About
b. 1983, the younger of two, a second-generation Japanese American daughter. I grew up between Southern California and Arizona. I was a shy, tenderhearted, rather serious child.
I received my Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco. I have provided therapy to individuals, couples, and groups in a hospice agency, community clinic, and in private practice. I have several years of post-graduate training focused in psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory, which continues to be a deep interest for me.
In my day-to-day, I tend to be calm, gentle, and playful. I have a good sense of humor! I think all of these qualities inform my sensibility as a therapist with both adults and children.
Outside of work, I enjoy Buddhist writing/practice and like to cook, read, and rest. ✌️
Credentials/Education
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, CA 16843
- Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, CA 127880
- M.A. Counseling Psychology, University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
- Post-Graduate Training Program, The Psychotherapy Institute (Berkeley, CA)
- Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program (in progress), San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (San Francisco, CA)
Services for Adults and Couples/Dyads
Therapy with adults
The adults I work with tend to be people who want to get to the heart of their persistent dissatisfaction, understand themselves more clearly, come to terms with their losses, and live more freely in their relationships with other people. I have worked with clients experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief, dread, chronic stress, and developmental trauma. My therapeutic style is relaxed, relational, and good-humored. My work tends to be flexible and focused on long-term growth.
Therapy with me can look like...
- Developing a trusting, lively, and supportive working relationship
- Saying things you haven’t said out loud before
- Playing with alternative points of view + helping you notice aspects of your situation that you don’t see
- Exploring feelings + tensions that get in the way of our understanding each other
- Examining the social, cultural, and historical forces that (have) shape(d) your life and identities
- Connecting you to outside resources that may support your growth
Therapy with couples/dyads (pairs of two)
I offer relationship therapy to couples and dyads, including romantic partners, adult parent/child pairs, siblings, and close friends. By the time two people come to therapy, there is often a long history of hurt and disconnection between them. My goal in working with pairs is to help restore hope, trust, and understanding and hold a place for each person's deeper emotional needs to be spoken and heard.
Services for Children, Adolescents, and Families
Therapy with young children (ages 0-5), caregivers, and families
Early childhood lays the foundation upon which our sense of self, our relationships, and our expectations of the world are built. Intervening in problems during these crucial years can help young children avoid later emotional strife and develop the skills to have healthier, more fulfilling lives as adults. I aim to support young children get back on their developmental track and to help caregivers cultivate relationships with their children that serve as a lifelong, mutual source of love and support.
Sessions may involve collaborative meetings with a child and their caregiver(s) along with 1:1 work with a child.
Therapy with children and adolescents
Later childhood and adolescence are tender and dramatic periods full of challenge, change, and growth. The young people I work with may struggle with a variety of life problems, such as anxiety, questions about their identity, learning challenges, family strife, and difficulty understanding or managing their emotions. I aim to provide safe conditions for a young person to develop trust in themselves and help them find and recognize their own authentic language for how they feel and what they think.
Depending on a child’s age, developmental stage, and interests, our sessions will involve talk therapy, creative expression, play, skill-building, or some combination thereof.
Approach
Theoretical Approach
I primarily work from a psychodynamic/psychoanalytic perspective and also integrate cognitive, body-based, and mindfulness-based interventions as appropriate. I have additional training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with couples and Child-Centered Play Therapy with young children.
Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Therapy
In-depth talk therapy that helps you explore yourself, your relationships, and how your past is alive in your present experience
Psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy is concerned with the unconscious, or the ways in which you're unknown to yourself. It aims to help you gain insight into the roots of your problems, which can in turn open up the self-awareness and freedom for you to make new choices. In this work, we will also explore our therapeutic relationship itself and what it has to teach us about the patterns + challenges you experience in other relationships in your life.
It can be hard to summarize this approach, but I think this passage offers a nice start:
"It has been my experience that many people come to the first session of therapy with something specific to start—'I don’t know how to handle my teenage daughter,' 'I am having a lot of conflict with my partner and am not sure whether to stay in the marriage,' 'I can’t seem to have any kind of life worth living beyond the death of my son.' But at some level, they are seeking therapy because they have come to the realization that rather than having a symptom, or even being had by a symptom, they themselves are the locus of their concern. They want more for themselves and of themselves in their lives. This is the province of the psychodynamic or depth-oriented psychotherapies. It is lofty, exciting, and very human." (Teri Quatman, Essential Psychodynamic Psychoherapy: An Acquired Art)
Play Therapy
"I'm here. I hear you. I care. I understand. I delight in you." (The "be-with" attitudes of Child-Centered Play Therapy)
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach that helps children express their feelings, thoughts, and inner experiences through their native language of play. Using pretend, toys, games, and creative activities, children can communicate and work through emotional challenges in a safe and supportive environment. A play therapist observes and interprets the child's play to understand their inner world and provides appropriate reflection and guidance to the child. This process helps children cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and a sense of confidence in their abilities in a way that feels natural and engaging.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples/Dyads
"Underneath all the distress, partners are asking each other: Can I count on you, depend on you? Are you there for me? Will you respond to me when I need, when I call? Do I matter to you? Am I valued and accepted by you? Do you need me, rely on me?” (Sue Johnson, founder of EFT)
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples focuses on deepening emotional bonds and resolving persistent cycles of conflict within relationships. It helps partners understand and respond to each other's emotions more sensitively and explore the underlying attachment patterns that shape their interactions. EFT aims to create an attuned, present-moment-focused space where partners can express vulnerability and rebuild trust. By having new, reparative experiences together, couples can create more harmonious relationships and find new solutions to old problems.
Locations
I provide psychotherapy to children, adolescents, adults, and couples/dyads through my private practice in Oakland, CA.
445 Bellevue Ave Suite 6B
Oakland, CA 94610
I provide psychotherapy to young children (ages 0-8) and caregivers & families of young children through The Center for Early Childhood Connections in Albany, CA. I work in this office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday mornings.
The Center for Early Childhood Connections
1009b Solano Avenue,
Albany, CA, 94706
I offer telehealth psychotherapy to adolescents, adults, and couples/dyads via Zoom video or phone.
Fees
Fees (private practice)
- I charge $160 per 50-minute session for individual children, adults, and adolescents.
- I charge $180 per 60-minute session for adult couples/dyads and families.
August 2024: All of the reduced fee slots in my private practice are full.
I do not accept insurance. I can provide superbills if your insurance provider offers reimbursement for out-of-network providers. I encourage you to verify that your insurance plan includes benefits for out-of-network mental health/behavioral health services before we begin working together.
If you are interested in learning more about services & fees at The Center for Early Childhood Connections, please visit this page to reach out.