LMFT, 9 years of experience
Hello, I’m Vitus Onusuru, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California practicing since 2018. I serve individuals, couples, and families who are navigating relationship challenges, communication barriers, parenting stress, and transitions that affect overall well-being. With unconditional regard for every client and a deep sense of compassion, I help you feel seen, heard, and understood, so you can move toward healthier dynamics, stronger connections, and lasting change. What sets my work apart: culturally sensitive care that respects where you’re coming from, collaborative goal-setting, and evidence-based strategies drawn from systems, attachment, and mindfulness-informed approaches. I’ll walk beside you with warmth, respect, and practical tools you can apply in daily life—whether you’re repairing a relationship, improving parenting, or seeking personal growth. Beyond therapy, I value curiosity, travel, adventure, fashion, and family, which informs a humane, client-centered approach that honors your unique background and life story. If you’re ready to embark on a journey toward more fulfilling relationships and a more resilient you, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
In your first session, clients get a clear, welcoming map for the work ahead. Here’s what you can tell them to set peace of mind and foster engagement: Purpose and structure: The session is an exploratory intake and goal-setting meeting. We’ll learn about you, your relationships, and what brought you here, then outline goals and a plan for therapy. Confidentiality and safety: I’ll review how confidentiality works, including limits, so you can share honestly with confidence. Understanding your story: We’ll discuss your current concerns, past experiences, and how they shape your present dynamics, coping, and strengths. Collaboration and goals: You’ll help identify priorities (e.g., improving communication, reducing conflict, parenting challenges). We’ll co-create realistic, measurable goals and a flexible plan. Assessment and approach: I’ll explain my integrative, evidence-informed approach (systems theory, attachment-informed practices, mindfulness tools) and how these concepts apply to your situation. Practical logistics: We’ll cover session format, frequency, expectations for between-session practice, and any referrals or resources if needed. Questions and pacing: You’ll have space to ask questions about therapy, pacing, and what you’re comfortable sharing at this stage. Next steps: By the end, you’ll know what to work on before the next session, and we’ll schedule the following session with a clear focus.
Greatest strengths Unconditional regard and genuine compassion: I create a warm, nonjudgmental space where clients feel seen, respected, and safe to explore vulnerable issues. Cultural sensitivity and respect for diverse backgrounds: I understand clients from where they’re coming, honor their cultural identities, and adapt interventions to fit their values and experiences. Client-centered collaboration: I partner with clients to co-create goals, ensuring therapy is relevant, meaningful, and doable in daily life. Integrative, evidence-informed approach: I blend systems theory, attachment-informed practice, and mindfulness-based tools to address relationship dynamics, parenting, and personal growth. Strong relational focus: My work emphasizes trust-building, secure attachment, and practical skills to improve communication, boundaries, and connection. Practical, hands-on skills: I equip clients with clear strategies, exercises, and rituals they can apply between sessions to reinforce change. Ethical, respectful pace: I balance momentum with pacing that respects each client’s readiness, enhancing engagement and sustainable progress. Warm professionalism: My authenticity and warmth foster a therapeutic alliance that feels both supportive and empowering. What stands out about my therapeutic approach, methods, or results Family and relationship systems lens: I assess and intervene within the broader relational patterns that shape individual behavior, not just the symptoms. Attachment-informed practice: I help clients understand how early experiences influence current interactions and work toward more secure, resilient connections. Mindfulness-informed tools: I teach practical practices that reduce reactivity, increase presence, and improve emotion regulation in daily life. Collaborative goal setting and measurable progress: Goals are concrete, observable, and revisited regularly to track change and adjust plans. Respectful inclusivity: I tailor interventions to each client’s culture, values, and life circumstances, which enhances relevance and outcomes. Outcome-oriented yet compassionate: I aim for tangible improvements in communication, trust, parenting, and self-efficacy without sacrificing warmth and empathy. Holistic lens: I consider mental health, relational health, and life context (work, family, travel, fashion, values) to support sustainable well-being. Experience that supports excellence Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Califor
I’m best positioned to serve adults, couples, and families who are navigating relationship stress, communication gaps, parenting challenges, or life transitions that affect connection and well-being. My ideal clients often share a desire for deeper understanding and healthier dynamics—whether they’re seeking to repair trust, improve daily communication, establish secure boundaries, or foster secure attachment in relationships. They value a collaborative, respectful therapeutic relationship and are open to evidence-based approaches like systems theory, attachment-informed practice, and mindfulness. If you’re motivated to show up with curiosity, work through painful patterns, and build more resilient, compassionate connections, we’ll partner to unlock meaningful change together.
How I use it: I help clients identify unhelpful thoughts, challenge distortions, and link thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We jointly develop practical strategies to reduce distress and change patterns that contribute to problems like anxiety, depression, or mood issues. What I tell clients: “We’ll map out the thoughts that happen when you’re stressed, test whether they’re accurate, and replace them with more balanced ways of thinking. We’ll practice small, real-world steps between sessions to build new habits.”
How I use it: I guide clients to notice their experiences with openness, commit to values-based actions, and build psychological flexibility. This often involves experiential exercises, values clarification, and mindful exposure to avoided situations. What I tell clients: “We’ll learn to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings without trying to control them, then choose actions that align with your values, even if it’s challenging.”
How I use it: I focus on early relationships and current relational patterns to understand present distress. Therapy centers on building secure, trusting connections, both within the session and in relationships outside therapy. What I tell clients: “We’ll explore how your past relationships shape how you relate to others now, and we’ll practice healthier, more secure ways of connecting with people you care about.” I focus on relational patterns, past experiences shaping present connections, and building secure attachments.
How I use it: I integrate psychological insight with faith-informed values, using scripture-informed reflections, moral frameworks, and spiritual resources when appropriate. I tailor to the client’s beliefs and goals. What I tell clients: “We’ll consider how your faith and values influence your choices and healing, using both evidence-based techniques and your spiritual resources to support growth.”
How I use it: I teach skills in four domains—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. We combine individual therapy with skills coaching to reduce self-harm and emotional overwhelm. What I tell clients: “We’ll learn practical skills to stay present, handle intense emotions, solve interpersonal conflicts more effectively, and tolerate distress without flipping into avoidance or impulsivity.”