Anandalakshmi Gnanalingam

Hello!

My name is Ani Gnanalingam and I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT#151669) practicing in California.

As a refugee, an immigrant and a parent, I have had many life experiences that bring a unique approach to the way I provide psychotherapy.

I grew up in South Asia and moved to the U.S. during my high school years. After attending university, I began my career working in high tech in the Bay Area but I found out quickly that my passion was for supporting individuals with their relationship toward school, work and personal growth. I made a career transition ten years ago. I started by working in the classroom at an elementary school to provide educational support. I then returned to college to begin my journey to become a therapist. Upon completing my Masters in Counseling Psychology, I worked at an elementary school as a school-based therapist for three years providing psychotherapy to young school aged children. I have worked at an agency that provided psychotherapy to grieving adults. As a grief counselor, I provided individual counseling and co-led two adult spouse loss groups. I worked in a group practice for another three years where I worked with children, teens, couples and adults gaining valuable experience while fulfilling the hours needed for my licensure. Now I am excited to have my own practice.

Through my experiences, I have realized that I have a special connection with immigrant parents struggling to raise their children in the United States. I also feel very connected to children of immigrant parents who are trying to meet the expectations of two, sometimes very different, cultures. The individuation needs for those coming from collective cultures and providing relational therapy to those who have early childhood attachment trauma are areas that I feel I can be of deep, caring support. I also enjoy helping couples communicate and connect better with each other.

If you are struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, emotional regulation challenges, acculturation, grief or communication, parenting and relationship issues, I can support you in your journey toward understanding yourself and your environment better and provide you with tools so that you can heal, grow and thrive.

I am committed to supporting teens, adults, couples and families who want to achieve more joyful, authentic and meaningful lives. Accomplished in therapeutic techniques such as active listening, validating, unconditional positive regard, empathy, somatic awareness, and breath work, I love supporting my clients as they explore and celebrate their inner wisdom and what their bodies have to teach them about regulation, healing, growth and transformation. I am culturally sensitive with an ability to work with diverse groups across a broad spectrum of ideologies and backgrounds. I approach my clients holistically, looking at their early childhood attachment relationships, their family system, important events in their lives and their core beliefs. My work is individualized for each unique client.

The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, your goals, and what you’re hoping to get out of our work together. You can also ask me any questions you have about the process.