New to Grow
Hi, I’m Yalda, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 13 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. I support clients navigating anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and life transitions. My approach integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a warm, collaborative style to help clients build practical coping skills, gain insight, and feel more confident in managing life’s challenges. I strive to create a supportive space where clients feel understood, empowered, and supported in their healing and growth.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Your first session is a space for us to get to know each other and begin building a safe, supportive connection. We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, what you’ve been struggling with, and what you hope might feel different in your life. I may ask about your background, relationships, current stressors, and emotional patterns to better understand the full picture. If helpful, we may use brief measures to understand symptoms and track progress over time. There’s no pressure to share everything at once. We’ll move at a pace that feels comfortable for you. My goal is for you to leave feeling heard, understood, and hopeful about the work we can do together.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What stands out about my therapeutic approach is the balance between compassion and structure. Clients often tell me they feel deeply understood and emotionally safe in our work, while also gaining practical tools they can apply right away. Clients who work with me often experience: • Increased emotional awareness • Stronger self-worth and healthier boundaries • Reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms • Improved functioning in work, school, and relationships My goal is not just for clients to feel better temporarily, but to feel stronger, more grounded, and more empowered long-term.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best positioned to support individuals who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, stuck in self-doubt, or weighed down by grief or major life transitions. Many of my clients are high-functioning on the outside but internally struggle with overthinking, perfectionism, guilt, or feeling “not good enough.” They are often insightful and motivated for change but need support breaking unhelpful thought patterns and building healthier coping strategies. I work well with clients who are ready to reflect, learn practical tools, and actively engage in the therapeutic process. Whether you’re navigating loss, relationship challenges, career stress, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, I provide a warm, structured, and collaborative space where growth feels safe and achievable.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a structured, evidence-based approach to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. In my practice, I work collaboratively with clients to identify negative thought patterns, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and develop healthier coping strategies. With over 13 years of clinical experience, I integrate CBT techniques to support clients struggling with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and life transitions. I help clients recognize cognitive distortions such as overthinking, self-criticism, and catastrophizing, and guide them in replacing these patterns with more balanced and empowering perspectives.
Grief Therapy
I specialize in grief and loss therapy. I spent seven years working as a hospice social worker , where I supported individuals and families navigating anticipatory grief, end-of-life transitions, sudden loss, and complicated bereavement. This experience deeply shaped my therapeutic lens and strengthened my ability to sit with profound pain, trauma, and life transitions with steadiness and empathy. I have received specialized grief training in working with both children and adults, and I understand that grief is not something to “fix,” but something to process, integrate, and honor. In therapy, I help clients explore feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, and unfinished conversations while building resilience and meaning after loss.