Dr. Nate Balfanz

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who works with children, adolescents, adults, and families navigating anxiety, depression, family conflict, life transitions, and the challenges that can come with personal and professional growth. I also have significant experience working with high achievers and athletes, where the qualities that often contribute to success—drive, discipline, and high expectations—can sometimes become sources of pressure, self-criticism, or difficulty slowing down.

My approach to therapy is direct, collaborative, and insight-oriented. I believe meaningful therapy involves more than simply managing symptoms; it also means developing a better understanding of ourselves, our relationships, and the patterns we have carried with us over time. Drawing from family systems, person-centered, interpersonal, and dynamically informed approaches, I help patients explore how earlier experiences and family relationships may continue to influence the way they think, feel, relate to others, and respond to challenges in the present. Therapy with me is an active process—we work together to better understand what is happening, why it may be happening, and what can begin to change.

Much of my work with adults centers on family-of-origin experiences, trauma, relationships, major life transitions, and questions surrounding personal and professional development. I particularly enjoy working with people who may be doing well on the surface but find themselves struggling internally with anxiety, dissatisfaction, uncertainty, or recurring patterns they cannot quite seem to change. With adolescents and younger patients, I have always had an ability to meet them where they are and develop a genuine connection, while also helping parents feel understood and supported. Across ages, I find that some of the strongest therapeutic relationships develop when we can recognize something of our own experience in one another while remaining curious about the ways our experiences differ.

I have been working in the field of psychology for more than 20 years, including eight years in Shanghai, China, where I served as Head of the Behavioral Health Department at American Medical Center. After returning to Southern California, I worked as a pediatric and adolescent specialist at The Weichman Clinic before establishing Dr. Nate Psych. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Valparaiso University and my master’s and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, followed by an APA-accredited predoctoral internship at Children’s Institute/Harbor-UCLA and a postdoctoral fellowship at Reiss-Davis Child Study Center.

Outside of the office, one of the most important parts of my life is being a husband and a father. Much of my free time is spent with my family, whether we are traveling, heading out on a family adventure, or cheering from the sidelines at one of my kids’ games. I also enjoy surfing, boxing, soccer, and following the Los Angeles Dodgers. These parts of my life keep me connected to many of the same questions around family, growth, balance, identity, and change that often find their way into the therapy room.