Tijen Sumbul

I'm Tijen, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering telehealth therapy to adults across California. I specialize in complex and childhood trauma, and in the ways those early experiences quietly shape how we cope, how we connect, and how we show up in our closest relationships. I work with people at every stage of adulthood: young adults figuring out who they are, men who were taught to push through instead of feel, people discovering later in life that they're ADHD or autistic, and women navigating perimenopause and menopause.

Many of the people I work with look capable on the outside and feel exhausted, anxious, or stuck underneath. You're not broken. The patterns you're living with once helped you survive, and they can change. I'm warm, direct, and collaborative, a partner in the work who will gently challenge you toward your growth edge. My background in public health and resilience research shapes a belief at the heart of my practice: growth itself can be a form of healing.

My work is trauma-informed and relational at its core. I draw on Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts work, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), DBT skills, and trauma-informed CBT, woven together with attachment-based and narrative approaches. Because so much of what hurts us happens in relationships, we'll look closely at yours: with partners, family, friends, and yourself. That means understanding the patterns you learned early, why they show up now, and how to build connection that feels honest and secure.

We move at a pace your nervous system can handle, name the cycles that keep you stuck, and practice new ways of responding in session and in daily life. My approach is neurodiversity-affirming, and I pay attention to how things like ADHD, autism, stress, and hormonal changes affect mood, energy, focus, and connection. I'm glad to coordinate with your medical providers when it helps your care.

Our first session is about getting to know you, with no pressure to have it all figured out. We'll talk about what brought you in, some of your history, and what you're hoping will feel different. Mostly, this session is about fit: whether you feel safe and understood with me. You never have to share more than you're ready to.