Meet Our Team - Cynthia Stern
Cynthia Stern, LCSW
Position at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center:
Family/couples systemic therapist
How long have you been working at Hallowell Todaro ADHD?
I just started at the center this month!
Where did you grow up?
Pacific Palisades, CA
What are your favorite books / TV shows / movies?
I do a lot of reading about case studies, such as “Strategic Family Therapy” by Cloé Madanes, Jay Haley’s “Leaving Home,” and the list goes on…so many more. I watch videos of different and new methodologies, new and established therapies.
I have most recently started watching a lot of movies and TV that present historical stories like “The Crown,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Outlander.”
Complete the following sentences:
When I’m not at work, you can find me...
with family, outside walking with my dog Memphis, with my beautiful family and grandson.
When I want to de-stress, I...
play ball with my dog, take walks, go to the beach.
My favorite time of year is...
summer/fall.
My favorite thing to cook is...
my famous salad dressing and green bean casserole!
The best gift I ever received was…
my daughters have been amazing. My youngest daughter and her husband moved me recently from LA to Santa Clara. They bought me all new furniture for my home, which I love.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I’d go to...
Africa.
What led you to pursue a career helping others?
I believe being curious was part of my attraction to this work. By the time I was 13 years old I just knew I wanted to help others. I always had an innate quality that people wanted to reveal themselves to me and I always knew how to help. This line of work has always come naturally to me and I love seeing people change their lives for the better.
What education, skills, and expertise do you bring to your role?
I earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona and then received my MSW (master’s in social Welfare) at the University of Southern California. After I graduated I spent over ten years receiving intensive training and supervision from master therapists that developed the models of practice in the field of systems family therapy.
Combining my desire to help children and families, I co-founded and developed the Southern California Family Therapy Institute. My colleagues and I created a three-year post-graduate training program in systems family therapy for mental health professionals. I taught, trained, and supervised our students. The Institute evolved out of our desire to contribute to the health and welfare of families and children by training expert family therapists. The creation of the Institute allowed me to actualize my commitment to provide excellent family treatment to the community at a low to no fee cost. To further impact the quality of treatment for families I needed to reach a larger population of mental health professionals. I was able to achieve this by consulting and providing training and supervision experiences at private and community mental health facilities. I taught courses as a guest lecturer at many training programs for social work and psychology students. In addition, I taught all the family practice and treatment courses for seven years at the UCLA Graduate School of Social Welfare.
Soon thereafter I founded Santa Monica Family Consultants in 1990, a private practice where I still focus my efforts on brief therapy treatment with families, couples, and individuals. I developed a divorce mediation model that I added to my services. In 2016 I did an intensive, one-year training in Life Coaching with the Toni Robbins/ Cloe Madnes program. I have integrated strategic coaching into my practice. I am looking forward to mentoring and learning from new colleagues at Hallowell Todaro.
Who/what inspires you?
All of the master therapists and coaches I trained with over the years inspired me to think differently and outside the box inspired me to continue in this line of work. My family also inspires me as I continue to see them grow in new chapters of their lives. Just to name a few master therapists I was inspired and trained with: Minuchin, Jay Haley, Cloe Madanes, The Milan Team (Luigi Boscolo and Gianfranco Cecchin) Monica McGoldrick, and many others.
What’s your personal philosophy/approach toward the work you do?
I practice from my own brand of systemic methodology that has evolved over the years. To be effective, I must understand the system that supports the presenting symptoms. For example, if I get calls from parents with a symptomatic child or adolescent, I will ask the family to come in for an interview and then I present recommendations about how to proceed. This is true as well for couples.
The goal of my work is to produce real fundamental change. This is done with a variety of techniques and strategies whereby I tap into the natural resources of the individual, and or system (couple, family, extended family, community, business, etc.) through the process of gathering information. I have expertise in negotiating disengaged, and conflicted relationships. Some of the following issues often precipitate challenges in relationships: a major crisis i.e. drug and alcohol abuse, violence, betrayal, mental illness, leaving home, and other natural transitions in life.
In addition, I provide strategies to help individuals, families, and couples, to get past a stuck or delayed developmental stage. I use a variety of different interactional exercises, and interviewing techniques that are designed to introduce new information. Re-authoring the individual, family, or couple’s story is key in the process of creating real fundamental change. I introduce both in and out of session tasks, rituals, and/or assignments. These techniques allow the structure and the roles in the family to shift and thus change can occur. Families, couples, and individuals benefit from my brief model that is action-oriented and aimed at producing change.
What is one small thing people can do to improve their lives and increase their happiness?
Be open-minded to difference, shifting, and transition if you’re unhappy or dissatisfied. Listen to your gut—if you are not happy with your current situation, be adaptable and ready for change.
We provide a range of support for people with ADHD.