Charlotte Reznick PhD in Depth


Charlotte Reznick knows kids.

For over 30 years, they have been the central focus of her career, her studies, and her imagination. An internationally recognized child educational psychologist, Dr. Reznick has treated children from all walks of life, from the inner city to the privileged homes of Beverly Hills. She has guided her clients – preschool to college-age – through the predictable stresses of growing up and the unpredictable crises children too often confront, such as divorce, loss, and abuse. And she has done so with her signature style of heart, humor, and imagery.


Charlotte Reznick knows imagination.

It was a major theme in her life long before she even had a word for it. As a girl, she harnessed the power of imagination to face her own childhood challenges. As a therapist, it has been her key to unlocking the innate healing ability that exists in all children. Her secret is simple: kids learn best when they solve problems for themselves. Rather than give them answers, Dr. Reznick teaches kids mindful meditation and imagination tools to find their own truth. This knowledge can offer a child a lifelong source of inner strength and wisdom.

Responding with unerring intuition to children’s diverse needs, Dr. Reznick is best known for creating Imagery For Kids: Breakthrough for Learning, Creativity, and Empowerment. This highly insightful and compassionate coping skills program combines 9 practical tools originating from mindfulness, meditation, and imagery and enchanced by music, drawing, and journal writing. Kids as young as four and adolescents through the college years and beyond learn the inner skills necessary to reach their full capability, developing self-compassion and empathy, healing internal conflicts, and reducing overall stress.

Dr. Reznick has clinically tested these techniques with children, parents, and professionals in public and private schools, in her private practice, and in workshops and trainings around the globe. Years of success with thousands of patients confirm the value of her pioneering therapy program which is the basis for her first book.  This Los Angeles Times best seller, The Power of Your Child’s Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success (Penguin Random House) is a key resource for parents, therapists, doctors, and other child-care professionals. Transformative Imagery: Cultivating the Imagination for Healing, Change and Growth (Ed. L. Davenport, Jessica Kingsley) is a compilation of the work of pioneers in the world of imagery and Dr. Reznick was asked to write the chapter on youth, “Imagery As A Therapeutic Tool with Children.”

Her therapeutic mindful meditation CDs and MP3s, including The Nine Foundation Tools, Discovering Your Special Place, Creating a Magical Garden and Healing Pond, Climbing a Mountain of Success, The Power of Your Child’s Imagination Double CD from the book, and The Cave of Great Wisdom for parent support, have have helped thousands of families find peace, comfort, and healing within.


Charlotte Reznick knows meditation.

She has an over 30-year meditation practice and has studied various forms of meditation including Buddhism, Taoism, Kabbalah, Shamanism, Christianity, and Sufism. Her main personal meditation practice is a combination of Buddhism and Taoism and she has been studying with a Master Teacher since 1987. Dr. Reznick has combined her knowledge of meditation, mindfulness, and imagination to help kids cultivate the inner resources to calm and center themselves, develop and trust their intuitive wisdom, and build the competence and confidence to reach their highest potential.


Charlotte Reznick knows parents.

She has spent years educating them through articles, presentations, radio and television appearances. She was a guest expert on TVs Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley, ABC’s Let’s Talk Live, The View From the Bay, AM NorthwestABC News Now, NBC News, and Lifetime’s Growing Up Together with Leeza Gibbons, as well as numerous radio shows including National Public Radio, BBC News and Doctor Radio on SiriusXM. She is a frequent blogger for both The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.  And she is a quoted expert in such publications as Good Housekeeping, Parents, Nickleodeon’s Nick Jr. Magazine, Mothering Magazine, Parenting Magazine, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Toronto/ Vancouver Sun,  Charlotte Observer, USAToday.com, MSNBC.com, PsychCentral.com, PBSParents.com, WebMD.com, and many more key online publications.

Dr. Reznick has spoken directly to thousands of parents through talks and workshops at private and public preschools, middle and high schools, PTA meetings, and venues such as the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools and the First Natural Parenting and Family Expo in Los Angeles. As one parent wrote to “Dr. Charlotte”:

“…You have certainly made a difference in our daughter’s life. You have given her so many tools to use with which she can overcome life’s challenges...We are most grateful…for all the life’s lessons we have learned as a family because of you.”

And…

"Dr. Reznick is a wonderful insightful speaker. Not only does she share incredible helpful and insightful information, she also actively engages the audience through practical exercises. I truly enjoyed her talk and learned about helping kids as well as myself. Her CDs are incredible - my kids relax listening to "Discovering Your Special Place" CD which helps them to fall asleep."

Ysette Witteveen, Parent Education Co-Chair, Franklin Elementary School


An Expert among Experts.

Dr. Reznick is highly respected by fellow therapists, educators, and medical professionals who quote her, consult with her, and refer clients to her.

A popular speaker, she has conducted workshops, trainings, and presentations for 100’s of organizations in the United States and abroad, including TEDxStudioCityED, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC), Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, International Dyslexia Association, the National Association for School Psychologists, California Psychological Association, National Institute for the Clinical Application for Behavioral Medicine (NICABM), American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery, International Hypnotherapy Conference, Association of Humantistic Psychology, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, American Art Therapy Association, Academy for Guided Imagery, Association of Educational Therapists, Expressive Arts Therapy Summit, Los Angeles Unified School District, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Children’s Hospital San Diego, the International Association for Jungian Studies in London, England, the Asian Pacific Psychology Association in Seoul, Korea, and the Polarity Center in Zurich, Switzerland.

A few accolades from both organizers and participants at some of her trainings:

"Your knowledge, warmth, humor, and connection with the audience makes your presentations simply amazing! On behalf of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, I would like to extend a warm and sincere THANK YOU for your wonderful and memorable presentation."

Kathy Khoie, PhD,
LACPA's Brown Bag Lunch Series Coordinator

"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and fantastic seminar. I did not expect to be so moved by your demonstration of interventions but found them profoundly moving and helpful. I’ve recently lost my father in a terrible way and have been struggling with my grief. Your workshop brought me a great deal of peace and I can’t thank you enough for such an unexpected experience. You are fabulous!"

Rebecca O’Neill, LCSW

“Dr. Reznick's parent education expert talk was wonderful! Her warm and playful approach with children and adults alike is incredible to see. I loved hearing about her use of mindfulness and imagery to assist in building resiliency in children. Throughout her talk, Dr. Reznick was engaging and able to quickly establish rapport with all of the parents. We cannot wait to have her back.”

Rebecca E. Eberlin, PhD
UCLA Family Commons, Clinical Psychologist

She has written dozens of articles for such professional publications as The Journal of Imagery International, Alternative Journal of Nursing, Atlantis: The Imagery Newsletter, Women In Health Newsletter, American Board of Hypnotherapy Journal, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Journal of Divorce, and CASP Today (California Association of School Psychologists), and she co-authored a chapter in Influences on Human Development: A Longitudinal Perspective (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff Publishers).

Dr. Reznick is a licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP 1475) and a former Associate Clinical Professor at UCLA. She maintains a private practice in Los Angeles. She received her PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, where she was awarded Dissertation of the Year for her work on the long-term effects of divorce on adolescents. Dr. Reznick has been a member of the American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery, Association of Humanistic Psychology, Association of Transpersonal Psychology, Imagery International, Institute for Noetic Sciences, California Marriage and Family Therapist Association, and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association. She is on the advisory board of the Wildwoods Foundation and Children Mending Hearts, both organizations supporting hi-risk youth.


Thanks to the families of Nashuva in Los Angeles for painting these stones with words from their hearts.

What Kids Most Want and Need From Their Parents

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