By Michelle Edgar
As communities across the country mark Women’s History Month, Santa Monica is welcoming a new female-founded organization focused on one of the most urgent issues facing families today; children’s mental health.
The Child Therapy Center of Los Angeles, founded by licensed marriage and family therapist Kendra Delahooke, has opened a new location in Santa Monica, bringing a neuroscience-driven approach to pediatric therapy designed to support children ages two to eighteen. Delahooke, who bootstrapped the company from its founding to multi-million-dollar revenue in under five years, has built a practice centered on what she calls root-cause mental health care. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, CTC blends clinical therapy, neuroscience insights, and thoughtfully designed therapeutic environments to help children and families build long-term emotional resilience.
The center’s model pairs concierge-level care with a welcoming environment intentionally designed to feel safe and calming for children and parents alike, reflecting a broader shift in pediatric mental health toward whole-family support systems. “Every child has the ability to thrive with a mission is to make sure they have the tools and support to do it.”
Santa Monica was a natural next step for the growing organization. A large portion of CTC’s families already live on the Westside, and the new center places services closer to home for many local parents seeking specialized care. Delahooke has also become an emerging voice in the field of pediatric mental health, hosting a podcast and working to expand training and career pathways for therapists, while advocating for better outcomes for children nationwide.
The Santa Monica opening arrives at a time when awareness around youth mental health continues to grow, particularly as educators, parents, and policymakers look for solutions that address anxiety, developmental challenges, and the emotional impact of a rapidly changing world.
For Santa Monica families, the arrival of CTC represents more than a new therapy practice. It signals a growing recognition that supporting children’s emotional well-being is foundational to building healthy communities. With expansion plans underway in Manhattan Beach and Calabasas, the Child Therapy Center of Los Angeles is positioning Santa Monica as part of a broader movement to redefine pediatric mental health for the next generation.