Alek Koundakjian

Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #133758

Supervised by Kent Toussaint, MA, LMFT #44685

Hi! My name is Alek Koundakjian and I am beyond excited to be a part of the Teen Therapy Center team!

I have always approached therapy with an emphasis on patience and empathy. Prioritizing the foundation of one’s experience, I take time to focus on rapport through getting to know clients and doing my best to see life through their lens.

I enjoy working with all populations. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I have experience working with adolescents exploring their identities. Being a teenager can be tough. I am passionate about helping clients develop the tools necessary to navigate adolescence and young adulthood.

I’m a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (A.M.F.T.). I received my M.A. in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. Prior, I obtained my B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Northridge.

View Video Transcript

So, when working with teens and children, the thing I enjoy the most is how much potential there
is for growth in our time together. You know, I have always believed that working with teenagers,
there's so much room for resilience and fostering that resilience in children and teenagers
through our practice is something that I enjoy the most.

I would say definitely the biggest challenge is establishing a safe space for a child or a teenager
to realize that we're not necessarily an authority figure, right? Children and teenagers,
they're often used to interacting with parents and coaches and you know, people who are teachers
and people who have a sense of authority over them, and really working through that to realize
that a therapist is here to provide a safe space to maybe talk about the uncomfortable, or you
know, not to get you in trouble, but to rather support you through whatever you're going through.

As part of the LGBTQIA plus community myself, I really enjoy working with the population, especially
with children and teenagers that are continuing to explore their identity and come into a new.
I've really realized that everyone's journey in this is different and being able to support
clients through that journey is really amazing Should I look at the camera or at you?