Aya Okumura

Aya Okumura is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience helping people handle stress, anxiety, grief, and changes in life. She works with people dealing with low self-esteem, depression, and motivation. She brings a respectful and compassionate approach to each conversation and adapts her support to individual needs.

Clients can expect a collaborative process where conversations shape practical next steps. Aya listens for what matters most and helps people notice small shifts that lead to relief. She focuses on everyday tools that can ease overwhelm and improve coping in daily life.

Her background includes long-term clinical work in Hawaii and licensure in California and Hawaii as an LCSW, which informs her familiarity with a range of concerns. Aya has supported people facing cancer, caregiver stress, and hospice and end-of-life counseling among other challenges. She also works with issues such as PTSD, panic, social anxiety, and workplace difficulties.

Aya often draws on Client-Centered Therapy to follow the client's lead, Narrative Therapy to help people rewrite their stories, and Solution-Focused work to set clear, achievable goals. Motivational Interviewing supports shifts in readiness and commitment when change feels hard.

She offers sessions in English and Japanese and welcomes international clients. If official documentation for disability, legal, or employment purposes is needed, Aya does not provide that service.

How these approaches guide online sessions

Aya uses Client-Centered Therapy to follow the person's concerns and priorities, giving space for what matters most in each session. This approach helps when someone needs a listening ear and gentle guidance to clarify feelings and choices.

She also draws on Solution-Focused Therapy, which focuses on small, practical steps and clear goals. That method can be useful for people who want concrete strategies for stress, workplace issues, or coping with life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Aya will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then try techniques that fit those needs. The plan can change as progress is made, and the therapist and client decide collaboratively what helps most.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, or offering sessions that better match a workday break. Licensed professionals can use these flexible arrangements to keep momentum between appointments without promising a specific outcome.