Services
About My Clients
If you're feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders these days — even as work, relationships, family, community and self-care continue to demand our attention — you're not alone. I offer therapy for women and LGBTQIA+ folks who are looking to feel connected, grounded, and clear even when the world's on fire. A majority of my clients are BIPOC and/or adult children of immigrants, and many are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout or workplace issues. Sound familiar? Let's chat!
My Background and Approach
As a psychologist, my goal is to offer you not only insight and support, but practical tools you can use to feel better and start making changes right away. I draw on a variety of techniques to do that based on my clients' needs and preferences. My background includes training in more traditional 'talk therapy' approaches, as well as more structured or technique-based therapies like CBT, DBT, ACT, and self-compassion based interventions. Sessions with me tend to be more conversational than structured, and you can expect me to gently & respectfully challenge you at times. I sometimes encourage my clients to try new tools together in session, look at a resource together online, or take notes of an important takeaway to come back to later. Or read me that text exchange and we can dissect it together! Laughter is just as common as tears (if not more so). I take an intersectional, feminist approach to my work, which means that I consider how gender and other systems like racism and ableism impact our mental health.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I'm the founder of Stella Nova Psychology, a San Francisco clinic offering online services throughout California. Our mission is to provide high-quality therapy for women, couples, and LGBTQIA+ people of all genders — for healthier lives and communities that thrive. Our core values of feminism, mental health, community, science and employee wellness mirror my own strongly held beliefs. We're an enthusiastically, intersectionally feminist space that believes mental health is essential to our ability to succeed and thrive. We believe in evidence based practice, giving back to our communities, and supporting our therapists' mental health so that they can support you. We also believe that representation matters in mental health care, so we're committed to hiring, training & promoting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ staff. My work is informed by my own identities as a multiracial Filipino-American, an elder millennial, a person with invisible disabilities, an anti-zionist Jew, a cis bi woman, and a cat person. (My two cats sometimes make guest therapist appearances in my sessions, if you don't mind!) I am covid-aware, and welcome folks navigating Long Covid and/or taking precautions.