My Approach to Working Together
My practice is rooted in the belief that what you seek exists within you and is waiting to be accessed and explored when you are ready. If you feel called to work together, I can partner with you to navigate feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness, stagnation, fear, disconnection, and unworthiness, with the hope that you can live more freely in your being. Together we can tend to your internal landscape and bring unity to facets of yourself that may feel lost or in need of care, so that your inner world can begin to harmonize with the overall state of being that you hope to experience. If you wish to restore and develop a greater sense of calm, increased safety, alignment, and connection with yourself, your community, and the natural world within and beyond you, it would be an honor to support you on this path. I also have a heart-centered focus on supporting folks through significant life transitions (career and more), burnout, not feeling good enough, feeling like you don’t quite belong, family dynamics, and the complexities of biracial identity. I invite you to reach out if any of this resonates with you.
An Encapsulation of Who I Am
Hi! My name is Ariel (she/her), and I love supporting people with navigating the full breadth of life—the complexities, beauty, challenges, and nuances—so you can live more of your life the way you want to while experiencing a deeper sense of ease, connection, and alignment with your whole being. My style of engagement is warm, gentle, and collaborative, with a supportive essence. Folks who feel anxious, stuck, different, or identify as shy or introverted, tend to feel comfortable with me. I work from a holistic perspective that seeks to nurture the mind, body, & spirit—and perhaps your broader collective—to facilitate healing, balance, and growth. I welcome people who are seeking support with a wide range of experiences—and for individuals who may be looking for a therapist with shared aspects of identity or something different from their own background, I am biracial, the daughter of parents who are immigrants, and also identify as Asian American (I highlight this piece as it usually comes as a surprise). As a fellow human on Earth, I am enamored by moss, dragonflies, and great blue herons; and in my downtime I enjoy walks & hikes with nature, sharing food with my favorite people, and I’m currently studying foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Therapeutic Lens
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An integral part of my work is Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP), a somatic approach that draws upon the wisdom of the body to update patterned responses to your environment, so they can feel more aligned with what is happening in the present rather than the past.
Through this approach we can bring awareness to unconscious patterns that may be contributing to feeling stuck, so we can explore new ways of being that draw upon internal resources and expand resilience under stress.
SP can support with processing the effects of trauma and relational wounds so you can feel safer in your body, and experience greater ease, while beginning to rewire limiting beliefs that may be holding you back from living your life the way you want to.
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I also have training in Ecotherapy, which is centered in reestablishing a reciprocal relationship with nature—including yourself, community, and the more than human world. I can support you with developing a deeper relationship with nature, which can spark wonder, strength, joy, and a remembrance of a special unity that is always present if we are open to listen. Together we can water what needs tending to and compost what may have previously served you to nourish what is ready to grow now.
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EMDR is a highly effective therapy for treating trauma/ PTSD, and other overwhelming experiences where the effects of what happened are often showing up as present moment activation or distress (e.g. images, body sensations, emotions, scents, etc.).
EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation (side-to-side movements with the eyes or tapping) to process trauma in a way where you remain grounded in the present, while recalling fragments of the traumatic experience. This process allows for memories and sensations to feel less vivid and emotionally intense, so you can feel less activated by them in the present and develop increased adaptations for the future.
I am trained in Somatic and Attachment Focused (S.A.F.E.) EMDR, which emphasizes how trauma impacts our nervous system regulation and how we connect to others relationally. Trauma exists beyond acute incidents and includes early developmental wounds (e.g. neglect, parentification, abuse, etc.) and relational wounds (e.g. receiving messaging that your needs are not important, that you are not enough, that you have to be perfect, etc.), which all can feel tender in current relationships.
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In my work in community mental health, I facilitated mindfulness groups to support clients with increasing awareness of their present moment experience with non-judgement. Mindfulness is also a core aspect of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and is drawn upon to bring unconscious patterns of thought, emotions, body sensations, movement, and the five senses, into conscious awareness. It is important to note that mindfulness in SP is drawn from Buddhist practices, and has been adapted outside of its original context for engagement with both the client and therapist to invite mindful exploration of the moment-to-moment experience.
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I additionally utilize aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to shift patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, which can help with developing more autonomy over cycles of anxious or depressed states.
The modalities that guide my work are rooted in your strengths, and recognize familial, environmental, systemic, and societal influences.
Highlighted Trainings
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Level II: (in progress): Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute with Kekuni Minton PhD
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Level I: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute with Darlene Cohn PhD
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Earthbody Institute with Kara London, LMFT & Ryan Van Lenning
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Personal Transformation Institute (PTI) with Susanne Goldstein LPC, NCC
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C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles with Leyla Bell, PhD, LMFT, ATR-BC, RSMT/E
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California Society for Clinical Social Work with Jill Baumgarten, LCSW
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute with Jacqueline Compton, RCAT,RP
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UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership with Kina Wolfenstein, LCSW
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Hakomi Institute with Deah Baird, N.D., L.P.C.
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UCLA Division of Population Behavioral Health with Lauren Marlotte, PsyD.
Education & Experience
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of CA #121293
Master of Social Work
California State University, Los Angeles
Bachelor of Arts, Social Work
California State University, Los Angeles
For over five years I worked at a community mental health agency. I started as a clinician and provided therapy, behavioral health services, and groups, to folks who were navigating their mental health, housing instability, and other systems involvement. I later transitioned into supervisory roles where I directly assisted team members on a daily basis, and ended in a senior leadership role that focused on supporting supervisors, the development of processes, and improving program outcomes.