Hello and Welcome to my website!

I am Louella Coronel Tiamzon Chapman, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

As far as I am concerned, the discovery of mirror neurons behooves us to believe that it is the interplay between nature and nurture that shapes who we become.

Mirror neurons are brain cells that fire when people watch someone else perform a specific task. This may explain concepts or phenomenon such as empathy, learning and mind-reading. Deficits in this brain system may affect these abilities negatively, but if exposed (Better yet – immersed) in environments where they receive lots of empathy or mirroring, pro-social behaviors improve. Daniel Siegel, MD, author of the revolutionary book “The Developing Mind”, once stated that “You may be predisposed… but you are not predetermined”. He emphasized the role of the environment in wiring and re-wiring the developing brain. Nurturing experiences foster more connections among the neurons whereas exposure to consistent stressful situations prune connections. Up to our early 20’s, the brain goes through a massive maturation process and our experiences and the memories associated with them become the blueprint of future responses to what life presents to us. Needless to say, early experiences “program” us…. Fortunately, the brain is a dynamic organ that can change and re-wire through persistent care.

It’s also been discovered that the part of the brain that’s involved in physical pain is the same part that’s involved in social rejection. So overall well-being is always anchored in healthy relationships.

So nurture can influence nature.

I’ve been influenced by this simple truths and have integrated the following techniques into my work:

Mind Emotions Brain

Relationships Culture

Please take a moment to visit the pages of my website, including my blog (Reflections page) to get to know me and my style or philosophy better. And if you feel I can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time.

“I feel very fortunate to have found a profession that I am passionate about and that is so meaningful. This is my art as in the sessions, at each moment I summon the very best of me and decide which issue, which dynamic, which look, which word, which voice, which demeanor, which pain, which joy… to connect with to facilitate growth and healing”

- Louella Chapman, LMFT

I am in my early 50′s. I earned my Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in 1994. I also have a School Counseling Credential from Phillips Graduate Institute.

I have had several years of experience as a School Counselor which gave me a very good understanding of child development and conditions that optimize learning. I have been in a mixed marriage for 20 years and mother to a biracial child.

Prior to getting interested in Psychology, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics which led me to a career in Programming and Systems Analysis in the corporate environment for about a dozen years. This stint honed my analytical skills and systems-thinking style which I use to conceptualize my cases these days: “Personal history wrapped in (rich and multi-dimensional) CONTEXT”.

Professional Organizations:

-Clinical Member of the state level organization of CAMFT

-Past President (2009-2010) of the Long Beach-South Bay Chapter of CAMFT

-Member, International Family Therapy Association

Specialized Trainings:

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Neurofeedback

Collaborative Family Law

Mediation

Bowen Family Systems

Teaching Parenting: The Positive Discipline Way

Lou Tice’s “Imagine 21 – Fast Track To Change”