Hi! I’m Dalena. Let’s take the first step together.

As a child of Vietnamese immigrants, I experienced firsthand a lot of the generational trauma that continued to impact my loved ones. However, due to stigma and a lack of education about mental health, they often did not have the language to conceptualize their mental health symptoms and freely express the struggles they were going through. It was at this point that I decided to dedicate my life to raising awareness about mental health, breaking cycles of stigma, and ultimately serving the community that has given so much to me throughout my life.

I have met all walks of life through my experiences working in residential treatment care and intensive outpatient addiction programs. I truly believe that any person, regardless of where they came from or their life history, can achieve their fullest potential with the necessary tools. For people embroiled in shame, who are questioning their self worth, identity, and place in the world – you are understood, you are loved, and you are safe here.

Working With Me

My main focus will always be on creating a safe, non-judgmental space for you to freely be yourself and to deepen your relationship with vulnerability. I come from a place of deep warmth and compassion, and I will always encourage open collaboration within a session. I believe that the therapeutic relationship between me and a client is often the most transformative part of the healing process. Before anything else, I want to get to know you as a person first.

As a clinician, I don’t believe there is a singular type of therapy that works for every person. When working with me, clients can expect a very integrative approach to therapy, as I adjust treatment based on the needs, background, intersecting identities, and life history of every client. Clients can expect assistance with creating their “coping skills toolbox” for navigating life, which often utilizes mindfulness, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), and DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy). I also consistently incorporate psychodynamic therapy and IFS (internal family systems) within sessions in order to explore trauma history, underlying childhood experiences, and relationship patterns.

Emotional Dysregulation and Anxiety

You may be feeling out of control, as if your emotions or anxiety have been getting the best of you. The world is too overstimulating, and you find that you spend more time reacting rather than experiencing. You can’t remember a moment when you felt balanced or regulated, free from the extreme highs and lows of emotions that are trapping you in maladaptive thoughts and negative coping patterns. You feel stuck, and you can’t participate in daily life anymore.

I address emotional dysregulation and anxiety by providing psycho-education about the mind-body connection. We’ll explore the root causes and triggers of your emotional patterns, while giving you the necessary tools to manage and cope with them. Together, we can bring a lasting sense of peace and relaxation into your life.

Addiction

Addiction can be an incredibly isolating, lonely experience that may invoke feelings of shame, low self-esteem, and worthlessness. Life feels unmanageable, and all you want is to reclaim your life again from the addiction that has stolen time from you.

I see you. I’m here to tell you that you aren’t alone in your experience. I know it can be incredibly difficult to reach out for help, especially when there is so much stigma surrounding addiction within our society. However, I firmly believe in the transformative power of connection when it comes to breaking patterns of dependency, and I want to spend time getting to know you as a person, beyond your experiences with your addiction. My approach ensures that you are always in a safe, non-judgmental space while we explore the root causes of your maladaptive coping patterns, as well as your new identity outside of addiction.

BIPOC & Asian American Experiences

I am passionate about continually providing a safe space for BIPOC & Asian American individuals to explore their experiences, especially when there is a lot of stigma about mental health within these marginalized communities. I also deeply understand the nuances of navigating society as a person of color, as well as the unique challenges that may come from having such a rich identity. For those who continue to struggle finding a voice in the current climate of the world, and who have struggled to balance a bicultural identity throughout their lives, this space will always be for you.

 Along your journey of empowerment, I am fully committed to understanding the complexity of your experiences and will approach sessions with the utmost cultural humility.

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy

It can be incredibly exhausting having to navigate a cis-heteronormative world as somebody who identifies with the LGBTQIA+ community. Most people don’t understand how every aspect of your life, including how you approach the world, gender expression, and new relationships, are all impacted by your queer identity. It’s becoming difficult to embrace who you are and who you love.

I see and hear you. As someone who identifies with the LGBTQIA+ community, I understand the incredibly difficult challenges that come from being queer in a tumultuous state of the world. I want to cultivate a non-judgmental space where you are free to express who you are and who you love. Through unconditional positive regard and vulnerable exploration of life experiences, I want to help you build a future where you can embrace authenticity and joy.

You don’t have to suffer in silence anymore. Let’s start this journey of healing and growth today.

Registered California Board of Behavioral Sciences Number: AMFT 153782

Supervised by Amanda Lee, LCSW 74719