About me

Hello, and nice to meet you virtually. Thank you for visiting my website. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT # 127861) providing counseling to individuals, couples, and families in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

I think you are the expert on your life and I see myself as a helper who will guide your healing journey. I would like to work alongside you, find hope when it’s hard to find and shed light on the path together. I feel honored to assist your unique healing journey, helping you achieve your authentic self, have a peaceful mind, and develop thriving relationships. Many of my clients say that when they see me in the session room, they feel relief from their distress.

I grew up in Japan and moved to the Bay Area during college. I worked as a CPA and consultant over the past 18 years. I was fortunate to travel to and work in over 20 different countries and learned how to communicate effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. From my consulting and auditing experiences, I acquired solid skills in identifying problems and proposing feasible solutions. I can bring such expertise to your therapy, if that is something you would like to utilize.

I have first-hand experience of psychotherapy as a client; it helped me deal with a high-stress job as well as adjust to new cultures, environments and life circumstances. 

I am skilled at helping people identify issues in what looks like a confusing situation, defining goals, creating out-of-the-box solutions, and formulating a plan to reach goals. These skills are available to you in your therapy.

Outside of the office, I enjoy hiking, spending time with my friends and family, traveling, reading, yoga, dancing, and making people laugh. I speak English, Japanese, and beginner-level Turkish.

I believe life is like a tapestry: when we encounter an obstacle, we are adding a new color to our tapestry.

Education:

  • MA, Counseling Psychology, Palo Alto University                       2017
  • BS, Accounting, Golden Gate University                                        1998

Training and Certification:

  • California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT # 127861)
  • Completed Fundamentals of Sand Play Therapy in order to offer non-talk therapy when pain, feelings, or thoughts are beyond words
  • Completed ICEEFT-endorsed Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship and EFT Core Skills Training 
  • Attachment in Couples Therapy workshop presented by Dr. Dan Siegel
  • The Mindful Therapist: An Approach to Cultivate Your Mind to Be the Best Therapist workshop presented by Dr. Dan Siegel
  • Volunteered at Santa Clara County Suicide Crisis Line
  • Volunteered at Stanford Hospital Guest Services
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

I am a member of:

  • Chi Sigma Iota (CSI)– Membership in this international professional counseling honor society is by invitation only. Invitations are extended by universities to students who have an outstanding GPA and are deemed promising for endorsement as professional counselors with exemplary ethical judgment and behavior. 
  • ICEEFT– International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
  • NCCEFT– Northern California Community for EFT
  • CAMFT– California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
  • NichiBei Care– a nonprofit organization to promote the mental health of those who have ties to Japan, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality

My Linkedin Profile

My Psychology Today Profile 

My photos were taken by Amanda Tun @ Blueberry Photography
I would like to take this space to give credit to those who work behind the scenes. Just as creating a movie requires not only a main character (my client) and a director (myself), there is a large production crew supporting my work. The appreciation that I’ve received and will receive from my clients is shared with my supporters here.  My therapeutic healing happens because of our collective intelligence.
My academic advisor, Dr. Karen Roller, who taught me therapy, compassion, strength-based approach, humility, and trauma-informed care.
Palo Alto University librarian Mr. Scott Hines, for helping me find the latest research.
Edited by Ms. Naphtalie Gbolahan, Ms. Özgü Elci, Ms. Sally W. Smith.
Contents reviewed by: Ms. Jenny Liu (MS) & Ms. Susanne Ebert-Khosla (AMFT).
Technical support provided by Mr. Onur Çilingir.
Ms. Monica Reinmiller, Ms. Adriana Wandke, and Ms. Nihal K. Şahan for believing in me and writing the recommendation letters for my graduate school applications: the beginning of everything.