Meet John Sloan, LMFT | Therapist in Pasadena, CA

You’re on the verge of something different—something new.

How I Work

Being human is poignant—the ache, the beauty, the mess. I’m grateful to be here for it, to witness it, to share in it, and to remind you that you’re not alone in it.

Most of the time, the things that are getting you into trouble today began as important, necessary survival strategies.

I’m not here to analyze you from a distance or talk in circles around the problem. I’ll be in the trenches with you—curious, present, and real. We’ll slow things down, track what’s happening in your body and nervous system, and get to know what’s actually going on under the surface. From somatic work to mindfulness to attachment theory and more, I’ll pull from what’s working for you in the moment—continuing to respond and adapt as we go.

These ways your younger self figured out how to get through are not flaws—they’re adaptations. And if you’re realizing those strategies aren’t serving you anymore…well, that’s where this work comes in.

I’ll be with you in the discomfort of not knowing: not knowing what you want, what comes next, or how the hell to even get there. My role is to be with you in the mess and help make meaning of it—not with rigid steps or a “solve it” mindset, but with empathy, honest feedback, and enough steadiness to help you feel something shift—and ultimately, find deeper fulfillment.

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My Background

Before becoming a therapist, I spent over two decades working in the entertainment industry. It was a fulfilling career in many ways—creative, challenging, and at times exhilarating. But eventually, something shifted. The work lost its meaning and I found myself burned out, disconnected, and questioning what really mattered. Those feelings, those questions, were the start of something new: a search for purpose, connection, and honesty.

Therapy—both as a client and clinician—has been a profound part of that journey. My own work over the past 15 years has shaped me in ways I could never have imagined. It's helped me show up more vulnerably in my relationships and in the world. I know firsthand how healing it can be to feel seen and supported over time, to have someone walk with you through the messiness, the breakthroughs, and everything in between. That experience is what led me here—to become a therapist and to offer others the kind of presence and partnership that helped change my life.

- MA, Clinical Psychology – Antioch University, Los Angeles
- BA, English Literature – Skidmore College
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – CA License #133552
- PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy), Levels 1 & 2
- PACT Case Analysis Lab (one-year training) with Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT
- Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), Levels 1 & 2
- Certified Grief Educator with David Kessler
- Grief Training Intensive – Our House Grief Support Center
- Psychodynamic Therapy – The Maple Counseling Center
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) – Dr. Christiane Wolf, Insight LA
- IFS Online Circle: Foundations of Internal Family Systems (in progress)
- California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

When you come to therapy, you’re going to feel things—that part isn’t optional.

But learning how to listen to those feelings—and what to do with them—is the catalyst for real change.

Our earliest experiences shape how we move through the world—how we fight, how we shut down, and how we try to stay safe. As we explore those old patterns (not reliving the past, but understanding it) we can begin to make sense of our own impulses and acknowledge the choices we have in the present. From there, you can experience the power of no longer reacting out of habit and instead responding with intention.

You don’t have to “earn” any sort of compassion to be here. You are deserving of kindness even when you don’t have it all together.