Arlene Harder, MA, MFT

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

More factors have contributed to the reasons I've created Support4Change than you are likely interested in knowing, but here are a few to give you a flavor of who I am.

As a licensed psychotherapist for more than twenty years, I have developed a strong interest in several areas.

The first is in using healing imagery and reflective meditation techniques, which began years ago with a study of Psychosynthesis. Applying this holistic school of psychology to my own life and learning from my clients, I have concluded that these techniques reinforce the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual qualities that arise from deep within each one of us. When I later became certified by the Academy for Guided Imagery, I created a series of imagery tapes on such topics as resolving stressful relationships, forgiveness, letting go of the past and dealing with life-challenging and chronic illness.

It was from my work in this last area that I co-founded The Wellness Community (now the Cancer Support Community), a non-profit cancer support program for cancer patients and their families where I served on the board and led many workshops.

Out of that experience I co-founded and managed a non-profit online cancer support website, CancerOnline, as executive director (it is no long active).

Later I created three other websites: LearningPlaceOnline.com supporting viewers with information on a broad range of topics; ChildhoodAffirmations.com to help parents raise resourceful, resilient and compassionate children; and this site, Support4Change.com, to help people understand how they can achieve peace within themselves, their families, work, community and world. Tens of thousands of people visit my websites every month and it gives me great pleasure to know that I make a difference in their lives.

In addition to working online, I have written three books.

The first is Letting Go of Our Adult Children: When What We Do Is Never Enough, based on my personal experience and the experience of my clients. It is out of print but I have made it available online at no charge.

My second book, Ask Yourself Questions and Change Your Life, is based on the idea that when we know the questions to ask, we can find answers within ourselves rather than assume that someone else knows what’s best for us.

My third book, Healing Relationships is an Inside Job, is a major component of the Better Tomorrows Program for healing strained and broken relationships.

In all my work, which includes a stint as adjunct professor at Pepperdine University teaching family systems theory, I have believed that even when people have had an unfortunate childhood and live in less than optimal conditions, in every person there is love. In every person there is healing power. In every person there are sources for both serenity and vitality. In every person there is potential for beauty, wisdom and success.

Unfortunately, we don’t recognize those qualities within because we get distracted by problems in our work, in our relationships, and in the wider community. Focused on these issues, we are too busy to realize these qualities can help us solve the very problems that keep us from living fully, even in the face of difficulties.

In case you're interested in some personal facts, I will tell you that on January 2, 2010, I celebrated fifty years of marriage to a wonderful man who tolerates my rocky path to becoming a recovering perfectionist, have two sons and two daughters, two sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law, nine grandsons and three granddaughters. I enjoy all of them and all of my life very much!

If you have questions or comments you would like to send me, please use the contact us form. You can also reach me at:

Support4Change

2522 Boulder Road

Altadena, CA 91001

626-797-8914