Acknowledgements
& referrals
Every person here has earned my genuine gratitude, and where relevant, my referral.
Any endorsement here reflects my personal experience of that individual’s character, care, and professionalism — not a formal clinical recommendation. I do not receive compensation for referrals.
Naj is a licensed therapist in private practice in Pasadena, working with adults, teens, and young adults navigating anxiety, burnout, bicultural identity, and the quiet costs of high achievement. Using CBT, resilience research, and relationship-focused tools, he helps clients close the gap between the life they’ve built and the one they actually want to be living. He is especially well-suited for first- and second-generation professionals who feel the weight of cultural expectations alongside career pressure.
Early in my career, I sought Naj out as my supervisor specifically to help me find my identity as a South Asian therapist. He listened with precision, offered compassion when I needed it most, and opened up my perspective — particularly around avoidance and resistance, themes he navigates with real nuance both in supervision and in the room.
Dr. Williamson is a licensed psychologist and co-founder of Emmada Psychology Center, bringing deep clinical experience to individuals navigating complex psychological concerns. His approach is grounded, methodical, and deeply humanistic. He also has a wealth of experience in international nonprofit work, including trauma consultation for workers in Lebanon — a dimension of his practice that expanded my own sense of what this profession can do in the world.
He is well-suited for clients seeking a psychologist who combines scholarly depth with genuine presence, particularly those dealing with complex or chronic psychological concerns.
Dr. Russell is a licensed clinical psychologist, clinical training director, and my former clinical supervisor at Positive Development. He works with families and clinicians through a strengths-based lens that emphasizes growth, resilience, and authentic self-understanding, and he championed attachment-based therapy as a cornerstone of the work.
His supervision deepened my understanding of what genuine presence in the room actually looks like. He is well-suited for families and clinicians seeking a psychologist who leads with curiosity, warmth, and a real commitment to meeting people where they are.
Bryan is a licensed therapist at Santa Clara University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, an adjunct professor, and a private practice clinician. He specializes in IFS and EMDR for trauma processing and has a particular focus on substance-use challenges.
As my manager at SCU, he modeled holding space like few people I’ve encountered — always demonstrating genuine respect for my perspective and providing opportunities for me to both be challenged and to challenge. I’m confident he does the same for his clients and students. He is well-suited for individuals navigating trauma, grief, or substance-use concerns who want a therapist with both clinical depth and real relational warmth.
Bich was one of my managers at Santa Clara University who helped bring the nascent Therapist in Residence program to life — I was among the first three hires for what began as an experimental approach to dedicated mental health support on campus. Her work reflected a deep commitment to ethical, courageous, and culturally informed practice across educational settings.
Although she is retired from providing therapy, she continues to be a respected mentor for many MFTs entering the field. With 25+ years as a trauma-informed, person-centered therapist and 10 years as a clinical supervisor, Bich provides clinical consultation for therapists in groups and 1:1 by appointment. She has set her rate at $30/per 30 minutes so that clinicians are able to access quality consultation without causing significant financial hardship.
Kelli is currently the Clinical Director at Spaces Therapy in Highland Park, Los Angeles — a thoughtfully run practice known for its commitment to decolonized, client-centered care. As my first individual supervisor at Community Clinic, she introduced me to attachment-based and psychodynamic approaches and modeled what sustainable, community-rooted practice looks like in real life.
She is particularly well-suited for children, teens, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and adults navigating complex trauma, anxiety, and identity — especially those who want a therapist who will show up as a full human being, not a blank slate.
As the former Director of Training at Community Clinic, Irene led group supervision for me and my fellow practicum trainees. The structure and learning opportunities she created were foundational to my formation as a clinician. Irene is an experienced therapist with specialized expertise in trauma stabilization and working with older adults (65+).
She is well-suited for individuals seeking trauma-informed care or for older adults looking for a therapist with deep experience in the concerns and transitions of later life.
As the Training Director for my cohort at Fuller and one of my faculty supervisors, Migum helped lay the clinical and relational foundation of my practice. Her approach to supervision was both structured and deeply attuned — building the kind of reflective capacity that stays with a therapist long after training ends.
She is well-suited for clients seeking a therapist who brings careful, relationally informed care and a strong grounding in clinical best practices.
Dr. Yoon-Hammer is a core faculty member at Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. She is an expert in Restoration Therapy, particularly for couples therapy, and Medical Family Therapy (MedFT), supporting patients and their families across hospital, outpatient, and private practice settings.
Miyoung provided me with the most rigorous training I’ve received, supervising me through live couples sessions using the Restoration Therapy model. She is well-suited for clients seeking care that holds space for the intersection of faith, culture, and healing.
Jorgie is a grad school classmate and dear friend who has walked beside me through the many seasons of this career. She is known as a culturally affirming therapist particularly for Asian American adults in the Alhambra and Los Angeles area.
She is the kind of therapist who makes you feel safe and worthy of love from the first session — especially well-suited for Asian American adults navigating identity, relationships, intergenerational dynamics, or the pressures of living between cultures.
After grad school, Angela became a friend and co-conspirator in doing life/being a therapist on our own terms. Her thoughtful private practice and lived experience as a proudly "sassy" Asian American speak volumes about the kind of therapist she is. You can get a glimpse of her voice through her posts on Instagram @thesassyasiantherapist.
She is especially well-suited for clients — particularly Asian Americans — who want a therapist who is real, warm, and unafraid to challenge the narratives that keep people stuck.
Sydney is one of my dear grad school classmates who connected me to Positive Development and trained me in the developmental therapy model. She has built a practice with a distinctive and much-needed specialty: working with individuals and parents of those with diverse neurological needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Traumatic Brain Injury. She is trauma-informed, EMDR trained, and neurodiverse affirming.
She is especially well-suited for neurodivergent individuals and families who want a therapist who truly understands their world and will advocate fiercely for their dignity and growth.
Clarise is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice whose work is marked by fierce client advocacy, sharp clinical instincts, and a deep passion for the communities she serves. She brings both clinical prowess and real human presence into every room she enters.
She is well-suited for clients who want a therapist who will genuinely go to bat for them — someone who sees them fully and doesn’t flinch. I refer to her with full confidence.
Open Path is a nonprofit network of over 35,000 vetted therapists committed to making mental health care financially accessible. Clients pay a one-time $65 lifetime membership fee and then access sessions for $40–$70 — a fraction of typical private pay rates. It serves individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or simply cannot afford market-rate therapy without compromising their basic needs.
I am a member therapist with Open Path because I believe quality care should not be a privilege. It is one of the primary ways I extend accessible services to clients from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Positive Development is a leading partner for Autism therapy for families across the country. Their in-home, relational, and play-based approach is a powerful alternative to ABA — one that taught me so much about the uniqueness of Autism and the depth of possibility within every child. I completed my child and family hours for licensure here, and I am deeply grateful to the families who welcomed me into their lives during that time.
Emmada is led by four esteemed African American psychologists — Dr. Rick Williamson, Dr. Steve Tarver, Dr. Yoshado Lang, and Dr. Lisa Bolden — each bringing a wealth of experience across a range of mental health areas and therapeutic specialties. I was humbled to begin my career as an Associate Therapist on their team. They gave me the chance to live out my values from day one and encouraged my self-determination in ways that left a lasting mark.
I also want to name two colleagues who were inspirations in their own right: Dr. David Hindman and Moet Monroe, LMFT — the kind of colleagues who always put me at ease and made the work feel less lonely. Emmada’s practice will always be a model for me as I build my own.
Community Clinic is the community mental health and training clinic of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. They provide therapy for individuals (adolescents and adults), couples, and families, as well as neuropsychological assessment services — at accessible rates for the community. This is where I completed my practicum training and learned what it means to do meaningful work regardless of a client’s ability to pay.
Psychiatric Alternatives & Wellness Center is an excellent alternative to Kaiser Permanente and large institutional psychiatric care — offering thoughtful, individualized psychiatric services in a setting that prioritizes the patient relationship. Their approach is collaborative and wellness-oriented, moving beyond diagnosis and medication management toward genuine partnership in mental health care.
I refer clients here when they are seeking psychiatric support outside of the managed care system and want to be seen as a whole person, not a case number.
Dr. Sorta is a psychiatrist at Psychiatric Alternatives & Wellness Center in San Francisco who takes a collaborative, non-gatekeeping approach to psychiatric care — treating patients as partners in their healing rather than passive recipients of diagnosis and medication. He specializes in assessment and medication management for individuals who have felt dismissed or reduced to a checklist by previous providers.
His care helped me heal from chronic burnout. The lesson I took from that experience — that medicine can be genuinely liberating — lives in how I practice. I refer clients to Dr. Sorta with confidence that they will be met with that same spirit.