collective is a telehealth-only practice, providing online therapy to adults and couples throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. All sessions are held virtually via a secure video platform, so there is no office to commute to — just consistent, quality care from wherever you are.

Dr. Kittinger works with clients throughout California, including Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Coast, Seal Beach, and surrounding Orange County and Los Angeles communities. She also continues to provide telehealth therapy to clients across Oregon — including Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis, and Medford — as well as throughout Washington, including Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Spokane, Vancouver, Bellevue, and beyond.

If you are located anywhere in California, Oregon, or Washington and are wondering whether telehealth therapy might be a good fit, you are welcome to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to learn more.

It's a fair question — and one worth asking before you commit. The research is consistent: telehealth therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for most of the concerns people bring to it, including anxiety, trauma, and relationship difficulties.

What sometimes surprises people is that being in their own space can actually make it easier to open up. There's no commute to navigate, no waiting room, no transition time. Just you, wherever you feel most at ease, and the work.

Religious trauma is the lasting psychological impact of harmful religious experiences, high-control environments, spiritual abuse, or the process of leaving a belief system that shaped your sense of self. It isn't simply having complicated feelings about religion — it's a pattern of harm that leaves real marks on how you relate to yourself, others, and your own inner voice.

It can look like persistent anxiety or shame, difficulty trusting your own instincts, grief over lost community, black-and-white thinking, or a deep confusion about who you are outside the system you were raised in. If your religious history feels less like a source of meaning and more like something you're still trying to recover from, that experience deserves careful, compassionate attention.

Learn more about religious trauma.

Not at all. Because Compassionate Collective is fully telehealth, location isn't a barrier. Dr. Kittinger works with adults throughout California, Oregon, and Washington — whether you're in Orange County or in a community where finding a therapist who specializes in what you're navigating feels nearly impossible. If you're in California, Oregon, or Washington, you're welcome here.

The terms are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. A psychologist holds a doctoral degree — a PhD or PsyD — and has completed advanced clinical training beyond the master's level, including a year-long predoctoral internship and postdoctoral supervision hours before licensure.

Dr. Kittinger holds a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and is licensed as a psychologist in California, Oregon, and Washington. That level of training shapes not just what she knows, but how she works — with a depth of clinical understanding that informs every part of the therapeutic relationship.