Erin Nicole McGinnis, LMFT

Erin Nicole McGinnis, LMFT Led by Erin McGinnis, a licensed marriage and family therapist, our practice takes a unique approach to mental and emotional well-being.

At East West Holistic Psychotherapy, we are dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for individuals seeking holistic healing and personal growth. We specialize in trauma, EMDR, victims of narcissistic abuse, adult children of narcissists, trauma bonding, love addiction, women’s issues, dating, grief, spiritual psychology, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and more.

Our emotions are there for us. They are our inner guide and compass, pointing us in the direction we need to go. Grievin...
02/26/2022

Our emotions are there for us. They are our inner guide and compass, pointing us in the direction we need to go. Grieving is an essential step in letting go. Anger is there to help you set a boundary. Guilt lets you know that your actions are not in alignment with your agreements. Every emotion has purpose and value.

However, we can often allow irrational thinking to set in when we feel bad. This can take the form of black and white thinking and believing that things will always be this way.

Try to stay anchored into the truth no matter how big the waves of emotions are. Remember that life is constantly changing, and so are we. No matter how permanent the problem, you will not always feel this way.

Images:

Frustration, overwhelm, exhaustion, procrastination, and inattention are all signs that you need a break. So often we sh...
11/19/2021

Frustration, overwhelm, exhaustion, procrastination, and inattention are all signs that you need a break. So often we shame ourselves for these experiences and try to push through them anyway.

Resting is radical self-care in a world that wrongly teaches us that productivity is a reflection of self-worth. Although it’s counterintuitive, doing nothing is sometimes the most productive thing you can do.

I know there’s a lot to do this time of year but please take some time to unplug.

Image

Healing is cyclical, not linear. There is no arrival or final destination. We are always learning and growing. We can ch...
10/22/2021

Healing is cyclical, not linear. There is no arrival or final destination. We are always learning and growing. We can change and things definitely can get better. However, we will return many times to the same wound before we are fully healed.

If you feel discouraged because you’ve done the work and the same pattern keeps presenting itself- don’t give up. What is coming up, is coming up to leave. The same problem presenting itself is not evidence that you’re stuck, but an opportunity to do something different so you can graduate.

Image

There are always reasons but there are no excuses. If someone is not prioritizing you then it’s time to leave. Most peop...
10/15/2021

There are always reasons but there are no excuses. If someone is not prioritizing you then it’s time to leave. Most people stay because they believe that one day this person or their circumstances will change. It’s toxic to be in a relationship with a fantasy of someone and not the reality.

The right person will show up for you every single day. They will let everyone know you’re together. They will want to define the relationship and make commitments. They will want to go at your pace because your happiness means a lot to them. If they ever think they’ve hurt you they will immediately make changes and do better. They will do what it takes to keep you in their life.

Please don’t put up with crumbs when you deserve to be at the head of the table.

Image .kenny

Codependency is a term that is often misunderstood and mistaken for dependency. These two things are not the same. Codep...
04/02/2021

Codependency is a term that is often misunderstood and mistaken for dependency. These two things are not the same. Codependents are dependent on others' dependency. Another way of saying it is, codependents are chronically stuck in the role of caretaker.

Codependency should not be stigmatized. Showing empathy, support, and wanting to take care of a loved one are healthy, normal, human responses.

However, when someone grows up in a home with caretakers who cannot be bigger, wiser, or stronger- it can create a false belief that the only way to get love is by caretaking. When this child becomes an adult, they often feel that the way to get people to love them and not abandon them is to disappear their own needs and sacrifice themselves to meet the another’s needs. This, unfortunately, makes them a magnet for addicts and people who have traits of narcissism.

If you feel like you might have codependency, it's essential to learn how to set boundaries in a healthy way. This does not mean going from a doormat to a brick wall. It means coming from a stance that respects your feelings and that of another. Sometimes it's important to heal attachment trauma using evidenced based practices like EMDR before trying to set these boundaries. It's always good to get as much support as possible while trying to change these habits by attending CoDA or Al-Anon meetings.

Know that many people suffer from these relationship patterns and are able to heal and change them. Having healthy, loving relationships is possible. If you're reading this, your transformation has already begun and you are already on your way. 🙏🏻

Image by

I look at my eight month-old-daughter all the time, in awe at how fast she’s growing. While I’m excited to see her unfol...
03/26/2021

I look at my eight month-old-daughter all the time, in awe at how fast she’s growing. While I’m excited to see her unfolding, expanding, and becoming more of who she is- I’m simultaneously worried that she’s changing so fast that I won’t be able to fully enjoy each phase. I love celebrating all of her firsts, but there’s a sadness when I look back and realize all of the lasts that slipped through my fingers.

But now I’m wondering what it might be like if I loved myself that much. When I look back on my life, I see that most of my youth was spent wishing to be someone different, and most of my young adulthood was spent wanting to be somewhere else. I never got to know or appreciate who I was and where I was, and now those versions of me are gone.

What if we let go of our endless quest for self-improvement and instead just practiced self-love? What if we stopped obsessing over all of the things we needed to be doing and instead just appreciated our being?

Love and appreciate exactly who you are and what you have today. We always know when something is our first, but you never know what might be a last.

Image

As someone who specializes in Narcissistic Abuse Recovery, I see many people who come to me and ask why they were chosen...
03/22/2021

As someone who specializes in Narcissistic Abuse Recovery, I see many people who come to me and ask why they were chosen and how they got sucked in. Due to the abuse and gaslighting, many are convinced this was all their fault and that there must be something wrong with them.

But the truth is that there is nothing wrong with you, and often there was no way of knowing this person was narcissistic in the beginning. Narcissists are usually great at reading people, and they know exactly who they need to be to manipulate you. They also choose their opposites- empathetic, compassionate, forgiving, optimistic, and giving people.

You are not broken and in need of fixing but traumatized and in need of healing. You do not need to change anything about who you are. Instead, you need to change the filter through which you see yourself.

While it would be a good idea to change some of your behavior or how you show up in the courtship phase (slowing down the pace, setting boundaries, and learning effective communication skills), there is nothing about you that needs to change. You are already good enough and deserving of true love exactly as you are.

🎨

“When someone beats a rug with a stick, he is not beating the rug- the aim is to get rid of the dust.” - Rumi Traumas an...
03/05/2021

“When someone beats a rug with a stick, he is not beating the rug- the aim is to get rid of the dust.” - Rumi

Traumas and negative experiences leave behind little dust particles in the form of negative beliefs about yourself. This dust clouds your vision and distorts your view of yourself and the others around you. It’s in these times of perpetual blindness that we desperately reach out and start searching for someone or something to save us.

When we lack a real understanding of our worth, we blindly believe someone else or something else can let us borrow some of theirs. We think that if we could just get that job or love or approval, then we will feel ok again.

But our healing and happiness is always an inside job. Life and the universe will conspire to make you see your truth again. It will beat the dust from your rug in the form of loss.

So that thing that didn’t work out, that job you got fired from, that person who left, is not happening to you but for you. The pain is there to help you wake up out of the illusion that your worth was ever about them. So let it all go because your worth never lived there.

Rejections and setbacks can trigger shame and feelings of unworthiness. We can start to obsess and ruminate over the dis...
02/25/2021

Rejections and setbacks can trigger shame and feelings of unworthiness. We can start to obsess and ruminate over the disappointment. But if you just keep staring at the door that’s shut, you won’t see the door that’s opening.

When someone or something isn’t working out, it’s evidence that the situation is not right for you. It’s not evidence that you are not good enough.

It’s safe to let go of what is not a good match and create space for what is. If it’s meant to be, it will come back at a better time. If it doesn’t, then it’s because the universe has something better for you.

Image@natalia_benson

Address

4335 Van Nuys Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA
91403

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13109753110

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Erin Nicole McGinnis, LMFT posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category