Jonathan Kruger, LMFT

I received my Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology in 2013 from Antioch University, and have been working closely with a broad range of clients ever since, successfully becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 2017.

Prior to my work as a therapist, I spent over 30 years in the performing arts, with a focus on one of my core passions: music and singing.  I received a Teacher’s Licentiate Diploma in Speech and Drama from the Trinity College of London in 1979, followed by a Masters Degree in Music Performance and Composition from New York University’s Tisch School of the Performing Arts in 1986. I also completed the Meisner Technique training in New York City in 1988, an approach to acting that focuses on instinctively responding to the surrounding environment.  My subsequent career consisted of performances on the stage, as well as work behind the scenes and a vocal coaching practice. In early 2007 I began a new stage of my career, launching several successful real estate development projects. Ultimately, the real estate world was not my true calling, and I made the decision in 2011 to take my inherent joy in helping people to the next level, beginning my journey to becoming a licensed therapist. 

Transitioning from performer, to vocal coach, to real estate, and finally to therapist, has given me an understanding of how we evolve over time, when to change lanes, and the challenge and difficulties we face when contemplating how and when to release dreams to which we are so deeply and personally attached.  This understanding of changing life experiences is a key aspect of my therapeutic approach.

After completing my Masters in Clinical Psychology, I was selected to join The Center For Individual and Family Counseling, a highly respected non-profit, low-fee program that serves patients facing economic disadvantage.  Through the Center, I not only received extraordinary supervision but also exposure to a wide variety of issues including Couples Counseling, Trauma, Veterans Issues, Grief and Loss, Sexual Orientation and Identity Issues, Sexual impulsivity and Addiction, LGBT issues, Domestic Violence, and Substance Abuse.  I also focused two years on working with children, teens, and adolescents and their families facing issues such as Depression, Anxiety, Spectrum Disorders, and Social Anxiety.  My work at the center did not simply allow me to complete my required 3,000 hours of training, but afforded me the privilege to assist clients in navigating incredibly complex emotional challenges while also balancing the burdens of extreme economic hardship. 

While at the Center, I was mentored by Rachel Bar, and ultimately went to work for her in her private practice.  In 2015, under her supervision, I completed training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), a highly effective mode of desensitization for traumas both simple and complex. While at Bar Therapy I saw a wide range of clients suffering with chronic illness and disease, contemporary issues of aging, mid life crisis, fertility issues, as well as clients dealing with severe depression, anxiety, Hypochondria, loss of pets and loved ones, and financial stressors and issues.   

I formally opened my private practice in Encino in 2017 and expanded recently to West Hollywood.

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, I have been a United States citizen and resident of Los Angeles for over 30 years.

Get in touch

I know that finding the right therapist is a choice not to be taken lightly. To schedule an appointment please call (310) 729-9062 and leave me a voice message with your name and contact information. I will return the call at my earliest convenience, usually within 24 hours. I offer a free initial phone consultation prior to setting up the intake appointment.

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Education

ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY
Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, 2013

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
TISCH SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
Masters Degree in Music Performance and Composition, 1986

TRINITY COLLEGE OF LONDON
Teacher’s Licentiate Diploma in Speech and Drama, 1979