Licensed to practice in 3 states and accepts 10 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Career Counseling, Life Transitions and 8 more.
New to Grow
Hi! My name is Vyvian Nguyen, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in New Mexico and Texas. My work is grounded in trauma‑informed, culturally responsive care, shaped by years of supporting people across the lifespan as they navigate what life has been brewing. Serving in the U.S. Navy as a Master‑at‑Arms has helped me understand service members, veterans, and their families whether it’s the tension that builds from deployments, the stress of switching between civilian and military life, or the pressure to keep everything together. It also taught me the importance of having a space where you don’t have to be “on” all the time. As a Vietnamese American with parents who came to the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War part of the generation often referred to as “boat people” I grew up with a close view of cultural transitions, intergenerational patterns, and the strength it takes to rebuild in a new place. That perspective helps me support families who are newly arriving or adjusting to a new country with understanding and respect. Tea Time Therapy grew from the idea that growth doesn’t need to be rushed. Like a good cup of tea, it often needs warmth, time, and a space that feels steady enough to settle into. My style is warm, straightforward, and lightly humorous enough to ease tension without taking away from the work. You don’t need perfect words or a polished story. You just need a grounded space to slow down, breathe, and explore what’s been weighing on you at your own pace. We’ll take it one sip at a time.
The first session is a collaborative, grounding conversation designed to help us slow things down and get a clear picture of what’s been going on. There’s no pressure to have the “right words” or tell your story perfectly, we’ll focus on what feels most important for you to share in the moment. We’ll start with a brief overview of what brought you in and what you’re hoping will feel different in your life. I’ll ask questions to better understand your current challenges, relevant history, and any patterns that may be showing up in relationships, stress, mood, or daily functioning. We’ll also talk about what support has looked like for you in the past, what has or hasn’t been helpful, and what you’d like to get out of therapy. Together, we’ll begin identifying initial goals so we can have a shared direction moving forward. Toward the end of the session, I’ll summarize what I’m hearing, offer early clinical impressions if appropriate, and discuss how we might approach treatment. This may include exploring frequency of sessions, fit, and next steps. Clients can expect a warm, steady, and nonjudgmental space. My approach is collaborative and grounded—we’ll go at a pace that feels manageable, with room for questions, pauses, or simply settling in. You don’t need to come prepared. Just come as you are, and we’ll take it one step at a time.
My style is collaborative, grounded, and emotionally attuned. I aim to create a space where clients feel safe enough to be honest, while also gently supported in looking at patterns that may be keeping them stuck. I don’t take a purely passive “sit back and listen” approach, nor do I use a highly confrontational style. Instead, I tend to work in the middle engaged, reflective, and intentional. I will track patterns with you in real time, ask clarifying questions, and offer observations that may gently challenge how certain situations are being interpreted or responded to. If something feels unclear, inconsistent, or emotionally driven in a way that might be impacting your goals, I will bring it into the room in a respectful and nonjudgmental way. At the same time, I move at a pace that respects readiness meaning I won’t push insight or change before a client feels supported enough to explore it. Clients often describe my approach as warm but direct. I focus on helping people understand their emotional responses, relational patterns, and nervous system reactions not just what is happening, but why it keeps happening. The goal is not to confront for the sake of confrontation, but to create enough clarity and safety that meaningful change becomes possible. Therapy with me tends to feel like a balance of support and gentle challenge, always centered on what is clinically useful and emotionally sustainable for the client.
I am best positioned to serve individuals, couples, and families who are navigating relational stress, life transitions, trauma-related concerns, and adjustment difficulties that impact emotional well-being and daily functioning. Many of my clients are experiencing anxiety, depressed mood, emotional overwhelm, or patterns of disconnection in relationships and are seeking a space to better understand themselves and their interactions with others. I also support service members, veterans, and military families navigating the unique challenges of deployment, reintegration, and identity shifts, as well as immigrants and first-generation individuals managing cultural transitions and intergenerational dynamics. My work is a good fit for clients who are open to exploring both emotional patterns and practical coping strategies, and who want to understand not just what they are feeling, but why certain patterns keep showing up in their lives and relationships. Clients who do well with my approach are generally motivated for change, willing to engage in reflection, and interested in building healthier communication, stronger emotional regulation, and more secure relationships.
Other specialties
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Together, we explore how interpretations of situations can influence emotional responses and relationship patterns, especially during moments of stress or conflict. In practice, this often involves identifying automatic thoughts, examining unhelpful thinking patterns, and developing more balanced perspectives that support emotional regulation and healthier communication. I also incorporate behavioral strategies to help clients respond differently to stressors and break recurring patterns that contribute to distress. CBT is integrated into my broader, trauma-informed and relational approach, and is often used alongside emotion-focused and attachment-based interventions depending on client needs.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
I provide culturally sensitive therapy by approaching each client’s identity, background, and lived experience with curiosity, respect, and openness. I recognize that culture, family systems, immigration history, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and military affiliation all shape how individuals experience stress, relationships, and mental health. In practice, this means I avoid assumptions and work collaboratively with clients to understand how their cultural context influences their values, coping styles, and relational expectations. I remain attentive to power dynamics, intergenerational patterns, and the impact of systemic stressors, while honoring each client’s definition of healing and well-being. My goal is to create a space where clients feel seen in their full context, not reduced to symptoms, and where cultural strengths are integrated into the therapeutic process.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I incorporate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to support clients in building emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT is often used to help clients better understand and manage intense emotions that may show up in relationships, stress, or periods of change. In sessions, this may include identifying emotional triggers, learning to pause during moments of escalation, and practicing concrete coping strategies such as grounding skills, paced breathing, and self-soothing techniques. I also support clients in developing healthier communication patterns, including setting boundaries and expressing needs more effectively. DBT skills are integrated into a broader trauma-informed and relational approach, and are tailored to each client’s needs rather than used in a rigid or manualized way.
EMDR
I incorporate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help clients process distressing or unresolved experiences that continue to impact their emotional well-being, relationships, and sense of safety in the present. When appropriate, EMDR is used to support clients in identifying target memories connected to current symptoms and gently reprocessing those experiences in a structured and contained way. This may help reduce emotional intensity, shift negative beliefs, and improve overall regulation and coping. I approach EMDR in a trauma-informed and paced manner, prioritizing stabilization, readiness, and client consent throughout the process. EMDR is integrated with other approaches, including CBT, DBT skills, and attachment-based work, depending on client needs and goals.
Couples Counseling
I work with couples to help them better understand the emotional and relational patterns that contribute to conflict, disconnection, and miscommunication. My focus is on creating a safe and structured space where both partners feel heard, while also identifying the cycles that keep them stuck. In sessions, we often explore how each partner experiences the relationship, including underlying emotions such as hurt, fear, or unmet needs that may show up as withdrawal, escalation, or criticism. I help couples slow down these interactions so they can respond to each other with more clarity, empathy, and intention. My approach is collaborative and balanced, with attention to emotional regulation, communication skills, and attachment dynamics. Depending on the couple’s needs, I may integrate elements of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), CBT, and DBT-informed skills to support healthier communication, repair after conflict, and stronger relational connection.