About

ilona Varo is a Hungarian born psychotherapist practicing in Los Angeles. Her background in the beauty and entertainment industry, as well the healing arts, informs her unique psychological approach. 

ilona's practice focuses on women's issues which arise from adolescence through adulthood. She focuses on topics involving body image, disordered eating, self-hatred, self-sabotaging behaviors, anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, trauma and more.

ilona is trained in EMDR and works with somatic modalities to help clients create peace and calm in their bodies. A connection and awareness to the mind-body is crucial in healing and transformation. Mind-Body awareness improves resiliency, stress management, healthy self-regulation, appropriate coping skills, joyful relationships, etc. It brings attention to the somatic experiences of mental health issues.  

A lot of mental health behaviors are a result of individuals being detached from their bodies, at war with themselves, storing trauma, and the struggle to rationalize our biological responses. "It's not always logical, it's sometimes biological.” 

ilona helps provide clients with practical tools so that they can improve their awareness of behaviors/thoughts/reactions which bring them distress. Practical tools and collaborative practices ensure that clients can learn to cope in healthier and more effective ways. 

ilona is truly passionate about women's health, resiliency, and teaching effective/practical coping skills. She believes everyone is worthy of healing, and that it is possible to find peace in our mind/body experiences. Ilona draws on the experiences of her past to inform her work. Being a dancer in her early years, she is very aware of the importance of body posture, breath work, and movement. Emotions and memories are stored in our bodies, affecting how we show up in the world on a daily basis. It is vital to learn about how you express yourself, how you experience your feelings, and how that impacts your behavior/relationships. How can you create change unless you first take a non-judgmental look at yourself, learn about why you do what you do, and then decide what you would rather be/do/have?

How we show up in our minds, bodies and relationships has a huge impact on our emotional wellbeing.

Education

Phillips Graduate Institute  |  Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy

University of California, Irvine  |  B.A. in Psychology & Social Behavior  |  Minor in Management