SanTa Monica · CaliforniaOnline Therapy in Santa Monica
Serving Santa Monica through secure telehealth.
Telehealth on the WestsideSanta Monica has a particular kind of pressure. It’s a place where appearances carry weight — where looking well and being well aren’t always the same thing. Many of the people I work with from the Westside are navigating creative industry stress, relational patterns they can’t quite name, or a sense that something deeper is driving their anxiety despite a life that looks good on the surface.
Outward success can mask attachment wounds. People-pleasing, over-functioning, and difficulty with vulnerability often get reinforced in image-conscious environments rather than challenged. These patterns are usually adaptive — they developed for good reasons — but they cost something over time.
Working at the nervous system level allows us to reach what insight and self-awareness alone can’t shift. Rather than managing symptoms, the work addresses the relational and somatic patterns underneath, including trauma that may not look dramatic but still shapes how you move through the world. I offer individual and group therapy online for adults throughout California.
Meet EsmaI'm Esma Verma, LCSW
Esma Verma is a licensed psychotherapist and Brainspotting clinician offering individual and group therapy online for adults throughout California, including Santa Monica and the Westside. She works integratively with Brainspotting, IFS, and somatic approaches to support clients navigating anxiety, complex trauma, and attachment-related patterns.
What I OfferTherapy Services in Santa Monica
ServicesAdult Individual Therapy · Brainspotting Group Therapy
SpecialtiesAnxiety · Trauma · Attachment
ApproachBrainspotting, IFS, somatic work, CBT — integrative, nervous-system-informed
Details$325 / session (individual) · $97 / session (group) · Private pay · Out-of-network reimbursement via Mentaya
“Brainspotting is not about fixing you. It’s about helping your nervous system access more choice.”
Common questionsFAQ
How does online therapy work for clients in Santa Monica?
All sessions are conducted via secure telehealth, so you can work with me from Santa Monica or anywhere on the Westside without commuting to an office. Brainspotting, IFS, and somatic approaches all translate well to video — and many clients find that processing in their own space, where the nervous system is already in familiar surroundings, actually supports deeper work.
What does nervous-system-informed therapy mean?
It means the work goes beyond the cognitive level. Rather than focusing only on thoughts and behaviors, I pay close attention to what’s happening in your body and nervous system during sessions — activation, shutdown, tension patterns. Brainspotting, IFS, and somatic approaches all work with the nervous system’s natural capacity to process and integrate, which is often where lasting change takes root.
How long does therapy typically last?
It depends on what you’re working with and what feels right. Some clients come weekly for several months; others work with me over a longer period, sometimes shifting to biweekly as things stabilize. I don’t push a set timeline. We check in along the way and adjust based on what’s emerging.
From the BlogThoughts on Therapy & Healing
Take the First StepReady to Stop Managing
and Start Healing?
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