Barbara Lampert, Ph.D., MFT

About Me

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My passion is dogs. I really do love them all. For me, they are the magic on this planet. I see one, and something happens to me inside. They warm my heart, make me smile. I’ve had dogs most of my life and hope to have at least one by my side always. I love other people’s dogs too. If I could, I’d have a farm full of dogs. My lifestyle just doesn’t allow for that, but I can always dream. Dog energy is the best!

 

I’m a psychotherapist, a Marriage Family Therapist, and I specialize in relationships. I’ve been licensed for over thirty years, though actually I’ve been listening to and helping people (informally, of course) for a lot longer. For me, it’s my natural calling. I can’t even imagine doing any other work. It makes me feel good to help someone solve the riddles—or whatever you want to call them—of their lives. I love my work and hope to keep doing it forever.

 

Before becoming a psychotherapist, I held many kinds of jobs, one of which was as a flight attendant for United Airlines for nine years, which made it possible for me to travel the world.

Mostly, I took these jobs to put myself through school, which I loved so much that I collected two masters’ degrees—in psychology and sociology—and a doctorate  in medical sociology.

 

After I’d been a flight attendant for about three years, a soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend gave me a dog as a Christmas present. Simon, a Cairn Terrier mix. I think the boyfriend thought that giving me the dog might keep us—the boyfriend and me—together. But it had the opposite effect. I was so enamored with Simon that it became easy to break up with the boyfriend, finally. We’d been breaking up for about a year.

 

After twelve years of living in San Francisco, Simon and I moved to Malibu, California (I’m originally from West Los Angeles.). We lived in an apartment right on the beach while I continued working on my Ph.D. It was there I met David (brilliant computer science M.I.T. graduate), whom I would eventually marry. One of the first things David and I found we had in common was our love of dogs.

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Gardening is also a love of mine. I’ve landscaped our property, which is on almost an acre, and until recently have watered it by hand. Though now we have an irrigation system, which is a welcome relief. I see my garden as a work of art and garden as much as possible in my free time. I’m not formally trained in it, but I seem to know what I’m doing. I think I got my green thumb from my mother, who also was an avid gardener.

 

I love being in nature. The miracle of growth, the changing landscape, the beauty. Gardening brings me such satisfaction and peace of mind.

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