About us
About AJ Rich
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Alfredo J (AJ) Fernandez Rich, MA, LMFT (he/him/his) is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #132818 with the Board of Behavioral Sciences in the State of California, is a licensed telehealth provider throughout the state of Florida, & graduated Magna Cum Laude from California Southern University with a Master of Arts in Psychology and is currently in pursuit of his PsyD (Doctorate in Psychology). AJ conducted his clinical training at Valley Community Counseling Clinic and Teen Line & was mentored in private practice by Marina Talley Chatterton. AJ was trained in EMDR trauma therapy by Philip Manfield, who himself was trained by the founder of EMDR, Francine Shapiro. Additionally, he has been fortunate to be trained directly by Sue Johnson (Emotionally Focused Therapy Founder), Harville Hendrix (Imago Couples Therapy Founder), Dan Siegel (Neurological Psychology), & many other talented master clinicians. AJ is a member of CAMFT and EMDRIA, professional membership organizations for psychotherapists. In addition to private practice, AJ is part of the licensed clinical staff at Coldwater Counseling Center in Los Angeles overseeing client intakes.
Before becoming a therapist, AJ spent nearly two decades climbing the corporate ladder before taking the leap and leaving to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a counselor. This unique perspective and changing course mid-way through life offers clients an outlook that is full of compassion and respect for each person’s individual journey that is unique to them. AJ thinks that is important for his clients to know that he has done, and is still doing, his own personal work in therapy after processing significant personal hurdles and challenges including personal EMDR therapy which prompted him to get trained.
About Zachary Metzger
aSSOCIATE SOCIAL WORKER | PSYCHOTHERAPIST
ZACH@AJRICHTHERAPY.COM | (646) 838-2836
Zach offers clients a safe, creative space to explore the challenges they’re confronting honestly and without judgement. He wants clients to experience their whole self in sessions; connecting their thinking and feeling self, their mind and their body, their passion and their purpose. With warm, focused attention, he works with his clients to examine the past and envisions the future while firmly rooted in the here and now.
After years of working on artistic pursuits in the world of acting and filmmaking, Zach decided to focus his interest in the human experience in a more direct way through clinical social work. He received his Masters in Social Work from NYU and has completed post-graduate training in Emotionally-Focused Individual Therapy (Level 1) and Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 2).
Zach brings a relational, holistic approach into sessions using trauma-informed techniques from Gestalt, EFT, and IFS therapies, which help clients maximize their natural capability to write the story they want to live. For work with couples, he works with Gottman Method techniques to help couples improve communication, navigate conflict, and repair past hurts.
Zach believes every life is a journey and a story. No matter where clients are in their story, there is always an opportunity to discover, to heal, and to grow.
Zach is employed and under supervision by AJ Rich, LMFT #132818.
About Karl Ljungquist
ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST | PSYCHOTHERAPIST
KARL@AJRICHTHERAPY.COM | (213) 866-5582
Karl considers it a privilege to be part of the journey of therapy with his clients, and to be a supportive witness to their growth. The dedicated space he offers, built on a strong therapeutic bond with his clients, represents an opportunity to explore new ways of being and relating that translates into productive changes in their lives.
Karl is motivated by a genuine curiosity about his clients’ unique experiences and excited to help them uncover inner sources of strength and resilience and to deepen their self-understanding. These discoveries can help them to face current challenges that may feel overwhelming and to get unstuck in parts of their lives that are not working the way they need or want.
He is particularly interested in working with individuals struggling with grief, loss, and trauma and the often complicated relational impacts of those lived experiences. As a former art world professional, he enjoys working with creative individuals and all the joys, challenges, and anxieties specific to life in the creative industries.
Karl completed his undergraduate education at Brown University and his master’s in clinical psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles. Working under the supervision of AJ Rich (LMFT #132818) he offers in-person sessions at his Silverlake office as well as remote sessions for all California residents; hybrid options are also available. If you are interested in working together, please reach out for a complimentary 20-minute consultation.
Choosing the right therapist can be challenging
Our team has experience working with adults, couples, & teenagers that struggle with anxiety, depression, communication, trauma, loss, chronic illness, and perhaps have reached an impasse with moving forward within a career, relationship, or other life events. Individuality and diversity are paramount and AJ Rich Family Therapy welcomes those that might be described as outside the box. Clients describe us as direct yet warm, empathetic, and understanding as you navigate together with us how to process the blocks that can obstruct your view and ability to move forward. Our clients can expect to explore life events from the past as patterns of behavior emerge in the here-and-now. As this self-awareness begins to develop, clients can often lead more joyful and connected lives. Our team caters each session according to that unique individual (or couple/family) using real-life examples and the material you provide to deepen your own understanding of YOU.
schedule a free consultation
Choosing the right therapist can be challenging, so schedule a free video consultation to see if you feel like the connection is there. There is no better time than now to get started.
