Kiumars Q Vafai

I've been working in mental health for over ten years — long before I had "LMFT" after my name. Before that, I spent five years teaching English in Japan and Vietnam, living in countries where I was the outsider, building trust without a shared language or cultural shorthand. That taught me something clinical training alone doesn't: how to actually meet people where they are. I work with adults dealing with depression, bipolar disorder, substance use, and the stress of navigating identities that don't fit neatly into one box. I work well with people who've never quite bought into the idea that therapy is for them — and with people whose background, heritage, or sense of belonging feels complicated. You don't need to have a crisis to benefit from this work. You just need to want something to be different.

Motivational Interviewing helps us get honest about what's actually in the way of change — not what you think should be in the way, but what really is. It's non-coercive, collaborative, and it works.

I also draw on Humanistic and Positive Psychology approaches, which means I take your strengths and values seriously — not just your symptoms. Therapy with me is direct and honest. I won't pretend things are fine when they aren't, and I won't push an agenda that isn't yours.

The first session is a real conversation, not an intake form with a face attached. I'll ask what brought you in, what's been happening, and what you're hoping therapy will actually do for you. I'll tell you what I think I can offer, and what working together might look like. You'll leave with a clearer picture of whether this feels like the right fit.

You don't need to have the right words or a tidy summary of your problems. Most people don't. Just show up, and we'll figure it out from there.