Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD

The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

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Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD's style

Why Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD chose to be in the helping profession

I was never very good at school. Nothing really stuck until the day I sat in a 10th grade introduction to psychology class and something in me woke up. The subject matter spoke to me like nothing had before, and suddenly I found myself deeply curious about why people hurt the way we do, how our experiences shape us, and what helps us heal. Looking back, it also made sense because I was always the friend people found their way to, the one they trusted with the parts of themselves they did not show anyone else. I think that goes back to my own childhood, where I learned to hold other people's feelings before I really understood my own.

What started as an intuitive calling in high school evolved over the years into something much more purposeful. I do this work because I believe that healing parts of one person has the potential to heal the people around them too, whether that means a marriage, a family, a friendship, or even a whole community, one life at a time. So much of the pain in this world gets passed down without anyone meaning to pass it down, and I want to help interrupt that cycle. Much of my work is centered around helping men and fathers become the men and fathers they needed but did not have, so that the next generations can inherit a little more wholeness and a little less pain. For me, therapy is not just about feeling better in the present. It is also about understanding ourselves deeply enough to make different choices and create something healthier for the people who come after us.

Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD's approach

My approach is integrative. I draw from CBT, psychodynamic therapy, attachment theory, and experiential methods, but at the core of everything I do is the understanding that the integrity of the relationship built between client and therapist is the single strongest predictor of whether therapy actually works. I lead with deeper relational and insight-oriented work, and any skill-building I bring in, whether that is communication tools or structured work around anxiety or avoidance, gets layered on top of that foundation, not in place of it. I want therapy to be a space that is safe and trustworthy enough for a person to effectively experiment within. It is a place where you can try on new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving and begin to notice how those changes ripple out into the way you show up in your life outside the room.

A lot of the men I work with are self-proclaimed people-pleasers at their core. They are often quick to take responsibility for other people's feelings, afraid of disappointing anyone, and out of practice with asking for what they need or holding a boundary. The relationship we build together becomes the place where that starts to shift. In working with me, you will feel challenged yet unconditionally accepted, and I believe it is the combination of those two qualities that creates the conditions for lasting change. My role is not simply to give you tools or tell you what to do, but to help you understand yourself more deeply, experiment with new ways of being, and co-create changes that can actually carry into the rest of your life.

What you can expect from sessions with Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD

The path starts with you teaching me all about what it's like to be you. Where you've been, where you are now, and where you want to get to by the end of the therapy journey. This ends up being very important work because it helps clients organize their life experiences and begin to make sense of what might not have made sense before. I want to understand not only what brings you into therapy, but also the experiences, relationships, patterns, and struggles that have shaped how you got here. From there, we work together to co-create a treatment plan, which is ultimately a set of steps we need to take together and areas we need to focus on to take you from point A to point B.

That treatment plan tends to evolve as you get to know yourself and your struggles more deeply and begin to reprioritize your needs. Our time spent together is co-led, with me directing when necessary and pulling back when not. When I do direct the work, I aim to be transparent in explaining the reasons why I am suggesting a particular direction or therapy activity, so that you understand not only what we are doing, but why we are doing it. Each session is a continuation of the one that came before it, making therapy with me more like an ongoing conversation rather than a series of separate, self-contained visits. You can also expect me to ask you for feedback about how the work is going as we continue to fine-tune the process together. I want therapy to be something we build together, with enough structure to move the work forward and enough flexibility to respond to what you actually need.

Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD's experience working with the Jewish community

My Jewishness has always been and continues to be an integral part of my identity. Moving out of Israel with my family at 6 years old, I had to find a way to cling to Judaism in a country where Jews only make up 2% of the population. Over the years, that connection has taken many different forms. From attending Hebrew school to becoming a teacher's assistant at Temple Judea's Hebrew school, to staffing seven Birthright trips, to co-leading a confirmation class at Congregation Beth Israel with Rabbi Jordie Gerson, I have continued to find ways to stay connected to Judaism and to the Jewish community. Supporting numerous Jewish clients in my private practice over the years has also given me the opportunity to understand how meaningful and personal that connection can be for each individual.

Even my academic work has reflected this part of who I am. I completed my dissertation on the experiences of rabbis who do rabbinical counseling, which allowed me to explore the intersection of Judaism, counseling, and the ways people seek support within their communities. My Jewishness is not something I separate from the rest of who I am, and I understand that for many clients, their values, traditions, community, and relationship with Judaism can be an important part of their emotional lives. I look forward to continuing to be in service to the Jewish community in my capacity as a psychologist. My hope is to support the clients I work with in living a life that is in line with their highest values, while creating a space where all parts of who they are can be brought into the room and understood.

Dr. Ori Lidor, PsyD's Book Recommendation Zone

• The Four Agreements
  A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
• The Mastery of Love
  A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship
• A Return to Love
  Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

Approaches

• Attachment-based
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Existential
• Motivational Interviewing
• Person-Centered Therapy
• Positive Psychology
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Sex Therapy
• Trauma Focused Therapy

Concerns

• Anxiety
• Bereavement & Grief
• Codependency
• Dating
• Depression
• Divorce/Separation
• Emotion regulation
• Insomnia & sleep issues
• Life purpose and meaning
• Money & Relationships
• Panic attacks/panic disorder
• Parenting
• Relationships
• Religious Identity Issues
• Sexual health & dysfunction
• Stress management
• Transitions & Change
• Trauma

8 years in practice

Licenses

• Psychologist by California 2017-present . License number 29654
• Psychologist by Texas 2024-present . License number 40354

Degrees

• PsyD by Alliant International University-San Diego 2015

Affiliations

• Division 51-Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities by American Psychological Association Present

Average costs per session

$250

Payment Methods

• Free consultation
• Credit Card