We believe healing is not a luxury — it's a necessity.
TrueMe® Counseling is a therapy practice serving the greater California area, with offices in Culver City, Simi Valley, Westlake Village — and virtual sessions available throughout California. Since 2016, we have been helping individuals, couples, families, and children navigate life’s most difficult seasons and find their way through them.
We built TrueMe® on a simple but deeply held belief: that everyone deserves access to care that is personal, compassionate, and grounded in evidence. Not cookie-cutter advice. Not surface-level support. Real, meaningful therapy that meets you exactly where you are — and walks forward with you.
Our story
TrueMe® Counseling was formerly known as Edelman Counseling, a trusted therapy practice that has served individuals, couples, and families throughout California for nearly a decade. While our name has changed to better reflect our mission of helping clients discover and embrace their truest selves, our commitment to compassionate, evidence-based mental health care remains the same. If you were searching for Edelman Counseling, you’ve found the right place. Today, TrueMe® Counseling continues to provide expert therapy for anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, couples counseling, affair recovery, trauma, and personal growth, with the same therapists and offices in Westlake Village and Culver City, as well as secure online therapy for clients across California.
TrueMe® Counseling was founded by Marina Edelman, LMFT, whose journey into the mental health field was anything but conventional. Before earning her Master of Arts in Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute, Marina built a successful career as a financial analyst in a Fortune 500 company. Working in a high-pressure corporate environment gave her firsthand insight into chronic stress, burnout, workplace conflict, and the emotional challenges that often remain hidden behind professional success.
Those experiences shaped Marina’s belief that meaningful therapy begins with genuine understanding. Inspired to help others navigate life’s challenges with greater clarity and resilience, she opened her private practice in Westlake Village in 2006, laying the foundation for what would become TrueMe® Counseling.
More than ten years later, TrueMe® Counseling has grown into a multi-location practice serving clients throughout California. Marina has assembled a team of experienced therapists who share her commitment to personalized, evidence-based care.
How we work
Our approach is active, collaborative, and honest — from the very first session. We don’t just listen; we help you identify root causes, challenge the patterns that have kept you stuck, and build concrete tools you can use in real life.
Our therapists draw from a broad range of evidence-based modalities — including EMDR, EFT, CBT, somatic therapy, Imago Relationship Therapy, and more — tailoring each approach to the specific person, couple, or family in the room. Because healing is not one-size-fits-all, and neither is the path to get there.
At TrueMe®, therapy is never passive.
OUR CLINICAL APPROACH
How we treat you — and why it works
Most therapy fails because it’s generic. At TrueMe® Counseling, our therapists use a structured, evidence-based framework built around your specific needs, history, and goals — not a one-size-fits-all program. Whether you’re across the street or across the state, we’re here — in person or virtually throughout California.
Clinical Assessment & Root-Cause Mapping
We begin with a thorough clinical assessment — identifying your specific challenges, personal history, thought patterns, and underlying triggers. This isn't a generic intake form. It's the diagnostic foundation that everything else is built on.
Cognitive Restructuring
Using CBT and other evidence-based modalities, we help you identify and challenge the distorted thinking patterns keeping you stuck — whether that's anxiety, depression, low self-worth, or relationship difficulties. You learn to respond to life differently, from the inside out.
Behavioral Intervention
Insight alone doesn't create change — behavior does. We use structured techniques to help you break the cycles, habits, and avoidance patterns that have been holding you back. This is where meaningful, real-world transformation begins.
Personalized Planning
No two people are the same — and neither are their plans. Your therapist builds a roadmap tailored specifically to your needs, goals, and pace. Every session is purposeful, intentional, and designed to move you forward.
Progress Tracking & Plan Adjustment
Healing isn't linear — and your therapist knows that. Progress is regularly reviewed and your plan is adjusted in real time to ensure you're always moving in the right direction at the right pace for you.
Resilience Building & Long-Term Independence
The final stage equips you with a personalized, lifelong toolkit — regulation strategies, early warning recognition, and sustainable coping skills — so that when life gets hard, you have everything you need to handle it. The goal is independence, not dependency on therapy.
Meet Our Therapists
TrueMe® Counseling is a team of MFTs and PhDs with decades of combined clinical experience.
Marina Edelman
Founder | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #51009
Cheryl Baldi
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #39801
Dr. Rachel Chistyakov
Doctor of Psychology | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #150001
Sharalee Hall
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #135374
Chris Calandra
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #129479
Suzanne Perry
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #163151
Hayley Willis
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #163642
Jasmine Johnson
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #137660
Kylee Garfield
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #145651
Sean Palmer
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #161917
Visit Us!
Thousand Oaks Office
32107 Lindero Canyon Rd Thousand Oaks, California 91361
Culver City Office
5183 Overland Ave Culver City, CA 90230
Simi Valley Office
2380 Shasta Way, Suite C Simi Valley, CA 93065
Thousand Oaks Office
32107 Lindero Canyon Rd Thousand Oaks, California 91361
Culver City Office
5183 Overland Ave Culver City, CA 90230
Simi Valley Office
2380 Shasta Way, Suite C Simi Valley, CA 93065
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About TrueMe® Counseling
Honest answers from our therapists — before you take the first step.
Is TrueMe® Counseling the same practice as Edelman Counseling?
Yes. TrueMe® Counseling was formerly known as Edelman Counseling. While our name has changed, our mission and commitment to providing compassionate, evidence-based therapy remain the same. Our experienced team continues to serve individuals, couples, and families throughout California with the same high standard of care.
Why did Edelman Counseling change its name to TrueMe® Counseling?
What types of therapy does TrueMe® Counseling offer?
TrueMe® Counseling provides therapy for a wide range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, life transitions, self-esteem, grief, etc. We offer individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and other modes of therapy for clients across California (in person or online) using evidence-based approaches tailored to each person’s unique needs.
Where is TrueMe® Counseling located?
TrueMe® Counseling has convenient offices in Westlake Village and Culver City, California. We also offer secure online therapy throughout California, making it easy to receive professional mental health support from the comfort and privacy of your home.
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many people seek counseling to better manage anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, work stress, life transitions, or simply to gain greater self-awareness and emotional well-being. At TrueMe® Counseling, we’ll help you determine the best path forward and match you with a therapist who fits your goals and needs.
