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Business Therapy in Los Angeles for Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Business Owners
Business therapy in Los Angeles is a specialized form of therapy designed for entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners navigating the emotional, relational, and psychological demands of leadership. Oliver Drakeford Therapy is located in West Hollywood, California, and provides business therapy services to clients throughout Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills, Culver City, and Westwood.
Unlike traditional psychotherapy, which often focuses primarily on personal history, or executive coaching, which emphasizes performance and strategy, business therapy integrates licensed mental health expertise with a deep understanding of business systems, leadership stress, and high-stakes decision-making.
Working with a licensed therapist experienced in entrepreneurship offers a confidential, non-judgmental space to address burnout, chronic stress, imposter syndrome, work–life imbalance, leadership conflict, and major business decisions—helping leaders separate thoughts from feelings, set healthy boundaries, and make clearer, more sustainable choices for both their business and their life.
Who Business Therapy Is For (and When It Makes Sense)
Business therapy is designed for entrepreneurs, founders, executives, and business owners who are outwardly functioning well but privately carrying high levels of stress, responsibility, and emotional strain related to their work.
It is especially helpful when leadership pressure begins to affect mental health, relationships, physical well-being, or decision-making—such as during periods of burnout, rapid growth, conflict with partners or teams, major financial decisions, or a persistent sense of anxiety, self-doubt, or isolation.
Business therapy often makes sense when traditional psychotherapy feels too removed from the realities of running a business, yet executive coaching alone doesn’t provide enough emotional depth or psychological support.
Working with a licensed therapist who understands entrepreneurial systems allows leaders to address both the internal experience of leadership and the external demands of the business, helping them respond thoughtfully rather than react under pressure, clarify boundaries, and sustain long-term effectiveness without sacrificing their health or values.
What Happens in a Business Therapy Session?
Business therapy sessions follow a structured yet flexible process designed to help entrepreneurs and leaders make sense of complex emotional, relational, and business challenges without oversimplifying them. At Oliver Drakeford Therapy, sessions are guided by the GIFT Framework, a four-step approach that brings clarity, emotional insight, and practical movement—while respecting the realities of leadership and decision-making.
Gather Data
Coaching and therapy begins by gathering information about what is currently happening in your business and your life. This includes external facts—such as team dynamics, leadership challenges, financial pressure, or major decisions—as well as internal data like emotional reactions, stress responses, recurring thoughts, and physical cues. Rather than rushing toward solutions, this phase creates a clear, grounded picture of the system you are operating within, recognizing that feelings often contain valuable information rather than obstacles to overcome.
Identify Patterns
Once the data is gathered, we work together to identify patterns across thoughts, emotions, relationships, and behaviors. Many entrepreneurs notice recurring cycles—such as over-functioning, avoidance of conflict, decision paralysis, or chronic self-doubt—without fully understanding why they persist. By identifying these patterns through a systems-oriented lens, business therapy helps separate what belongs to you, what belongs to others, and what is being driven by anxiety rather than intention. This step builds self-awareness without blame or pathology.
Focus & Formulate
In this phase, we narrow the focus and formulate a clear understanding of what actually needs attention. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, we identify the most meaningful leverage point—whether that’s a boundary issue, a leadership conflict, an internal belief, or a decision that has become emotionally loaded. This formulation integrates emotional insight with practical realities, helping leaders think more clearly because they are better connected to their feelings, not despite them.
Task & Tools
The final step translates insight into action. Together, we identify specific tasks, practices, or tools that support change between sessions. These may include communication strategies, boundary-setting experiments, decision-making frameworks, or reflective practices tailored to your leadership role. Tasks are intentionally realistic and aligned with how entrepreneurs actually live and work—supporting progress without adding unnecessary pressure or performance expectations.
Gather Data
Identify Patterns
Focus & Formulate
Task & Tools
Issues Business Therapy Can Help With: Burnout, Leadership Stress, and Decision Fatigue
Business therapy helps entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners address the emotional and psychological challenges that arise from leading, deciding, and carrying responsibility over long periods of time. It provides a confidential, neutral space to explore business-related stressors while also developing practical ways to cope, communicate, and lead more sustainably. Working with a licensed therapist experienced in entrepreneurship allows leaders to process pressure without judgment, gain perspective on complex situations, and make decisions with greater clarity and emotional steadiness.
Common issues business therapy can help with include:
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Burnout, Chronic Stress, and Anxiety
Running a business often creates prolonged exposure to high stress, uncertainty, and responsibility. Business therapy helps leaders recognize early signs of burnout, regulate stress responses, and build emotional resilience. By learning how to respond rather than react under pressure, leaders can protect their health while remaining effective and present in their work.
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Leadership Stress and Emotional Isolation
Many entrepreneurs and executives lack a safe, confidential space to speak openly about fear, doubt, or frustration. Business therapy offers a neutral sounding board where leaders can think out loud, process emotional strain, and reduce the sense of isolation that often accompanies leadership roles.
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Communication and Relationship Challenges
Clear communication is essential in leadership, yet stress and anxiety often interfere with how messages are delivered and received. Business therapy supports leaders in improving communication with employees, partners, and clients by strengthening emotional awareness, listening skills, and clarity of expression—helping reduce misunderstandings and build trust.
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Conflict With Partners, Teams, or Clients
Disagreements are inevitable in business, but unresolved conflict can drain energy and stall progress. Business therapy helps leaders approach conflict more constructively by identifying emotional triggers, understanding relational dynamics, and responding with intention rather than defensiveness—turning conflict into an opportunity for growth and alignment.
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Difficulty Setting and Maintaining Boundaries
When work becomes all-consuming, boundaries often erode. Business therapy helps leaders clarify limits around time, availability, and responsibility, supporting healthier work–life balance without guilt. Stronger boundaries allow for more focused leadership and long-term sustainability.
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Imposter Syndrome and Persistent Self-Doubt
Even highly successful leaders can struggle with feeling inadequate or undeserving of their role. Business therapy helps identify and challenge self-critical beliefs, build self-trust, and develop confidence grounded in self-awareness rather than external validation.
Business Therapy vs. Traditional Psychotherapy: Choosing the Right Support
Both business therapy and traditional psychotherapy support mental health, but they differ in focus, scope, and how directly they engage with work-related challenges. Understanding these differences can help entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners choose the type of support that best fits their current needs.
Traditional psychotherapy typically focuses on emotional well-being, mental health symptoms, personal history, and relational patterns across the lifespan. It is especially well suited for addressing concerns such as depression, anxiety disorders, trauma, grief, or longstanding relationship difficulties. Sessions often explore how past experiences influence present emotions and behaviors, with less emphasis on real-time business decisions or leadership dynamics.
Business therapy, by contrast, is designed specifically for individuals whose primary stressors are connected to leadership, entrepreneurship, and the demands of running a business. While it is still provided by a licensed mental health professional, business therapy integrates psychological insight with an active understanding of organizational systems, decision-making pressure, and professional relationships. Sessions frequently focus on current challenges—such as burnout, leadership conflict, boundary issues, imposter syndrome, or high-stakes choices—while helping clients understand how thoughts, feelings, and relational dynamics influence their leadership style.
For some individuals, traditional psychotherapy is the right starting point—particularly when symptoms are primarily personal or unrelated to work. For others, business therapy is a better fit when emotional strain is tightly intertwined with professional responsibility and leadership roles. In many cases, the distinction is not about one being “better,” but about choosing support that matches the context in which stress, anxiety, or uncertainty is occurring.
Working with a therapist who understands both mental health and business systems allows leaders to receive psychological support without needing to translate or justify the realities of entrepreneurship—creating space for clarity, emotional regulation, and more sustainable decision-making.
Contact
8702 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA, 90069
262 - 509 -0210
Leadership Coaching Los Angeles: my office is centrally located in the heart of West Hollywood, close to Culver City, Beverly Hills and Westwood.
