About
Irena Shwartzman, LMFT — Los Altos, CA
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couples therapy, trauma, infidelity recovery, and EMDR.
Irena Shwartzman
LMFT #145911 · Los Altos, CA
Professional background
I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #145911) based in Los Altos, CA. My practice focuses on couples therapy, trauma treatment, EMDR, and infidelity recovery — areas I've found to be deeply connected in how I work.
My training spans multiple modalities — EMDR, CBT, psychodynamic approaches, attachment theory, and emotionally focused work — but my approach in practice is integrative. I use what fits the person and the problem, not a fixed protocol.
Starting therapy can feel uncertain — especially if you've tried before and it didn't help. Finding the right therapist makes all the difference. That's what the free consultation is for.
Credentials
- License LMFT #145911, State of California
- Specialization Couples, Trauma, EMDR, Infidelity Recovery
- EMDR EMDR-trained
- Languages English, Hebrew, Russian, Ukrainian
- Location Los Altos, CA — in-person & telehealth
Therapeutic approach and philosophy
I take a structured, insight-focused approach to therapy that helps you understand what's happening beneath the surface. We identify patterns, make them visible, and connect them to past experiences — so you can begin making meaningful changes sooner rather than staying stuck in the same cycles.
I use simple visual explanations and psychoeducation to make sense of emotional reactions, communication breakdowns, and recurring dynamics. Most clients leave sessions understanding something they didn't before — which is usually what makes the work stick.
My approach is efficient and proactive. I don't work by sitting back and reflecting what you say. I engage, I direct, I offer frameworks that make complicated things feel clearer. This fits some people very well — and it's not the right fit for everyone.
"I help my clients untangle the complicated parts of life — making the confusing feel clearer and the heavy feel lighter."
A personal note
I've been married for over 25 years and have two children. I know firsthand that relationships take effort, communication, and humor — something I bring into sessions when it's appropriate. The work doesn't have to be heavy the entire time.
I speak English, Hebrew, Russian, and Ukrainian, and work with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. I enjoy traveling and exploring new places — and I find that the curiosity that makes travel rewarding is the same curiosity that makes therapy work.