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Luisa Contreras

Relationship & Trauma Recovery Expert

LMFT 82977, LPCC 651

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"As a mother of a young adult with ASD, I understand the pain you feel when you see your child struggling to make friends. I foster a safe and supportive environment for parents, children, adolescents, and young adults motivated to make social and emotional connections." 

-Luisa Contreras
LMFT, LPCC

​Luisa Contreras is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She is the Founder and Head Trainer of OC Social Skills Institute. OCSSI is committed to providing evidence based and parent-assisted social skills trainings for children, adolescents, and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Anxiety, Speech Disorders, or other social and behavioral impairments.

Luisa received her training at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, the UCLA PEERS Founder and Director of UCLA PEERS Clinic. Dr. Laugeson is the co-developer of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS); the only evidence based social skills intervention for teens and young adults.

Luisa was also trained by Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, the founder of Incredible Years (IY), evidenced-based programs. IY are a series of parent-assisted programs that develop positive parent-teacher-child relationships and assist in preventing and treating behavior problems and promoting social, emotional and academic competence before a child becomes an adult.
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Luisa is also the Founder and Director of Clinical Services of La Vida Life Counseling Center. La Vida is a therapeutic center dedicated to help children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples heal from the effects of trauma, life changing events or other difficult situations.

Luisa is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, proficient in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy,  Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and Brainspotting. She has provided trainings for therapists contracted by LA County Department of Mental Health and First Five LA. Luisa was  a speaker at the 14th Annual Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Conference (2014) sponsored by UC Davis Children’s Hospital, First Five LA, LA County DMH, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). She has been a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University, training master level students in the treatment of childhood trauma and at Chapman University, training master level students on providing culturally sensitive services to Latinos in the United States. In 2016, Luisa received the Bureau of Victim Services Commendation Award for “Helping Victims Become Survivors” from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.