Eric Howell

Eric Howell is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California, holding an LMFT license (number 48383), with 15 years of clinical experience. He has worked in nonprofit, government, and private practice settings, and brings experience addressing a wide range of concerns including LGBT issues, anger management, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related concerns, career challenges, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue. He also has experience supporting people affected by substance abuse, co-dependency, creativity blocks, and the challenges of aging and working across the lifespan from children to older adults.

Originally from the Northeast and a third-generation American of mixed European background, Eric relocated to California at age 25. His personal path to becoming a therapist began as a client himself when he was nearing 30; weekly individual therapy helped him process painful experiences, learn new coping skills, improve communication, and gain perspective that allowed him to take a more active role in directing his life. That experience informs his work and his appreciation for the therapeutic process.

Eric grew up in a Catholic environment but does not consider himself religious; he describes a deeply spiritual way of understanding the world and is open to bringing that perspective into sessions when it supports the client’s goals. He also has firsthand familiarity with the impact of serious mental illness within families, including close relatives diagnosed with schizophrenia, and offers informed support for people navigating relationships with family members who have chronic and persistent mental disorders.

As a gay man, Eric has training and experience from the Gay and Lesbian Center in Los Angeles, which shapes his cultural understanding and clinical perspective. His clinical approach integrates evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, gestalt, humanistic and attachment-based perspectives, psychodynamic and narrative approaches, post-modern ideas, and solution-focused techniques to tailor work to each person’s needs. He welcomes both new therapy clients and those who have previous therapy experience, acknowledging that reaching out for help is an important first step.