Meet Jaya
she/hers
If you ask me what I would be doing if I didn’t have to work, I’d tell you exactly what I’m doing now with a few minor edits. While working within the frames of capitalism has its challenges, supporting others in healing is a calling. Believe it or not, my kindergarten teacher would agree, as evident by the note she wrote my parents telling them how much I loved to help my classmates.
Not only am I passionate about what I do, I’m also very curious and hungry to learn more.
My academic background includes experience in studying, teaching, and researching about cognition, physiology, and the affective sciences. My graduate clinical training focused on Liberation Psychology and Critical Social Work as a way to weave in addressing the impacts of systemic oppression on mental health.
Beyond the baseline requirements for graduate degrees and licensure, I have engaged in many notable trainings. Some include: two years of studying Interpersonal Neurobiology from a culturally sensitive and socially critical framework, 40 hours of Domestic Violence training (in two states), Certified Nutrition Coaching, Nutritional Psychotherapy training, and several Somatic Psychotherapy courses.
Outside of the academic and clinical training, I also heavily study lineages of socially conscious Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism philosophy and healing practices. Part of my Decolonial therapy approach is interweaving non-desecrated holistic methods from global traditions. Rather that treating one part of you, I look to how can we support healing your whole being.
I hold various social identities with layers of being targeted and privileged. While each social identity in and of itself doesn’t reflect the entirety of my being, it can be helpful to know that as a therapist I walk with experience as a child of immigrants, a queer, cis, disabled woman of color, and as a person with chronic pain.
Because healing is a calling, I find this thread of exploring and connecting with life continues outside of my work. Whether I’m in deep meditative or contemplative practice with my Sangha, finding laughter with my beloved family, deepening my connection to my body, the earth, or organizing in social action with my community, I move with intention living a life with compassion and connection.
