A quieter place to
understand yourself.
Dr. Şule Özler is a licensed psychodynamic psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and couples therapist in Santa Monica, California — serving Los Angeles and online throughout the state.
- License
- CA PSY 28746
- Practice
- 15+ years
- Format
- In-person · Telehealth
How I work
Slow, careful, and deeply individual.
I work from a psychodynamic and relational perspective. That means we don't just treat the symptom on the surface — we sit with it, listen to it, and let it tell us what it's protecting. Over time, the work helps you understand patterns that have felt automatic for years, and find new ways of being in your relationships, your work, and your own mind.
Sessions are typically once or twice weekly, sometimes more. I see adults, adolescents, and couples. Some clients stay for a few months; others stay for years. The pace is yours.
Psychodynamic
We listen for the patterns beneath the symptom — childhood, relationships, the stories you tell yourself about who you are.
Relational
The therapeutic relationship itself becomes a place to experience, in real time, the things that feel hardest to talk about.
Evidence-Informed
Grounded in contemporary psychoanalytic research and decades of clinical work — not trends, not a quick fix.
Confidential
A boundaried, private practice. No shared waiting room. No insurance billing. Your time and your story stay yours.
What I offer
Therapy that meets you where you are.
Four ways we can work together. Every engagement begins with a 50-minute consultation so we can meet, talk about what brings you in, and decide whether the fit is right.
Individual Psychotherapy
Long-term psychodynamic work for adults navigating anxiety, depression, grief, identity, and the quieter patterns that keep repeating.
Inquire about thisCouples Therapy
A structured, emotionally safe space for partners to slow down, understand each other more deeply, and rebuild the connection underneath the conflict.
Inquire about thisPsychoanalysis
More intensive, multi-session analytic work for people who want to go deeper — examining unconscious patterns, attachment history, and the meaning beneath symptoms.
Inquire about thisTelehealth Across California
Secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions for adults and couples anywhere in California. The same depth, frequency, and care — from your own space.
Inquire about thisWhat I help with
Areas of expertise.
The work I do is shaped around what brings you in. These are the areas where I have the deepest clinical experience — each one approached slowly, with care for the person underneath the symptom.
Anxiety
Worry, panic, overthinking, restlessness.
Depression
Low mood, emptiness, loss of interest or vitality.
Grief & Loss
Bereavement, identity loss, ambiguous grief.
Trauma
Single-incident and complex, relational trauma.
Relationships
Patterns in love, friendship, family, work.
Life Transitions
New parenthood, divorce, relocation, retirement.
Career & Academic
Burnout, ambition, plateau, meaning at work.
Personal Growth
Knowing yourself more deeply, with curiosity.
About
A practice built on presence.
Dr. Şule Özler holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) and has spent over fifteen years in private practice in Los Angeles. Her training spans psychodynamic psychotherapy, contemporary psychoanalysis, and emotionally focused couples work.
She is a graduate of the Psychoanalytic Center of California and maintains an active analytic practice alongside her psychotherapy work. She sees adults, adolescents, and couples, in person in Santa Monica and via secure telehealth across California.
Outside of her practice, Dr. Özler supervises early-career clinicians and writes about the long, quiet work of therapeutic change.
- Practice
- 0+
- Years in private practice
- Frequency
- 0×
- Weekly analytic sessions available
- Format
- 0
- Convenient options: in-person or online
Common questions
Things people often ask first.
If your question isn't here, the consultation is the best place to ask it. There's no pressure to continue.
Ask Dr. Özler directlyDo you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider. After each session I can provide a superbill you can submit to your insurance for partial reimbursement. Many PPO plans cover a meaningful portion of out-of-network therapy.
What does a first session look like?
The first 50-minute consultation is a chance for us to meet, talk about what's bringing you in, and decide together whether longer-term work with me feels right. There is no pressure to continue.
Do you offer online sessions?
Yes. I see adults and couples across California via secure, HIPAA-compliant video. Many clients alternate between in-person and online weeks depending on travel and schedule.
How long does therapy usually last?
It depends on what you're looking for. Some people come for focused, shorter-term work. Others stay for years. We set the pace together and revisit it openly as things shift.
What is the difference between psychotherapy and psychoanalysis?
Psychoanalysis is a more intensive form of psychodynamic work — typically three to four sessions per week, on the couch, focused on the deeper unconscious layers. Psychotherapy is usually once or twice weekly and face-to-face.
How do I get started?
Email or call to request a consultation. I'll respond within one business day and we'll find a time to speak. Most new clients begin within two to three weeks of first contact.
Get in touch
Begin with a conversation.
The first step is a 50-minute consultation — a low-pressure chance for us to meet, talk about what's bringing you in, and decide together whether ongoing work with me is the right fit. Most new clients hear back within one business day.
Service area
In-person in Santa Monica. Secure telehealth for adults and couples across Los Angeles and all of California.