Yasuko Mikajiri

My name is Yasuko (pronounced "Yasco") Mikajiri (三ヶ尻　靖子), and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Long Beach, California. Via Telehealth, I work with adults (18 years old and over) throughout California, specializing in Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Grief & Loss, Substance Abuse, Communication Skills, Transitional Work, Generational/Cultural Gap Issues for Immigrants, and Purpose in Life, etc.

My approach

My approach to therapy is a combination of some of the therapy techniques tailored to your individual needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you transform the patterns of negative thinking into positive ones. Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you accept your all emotions, move and take action toward the direction of your value system. Person-Centered, Solution-Focused, and Existential Therapy helps you develop your own destiny by unleashing your full potential for your future, away from somebody else's expectations or pressures.

My focus

During my 20 years of therapy experiences, learning from the variety of clients and issues, I started to feel extremely honored to be a part of your journey in helping you reduce pain, feelings of loss, and seek your purpose in life in order to live truthfully to yourselves.

My communication style

I mostly use a Motivational Interviewing Technique: listening attentively, respecting your motivation, and reflecting on your stories with clarifications, in a very safe and warm space where you can relax and focus on your life stories entirely. In short, you talk, and I listen.

My journey to mental healthcare

My first exposure to any psychological events was to women in our community, who used to visit our home for advice from my mother, and school teacher, for their family problems. For an innocent 4th grade, that was a big shock, but fascinating. Looking back, I may have been thinking to be a therapist unconsciously. Before receiving any specific education or training, I remember I had a role in listening to people, such as cousins, friends, or co-workers. When I came to the US, I joined a "Self-Improvement Reading Group" in a local bookstore. After 6 months, I was accepted into a Master's Program in Clinical Psychology. This is how I have become a therapist. As a bilingual English-Japanese therapist, at your request, I also offer therapy sessions in Japanese.

My goals for you

While I get to know you by listening to your stories, by the end of the first session, we will be able to discuss and agree to make our initial goals in the frame of SMART, which is known to be very effective as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. These goals will often be refined as you make progress during the course of treatments.

My first session with you

It is my primary desire to build a good trusting relationship with you by getting to know each other including some of our basic backgrounds in a very safe and comfortable space; secondly, to understand you more for me to be professional with your situation: how you have been feeling recently (issues), where you have been in (environments), and where you are heading (goals). In your second session and onwards, you will be free to spend your time fully to get into the therapeutic nature.