Megan McAllister, AMFT
Somatic Therapist

West Los Angeles, California and Online

  • Individuals & Couples

  • Adolescents, young adults & life transitions

  • EMDR, Somatic, Psychodynamic

  • Anxiety, stress & burnout

  • Trauma & complex trauma

  • Pregnancy, postpartum & motherhood

  • Former advertising professional, wife & mother

My specialties

I specialize in helping adolescents, adults, and couples navigate anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, the pressures of high achievement, chronic stress, burnout, and major life transitions.

I work with clients on a range of concerns, including:

  • Anxiety, Stress & Burnout

  • Trauma & Complex Trauma

  • Perfectionism & High Achievement

  • Couples, Relationships & Attachment

  • LGBTQ+

  • Life Transitions, Identity & Self-Esteem

  • Pregnancy, Postpartum & Motherhood

  • Adolescents & Young Adults

  • Depression, Grief & Loss

  • Nervous System Regulation

Therapy with me

Many of my clients are thoughtful, capable, and successful people who feel overwhelmed behind the scenes. They may struggle with anxiety, relationship challenges, unresolved trauma, or the pressure of trying to do everything well while caring for everyone around them.

Clients often come to therapy feeling stuck in patterns they understand intellectually but cannot seem to change. They may feel disconnected from themselves, their relationships, or their sense of purpose.

My approach is warm and holistic. I strive to create a space where clients feel welcomed, accepted, and understood. Together, we explore the underlying patterns shaping your experiences while building practical tools for growth and change.

I believe therapy begins with safety, trust, and a strong therapeutic relationship. My goal is to create a space where you feel supported as you heal and grow. Together, we'll work toward a more connected and balanced relationship with yourself and the people who matter most to you.

My background

Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the advertising industry, giving me firsthand insight into the demands of high-performance environments. I understand the chronic stress, burnout, and pressure to continually achieve and perform while managing the many responsibilities of everyday life. This experience helps me connect deeply with clients who are balancing ambition, stress, identity, relationships, and overall well-being.

Personally, I bring an understanding of the many transitions people experience throughout life, including education, career changes, relationships, marriage, pregnancy, postpartum adjustment, motherhood, illness, grief, and loss. I appreciate the emotional complexity of caring for others while staying connected to yourself.

Training

  • MA, Clinical Psychology, California Southern University

  • BS, Business, Southern Oregon University

  • Certified Trauma Professional (CTP)

  • EMDR Basic Training

  • Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) Training through Laurel Parnell

  • Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) — Currently Enrolled

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #151540
Supervised by: Paulina Padilla, LCSW #61768

Treatment approach

Psychotherapy is a great tool to help you understand yourself at a deeper level, find purpose in your life, and address obstacles that are hindering you from reaching your goals. The result is a more integrated self, enabling you to achieve more satisfying ways to live and foster healthy and fulfilling relationships with people in your life.

In addition to my relational approach, I teach practices that support your nervous system to move toward regulation, or homeostatic balance. These practices teach you how to be with challenging sensations without bracing to allow energy to shift and release, rather than accumulating in your body. Over time, your window of tolerance expands so that your nervous system naturally spends more time in parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” even as you move through the world .

In the process, I help you to unburden the original traumas that live on as hypersensitivity to threat. To do this, we need to meet and befriend the protective parts that over or under react to present situations. With more understanding and acceptance, these parts calm down and start to work together as a team, helping you to become more responsive and vital.

I help you build a personalized tool-kit to manage your symptoms going forward. When you stop fearing your symptoms they lose power over you and they begin to fade. Clients often report forgetting about symptoms as their life comes back into the foreground.

Somatic Therapy helps to discharge Survival Energy and Reduce Chronic Symptoms such as Pain & Discomfort

Services and fees

I offer in-person and online sessions for:

  • Individuals: $200 (50-minute session)

  • Couples: $250 (50-minute session)

  • Adolescents and Families: $250 (50-minute session)