Anita Avedian, MFT

Anita Avedian, M.S., MFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Certified Anger Management Facilitator

 

Anita Avedian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Until age 8, she had lived in Istanbul, Turkey, and London, England. In 1981, Anita’s family decided to move to Encino, California, so that she could attend an Armenian school, and persevere with her culture. Anita graduated from Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School in 1990.

 

In 1995, Anita graduated California State University of Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. During her undergraduate years, Anita was very involved with student organizations. She became a Director of Associated Students and a Senator for the student body at three different levels. Through her interest in organizations, Anita decided to incorporate business with psychology.

 

In 1998, she graduated from California State University of Northridge with her Master of Science in Educational Psychology, emphasizing in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. In order to integrate her interest in organizations and business, Anita had an additional emphasis in Business, Industry and Government in her counseling studies. Upon graduation, she had successfully completed two Master’s level certifications: 1) Human Resources (Consulting, and Organizational Development); and 2) Employee Assistance Program.

 

Anita began her first internship with Family Violence Project. She worked in a battered woman’s shelter counseling the children and teens, as well as teaching parenting to the women. Within five years, Anita headed the Children and Teen’s Program at Tamar House (a 30-day emergency shelter) and at Hope Cottage (a 6-month transitional house for battered women and their children). At Hope Cottage, Anita formulated many children and teen groups focusing on the trauma they experienced. Anita facilitated family groups where she had the opportunity to intervene with the mothers and model more effective ways of communicating with their children.

 

During these years, Anita also participated in an internship as an Employee Assistance Professional (EAP) at Glendale Adventist Medical Center (GAMC). Anita coordinated and facilitated workshops in Assertive Communication for the employees of GAMC. She also co-facilitated a critical incident stress debriefing for one of the departments. She was responsible for providing brief counseling for their employees, assessment, and appropriate referrals.

 

Another internship during these years included Guess Corporation at the Training and Development Department. There, Anita learned various ways in which a company motivates their employees. This involved teaching supervisors about leadership and management.

 

Anita worked at UCLA, Center for Community Health, as an Intervention Coordinator for two different research projects studying the efficacy of structured counseling programs for HIV positive teens and adults. She was also involved with an additional study focusing on group counseling for children and teens with an HIV positive parent.

 

In 2002, Anita began her private practice in Tarzana and Bel-Air. As her practice grew, she opened an office in Sherman Oaks. In 2003, Anita became certified in conducting Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. Through one of the conferences, she also became certified in conducting Thought Field Therapy, which enriches her practice by incorporating energy therapy.

 

In 2003, Anita became an EAP consultant for Dorris & Associates and provides assessment, referral and counseling services for employees who are contracted through Dorris & Associates. She currently is contracted with over 5 EAP companies.

 

In 2003, Anita became an Anderson-Certified Anger Management Facilitator. In 2005, Anita and her partner, Laurie Brumfield, incorporated a new company named ABC Centers for Self-Improvement to offer anger management and parenting programs.

 

Anita is very involved with the professional community. She currently serves on the local chapter boards for Employee Assistance Professional Association (EAPA), California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and Armenian American Mental Health Association (AAMHA). Anita recently became a member of both Association of Thought Field Therapy (ATFT) and the Armenian American Medical Society of California (AAMSC). In addition, she continues to be part of the steering committee for the Group List.

 

Anita finds her work with the various fields and populations successful and rewarding.