Mona Klausing

Some of the ways I would identify my cultural identity include: mother, wife, feminist, Indian-American, spiritual, progressive, BIPOC and LGBTQ-ally, immigrant, multi-lingual, and nature-loving.

After immigrating with my family from India, I spent my formative adolescent and teen years living and studying in Maryland, California and the Dominican Republic. As a young adult, I also worked and studied in Japan. These experiences helped to stretch my understanding of the ways different cultures live. I am part of a multi-cultural and multi-lingual family. I believe this gives me a unique perspective on how individuals, couples and families deal with the stressors associated with immigration and acculturation, multi-ethnic relationships, intergenerational conflicts, life transitions and other difficulties.

Prior to pivoting to the field of marriage & family therapy in 2010 – I worked as an international marketing and public relations executive for 20 years in the high tech industry. This experience taught me about working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and professional identities. It also gave me an opportunity to witness firsthand the stress and other negative effects of ‘corporate America’ and in conforming to social norms and pressures that don’t fit our own ideas of self.

I am a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and AAMFT-Approved Supervisor and am the Founder of Avani Counseling in San Diego. I have been a faculty at San Diego State University for 11 years, teaching in the undergraduate and graduate programs in Counseling & School Psychology. I hold a Bacherlor's in Linguistics (emphasis in Romance Languages), Minor in Japanese Studies, Master's in Counseling plus three post-masters certificates in Narrative Therapy & Community Work, Latin American Family Therapy and Discernment Counseling.

I hope this gives you a sense of me.

My therapy approach is client-centered, compassionate, honoring of your values and lived experiences, and focused on the changes you would like to make in your life. I draw from Narrative Therapy practices and Solution-Focused principles to support you in re-writing your personal story and overcoming the challenges that keep you feeling stuck.

I see myself as a collaborator and facilitator in our sessions. I listen for the values that guide your decisions and inform your worldview. Reflecting these back to you, and asking intentional questions, can bring clarity about the life you want to lead and what changes you'd like to make. I also used solution-focused practices to help you make progress towards your stated goals.