LGBT therapists in La Mesa, CA

I have a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), working in private practice as a Psychotherapist. I live in Los Angeles, and work in-person or hybrid, with adults, teens, couples and the aging population. I specialize in anxiety, life transitions, relationship issues, work stress/dissatisfaction, career goals, sleep disorders, substance use, trauma (ptsd/complex/acute), obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD/OCPD), attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD). In addition I deal with grief, isolation, and breaking creative blocks.

Born in Vietnam and raised in the United States, my career has spanned work as a classroom teacher, registered financial advisor, technical and relational manager, and EAP counselor for Fortune 500 companies. With additional training in substance abuse, employee assistance programs, and LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy, I combine practical real-world experience with compassionate, identity-affirming care.

I work well with anyone who seeks therapy and is ready to work on themselves. I have worked with about every population, culture and age group. Issues that I am best suited to treating include a wide variety of disorders, childhood trauma, addictions, domestic violence, parenting/bonding/interpersonal relationships. I certified in EMDR and expressive arts therapy. I like to offer different forms of expression to my clients in the healing arts. I also give plenty of skill building tools and homework so clients can maximize their progress outside of the weekly sessions. I speak Spanish fluently.

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Portland and my Master’s degree from Santa Clara University. My clinical experience spans school-based services, residential care, ABA, community mental health, and high-acuity crisis work. I have worked with children, teenagers, adults, and older adults from diverse backgrounds. I particularly enjoy working with teenagers as they discover who they are and who they want to become. My areas of focus include anxiety, depression, relationships, life transitions, couples therapy, and men’s mental health. My experience also allows me to remain calm and responsive when situations become difficult.

My goal is to empower people to look at the bigger picture of what is possible for them.

Hi! I'm Rikki. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with dual master's degrees and over eight years of experience working in community mental health, private practice, and forensic settings. I help adults navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, emotional dysregulation, anger management, sexual concerns, identity exploration, and major life transitions. My approach is warm, down-to-earth, and tailored to each person I work with. I believe therapy should be a place where you feel heard, challenged when it's helpful, and supported as we work together to better understand what's getting in the way and build practical strategies that fit your life.

My path to becoming a therapist was shaped by my own personal experiences and my interests in human behavior, attachment theory, and social justice. My nearly six years of experience working in community mental health have strongly influenced my therapeutic lens. I am LGBTQIA+-affirming, committed to working from an antiracist lens, and deeply value inclusivity of all kinds. I have been fortunate enough to serve a socioculturally diverse population, including adults living with severe and persistent mental illness, undocumented individuals, survivors of trauma, LGBTQ+ folks, and differently-abled children and adolescents.

I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California with 25 years of experience using my clinical skills in a corporate setting — and now I'm coming back to what drew me to this field in the first place: working with people one-on-one. I offer telehealth sessions, so we can meet from wherever you're most comfortable. I work with individuals and couples navigating life transitions, career shifts, relationship stress, and the kind of quiet drift that happens when you've been running hard for a long time.

I believe meaningful change happens when we work together as equals. My path to becoming a therapist wasn't a straight line; transitioning from the corporate world to clinical care allows me to blend evidence-based theories with practical, real-world application.