Meet Your Therapist

CALL ME BETSY

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A woman with short dark hair smiling and sitting outside among large green plants, wearing a sleeveless top, black pants, and black lace-up boots, with one knee bent and hands on her knee.

I've spent almost two decades in this field: psychiatric hospitals, community clinics, and psychological and forensic assessment work, and eventually, a private practice built around a simple belief: Most of us are doing our best with the tools we were given, even when those tools have stopped working.

My work today is with individual adults who are ready to uncover and understand the deep seated patterns quietly running their lives. Why relationships feel so difficult. Why life feels so out of control. Why the past keeps showing up in the present, whether you've invited it or not

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How I Think About This Work

I'm not interested in labeling what's wrong with you.

I trust my clients to be thoughtful people, capable of making good decisions in their own best interest. What we do together is slower and more intentional: developing emotional intelligence, gaining clarity over your patterns and their impact, and building the resilience to confidently do life.

That kind of work takes time. I don't put a clock on it, and I won't pretend it's easy. It's also the only kind of therapy I've found that actually changes how people live, not just how they cope.

Learn More About How I Work →

Before Private Practice

My path here wasn't a straight line into a quiet office.

I trained in inpatient units and a co-occurring mental health and substance abuse day program. I worked with teenagers on adolescent psychiatric units who had seen far more than their age should have allowed. For several years, I conducted court-ordered evaluations for Child Protective Services, later taking on immigration, personal injury, and fitness-for-duty assessments, work that required real precision under real stakes. I also taught graduate students at two doctoral psychology programs.

By 2015, I wanted more room to do the deep, unhurried work I actually cared about. That's when I opened my private practice.

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Education & Licensure

B.A. in Psychology, minor in Education, University of California, Irvine
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University, 2010
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of California, since 2013

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The Couple Skills Workbook

I'm also the author of The Couple Skills Workbook, a research-informed guide to communication, self-awareness, and connection, written using the same understanding of relational patterns that shapes my work with individual clients.

While the book draws on couples research, my private practice today is focused exclusively on individual, long-term, insight-oriented therapy.

Kind Words from Clients

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“Betsy is extremely professional, kind, and shows genuine care for her patients.”

She listens to everything you have to say in order to help you, she’s insightful and most importantly patient, and makes you feel like you can trust her and you’re in a safe place. I am very grateful for how much she helped me in the short three months I was her patient. I wouldn’t doubt in recommending her to any of my friends or family.

Huntington Beach Client

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“I feel safe and comfortable in our sessions, and she gives me the space to articulate my thoughts without fear of judgement.”

I have been seeing Dr. Betsy for a little over a year and can wholeheartedly recommend her as an incredible therapist! She really makes the effort to understand my past, and makes connections that have in turn helped me understand current learned behavior. This has helped immensely in not only my interpersonal relationships but also the way I approach conflict and communication. I feel safe and comfortable in our sessions, and she gives me the space to articulate my thoughts without fear of judgement. She never offers empty platitudes, but instead asks insightful questions that help me see situations in a new light. Also, as an Asian American and child of immigrant parents, I really appreciate her understanding of cultural nuances. Thanks Dr. Betsy!