What is it like to work with me?
My Training and Experience
I completed my masters degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies. I learned and trained for a wide range of modalities drawing from both eastern and western philosophies of psychology in addition to the foundation courses one learns in a counseling graduate program surrounding family, couples, and children.
Concurrently, I worked as Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist for 5 years in which I served a highly acute population and worked with a multidisciplinary team, running day treatment groups through a harm reduction, dialectical behavioral approach.
Beyond this I have had additional trainings and personal and professional experiences that have built me into a therapist who truly understands the multitude of experiences one can have and also be able to provide the best work across different populations, levels of care, and a client’s desires for specific modalities and approaches for treatment.
Throughout my time in private practice, I have worked with teens, young and middle age adults, and young to middle aged couples.
Part of my training as a therapist also involved working in the school system with children from 5-18 years of age in advocacy of care for anxiety, depression, ADHD, and developmental disorders along with family conflict, navigating through divorce, and trauma.
In addition, I have also trained and gained experience working with clients suffering from eating disorders both at the hospitalization level and private practice level. I understand the complexity and care necessary to support individuals seeking support with these issues.
Another area of focused training is in perinatal mental health which includes the period of trying to conceive through pregnancy and navigating parenthood. Not only do I enjoy supporting women through these chapters, I also enjoy supporting men through their own journeys in becoming and being a parent. I have received trainings from both American Society of Reproductive Medicine and Postpartum Support International.
Specific Modalities
If I would to summarize the type of therapist I am, I would say I am an creative integral therapist, drawing from multiple modalities based on your needs not only long term, but in the moment. To elaborate, here are some of the approaches you can find me using.
Behavioral Based therapies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma focused CBT, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Exposure response therapy. I teach tools to increase self awareness in the way you think and act as well as ways as everyday coping skills to live a more meaningful life.
Body Based therapies including Somatic therapy and Brainspotting in which trauma along with other concerns can be healed in a way that traditional talk therapy cannot provide. To learn more about Brainspotting, click here. Our bodies can tell us much about how we are, and connecting our thoughts and feelings to our body can be extremely freeing.
Transpersonal based therapies influenced by Eastern spirituality such as breathwork, meditation, mindfulness, Ayurveda, compassion focused therapy. If a client has a connection to being spiritual, I might invite self inquiry and work around watching the ego through different practices listed above. In addition, I welcome clients to explore their relationship with their own religion, if that can serve as a strength for them.
Experiential based therapy including creative expression, drama therapy, emotionally focused therapy and gestalt therapy. As a creative and artistic person myself, I love to aid in my client’s exploration of themselves, through sparking new neural pathways to process healing. After all we are dynamic beings, all the way down to the cellular level.
Like many therapists, I provide traditional approaches, such as Psychodynamic based therapy, family systems, including exploring childhood experiences, attachment styles, and of course utilizing the clinical relationship. I believe much of what we experience outside the therapeutic space can be witnessed and explored within our relationship to create effective change.
If you have any questions and are curious about any of these modalities, please do not hesitate to contact me at 925-621-0677 or email me at wellnesswitharchana@gmail.com. I would be happy to answer any questions.
