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Testimonials

What Our Clients Are Saying

The following are testimonials from some of my former and current clients who wanted to vouch for my work on this website:
(I removed all initials and names to protect their confidentiality)

“I came to Dr. Pelka a little over a year ago in search of a safe place to explore long repressed sexual trauma.  My particular trauma dealt with sexual abuse within my family, and resulted in trust issues in my relationships as well as embarrassing, ovewhelming sexual anxiety.   I had buried these memories for over 20 years, without ever having felt comfortable or safe enough to share my experiences.  Dr. Pelka provided me a safe environment and a trusted ear, where I could for the first time speak the words of my abuse.  She always listened, never judged, and provided me with great insight into myself.   I can never change what happened, but Dr. Pelka helped me change how it affects me today.   It really does help to talk to someone who understands what your going through, and makes sure that you leave feeling better than when you arrived.  One hour is all takes to realize how powerful and positive of a change this can make in your life.  No one but you can decide if you need to seek therapy, but I wholeheartedly suggest Dr. Pelka if your considering getting on a path back to mental or sexual health.”

“My wife and I began working with Suzanne in 2007. After 15 years, our relationship was beginning to suffer from intimacy issues, stemming from anxiety relating to buying a home and starting a family. In short, we weren’t quite on the same page and the discordance seemed to be increasing. Suzanne’s naturally compassionate and results-based approach helped us as a couple immensely, and within a year or so, we had started on (what turned out to be) a long road towards having our first baby. We continued to work with Suzanne as we struggled with the emotional roller-coaster of fertility treatments and now have our first child. I’m certain we would have never gotten here without Suzanne. We’re very fortunate to have found her.”

“I initially came to Dr. Pelka to address some issues with my own sexuality that I was experiencing. Not only did we work through those things during our time together, but we also ended up focusing much more on other issues that came to light. We discussed my role as a “parental child” and how that has affected the relationship I have with both of my parents, who are now divorced. We worked through my father’s recent coming out, and attempted to reconcile my feelings with that. We talked about issues in my relationship with my now-husband, and issues that had stemmed from previous relationships. We even touched on my anxiety and phobias, especially in regards to flying. It was an emotional and difficult process, with many feelings coming to the surface throughout our sessions. Ultimately, however, I came out of our time together with a clarity of mind and new perspectives that allowed me to improve the relationships I had with both my parents and my husband. Dr. Pelka was understanding, thoughtful, and perceptive, but would also say the difficult things when they needed to be said. I’m still a work in progress, but the foundation of knowledge and strength that Dr. Pelka gave me has continued to benefit me greatly.”

“With Dr. Pelka’s knowledge and guidance, she carefully helped me work through very old, painful and traumatic experiences in a calm and restorative way. I can honestly say that I am a happier, healthier and much more centered person thanks to finding Dr. Pelka.”

“My husband and I sought therapy Dr. Pelka when we were literally on the brink of divorce.  We had a then 8-month old daughter and a very infrequent sex life.  We were able to have some very difficult conversations in therapy and have made many changes.  After many months of therapy, we feel like we have our marriage back again.  It’s not perfect but it is much better.  We continue to see Dr. Pelka to maintain the gains we have made.  I have even recommended Dr. Pelka to a few of my friends who told me they were having trouble in their relationships.”

“My husband and I started seeing Suzanne because we needed to do some couples therapy as a part of healing from his sex addiction.  My husband and I have our own individual therapists that we see regularly but we needed the help of a couple’s therapist to bridge remaining divides.  Suzanne has been an awesome support.  I feel like she really gets both of us and helps us both with our communication, our intimacy but especially helping us to open up about our feelings and process all we have been through the past two years.  We are thinking of coming back to her for family therapy with our kids when the time is right.  Thank you Suzanne!”

“Dr. Pelka changed my life. She helped me address misrepresentations I had about sex and my vagina. Despite a healthy and intimate relationship with my husband I irrationally believed I was unable to have “normal” sex. I also had a paralyzing fear of gynecological exams despite giving vaginal birth to two healthy children. Dr. Pelka helped me confront a long repressed medical trauma, explore the role of my upbringing in my relationship with sex, and interrogate the (mis)representations of previous relationships. Through EMDR and Dr. Pelka’s insightful guidance I was able to work through and reappraise painful memories that ultimately allowed me to have compassion for the little girl I was when I experienced medical trauma and the naïve adolescent I was when I first struggled with sex. Through this work I was able to liberate myself of these secrets that burdened me. This change was the key ingredient that allowed me to successfully have and enjoy sex with my husband and to complete a gynecological exam without fear and anxiety. I attribute this powerful shift in my life to Dr. Pelka, who is a creative, intuitive and accepting therapist. I am so grateful for our time together. I highly recommend her to anyone.”

“As someone who is paid to read, write and analyze information, I always felt like I had control over my mind and my emotions, and that no one could possibly understand the way my brain worked better than I did. I didn’t think I needed therapy because I didn’t think there was anything anyone could tell me about myself that I didn’t already know. But like many people, I reached a time in my life when I felt like I was losing control of the mind and emotions I thought I had a grip on. I was scared and overwhelmed and one of my friends recommended Dr. Pelka. Working with her is nothing like what I expected. She is able to unpack my own train of thought and offer an entirely different take on situations I think I can see from multiple perspectives. She has taught me to be patient with myself, to recognize my own limitations as well as my strengths, and to be a better friend and colleague. She has become one of my most trusted confidants, a person who’s perspective I value more than most others. I don’t get to see her as often as I used to now, but everytime I do I feel centered and focused and ready to tackle anything. I recommend her to anyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious or afraid, or simply to learn more about themselves.”

“I have been addicted to pornography practically my whole life.  Dr. Pelka helped me see that my addiction was hurting my real sex life as it led to erectile dysfunction which caused me great anxiety. This in turn kept me feeling ashamed and self-conscious and so I didn’t have many real sexual relationships.  It was a vicious cycle.  I have worked hard at my recovery and I now have a relationship that I feel good about.  I am so glad I went to therapy.  I highly recommend Dr. Pelka to anyone!”

“At 42 years old, I had been in very few romantic relationships in my life and I was still technically a virgin.  I had tried many times to have sex with men but I was physically unable to due to vaginismus.  Of course this caused me a great deal of shame.  I don’t exactly understand how therapy with Dr. Pelka worked over the past six months but it did.  I am now able to have intercourse and I am in the beginning of the first serious relationship of my life.  I am so grateful to her.”

“I started seeing Dr. Pelka to help me understand why I had no real interest in having sex with my boyfriend of several years.  It was a scary time and I really felt broken.  Dr. Pelka did EMDR with me and other things during our meetings that ultimately really helped me.  I am more aware of my sex drive now – of what helps me and what turns me off.  I got more out of therapy with her than just the sex therapy that I expected (not that I knew what to expect).  Working with Dr. Pelka has really helped me in all kinds of ways.  My relationship is much better, my sex life is better, even my career is better!”

“I have been seeing Dr. Pelka for over a year now to help me in my recovery from sex addiction.  She has been my first real therapist and has been an enormous support to me.  It has been a difficult year for me and my wife.  I don’t think I could have got through it without Dr. Pelka’s care and guidance.  I didn’t believe that anyone who really knew what I had done in my marriage could be non-judgemental, helpful and caring, but Dr. Pelka has been that for me.  To my great surprise, I felt comfortable opening up to her and really let her guide me through this process.  I have 14 months of sobriety and my life and my marriage are healing and getting better all the time.  Two years ago, I could not have possibly imagined that my life could be this good again.  I feel free of the weight of living a double life.  I feel free of all the secrets and lies I used to live with on a daily basis.  I urge anyone struggling with any kind of addiction or other personal problem to see Dr. Pelka.  She has been an anchor to me throughout very rough waters.”

“I realized that I was stuck in a bad pattern of falling in and out of love.  When I would reach the 3-6 month mark of a relationship, I would find fault with my boyfriend or some reason to need to break-up.  I was finally in a relationship that I didn’t want to sabotage.  I realized with Dr. Pelka’s help that I was a love addict.  I have worked hard to stay present and IN this current relationship.  I have been to many therapists throughout my life but I wish I would have found Dr. Pelka sooner.  Dr. Pelka is a warm, very understanding really brilliant therapist.  I love coming to see her.  Therapy with her has improved not only my ability to stay in my relationship but it’s improved nearly every aspect of my life.”

“Before I came to Dr Pelka, I could not maintain a relationship for more than a month. Sex was physically painful and with that pain came the shame of inadequacy. I read a testimonial on her website and thought that’s like me. I had been in therapy before, and it was fine but the problem was never solved. Dr Pelka is a true expert at what she does and within a few months I was in a healthy relationship with an amazing man. A relationship that has lasted over 2 years now. To say the work I did with Dr Pelka was life changing seems almost like an understatement. I was at what I thought was a point of no return and she managed to help me to turn it all around, and for that I will always be so incredibly grateful.”

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1849 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 610
Los Angeles, CA 90025