We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Malena Ally. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Malena below.

Malena, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents helped me to develop a healthy self-esteem and gain protective factors to manage life stressors. From the time I was very young my parents involved my sisters and I in household chores. I grew up on farm land in Washington state, so there was always a lot of work to do outside: Gardening, weeding, picking fruits and vegetables, hauling hay, as well as general household chores like emptying the dishwasher and vacuuming. We didn’t get allowance….it was just expected that everyone chip in and help because we are all a part of the family. They probably weren’t aware of the research at the time, but we know that involving kids in household chores from a young age helps to develop empathy, work ethic, and contributes to healthy self-esteem. Kids develop a sense of responsibility in the home and realize that others depend on their contribution. As I got older, the tasks became more complex (like typing reports with medical terminology for my father’s physical therapy business) or more difficult (lifting hay bales and seeing that I could lift more bales than my aging grandfather). I felt needed and useful. I also had my own interests and my parents supported me in those: Creating my own recipes or putting on a play as a child to taking art classes, pursuing club volleyball, or volunteering in a homeless shelter as I got older. I had the confidence and self-esteem to work through tough situations as a kid and young adult and I knew that I could persevere through any challenges.

We also spent a lot of time outside or in nature – hiking, boating, camping, or at the beach. We know that time outdoors helps to manage stress and contributes to a sense of a community and I continue to incorporate that into my life now. I try to get outdoors daily, whether that’s hiking, walking my dog, or gardening with my 4-year-old.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m an Adolescent and Young Adult Therapist in Encino. I see clients online and in person for help in managing anxiety and depression. I initially went to school to be a teacher but found myself much more interested in my psychology classes. When I started doing my practicums and student teaching, I saw a lot of students struggling with social and emotional concerns (i.e. bullying, abuse or neglect, homelessness, and other stressors). This prevented them from being fully present and able to access the curriculum. That’s when I decided to go to graduate school for social work. Students couldn’t be successful academically or socially if they were hungry, stressed, or didn’t feel safe.

I worked as a School Social Worker for 8 years until I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. I started in a group practice and lead 6-8 social skills groups per day before I started my own practice. I still work with adolescents, but also really enjoy working with college students and young adults. I feel very passionate about helping young people to manage the stressors in their life, whether those stressors be at school, with peers, at home, or their own beliefs and thoughts that they are battling. Coming from a school background, I’m able to help students access services and supports in the school setting as well. I also frequently work with families because I want young people to utilize their natural supports (like family and friends).

A lot of my clients experience social anxiety and worry about judgement from others. They find it hard to reach out to their friends or family for help when they are struggling. I want to help strengthen that bond with loved ones and work towards healing any attachment trauma, if possible. Parents are often dealing with their own traumas and struggles – as well as just the stress of parenting – so my goal is to help parents understand their adolescent and connect to them more deeply.

Coming from a school background means I also love to run groups – as that was the base of my experience for the first 10 years of my career! A lot of teens are nervous to join a group but find that it can be so validating and healing to hear other teens who struggle with some of the same things. They also learn what it feels like to get support from peers and feel included, while gaining practical skills.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Moving from Chicago to Los Angeles was a major pivot for me! I had only worked in the schools for my entire career and I knew I still wanted to work with students, but I wanted to focus on more after-school programming. I applied to so many companies and agencies running after-school programs or supporting underrepresented students in college prep. I didn’t get a single job. Some companies asked why I would want to work with them and pointed out that I was “overqualified.” I didn’t think so – I was trying to pursue my passion! Eventually, I got a job with a group practice which lead me into private practice work. Being in the social work field, you don’t typically think of private practice but that’s where my path lead and I’m so glad it did!

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Yes! I probably wouldn’t pursue an undergraduate degree in education, but I can appreciate that knowledge and experience. It certainly helped me learn how to lesson plan and teach, which is useful when I’m running groups. While I’m glad I don’t work for a school district anymore, that also provided invaluable experience in crisis response, suicide assessment, skills in running therapy groups, and knowledge about special education accommodations.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.MalenaAlly.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malena_therapy/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MalenaAllyTherapy/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/malena-ally-lcsw-encino