Your Song Counseling is for when you are having difficulties with your “song” - no, I am NOT talking about karaoke and cannot help you with that! It is a metaphor. I think navigating life is like singing a song - your own special song - to create your individual path. When you sing your song, it brightens people around you, your community, and ultimately the world.
Even if your basic needs are met, you sometimes have ups and downs, your same old challenge haunts you, or something unexpected hits you hard. Then your song gets interrupted, or worse, forgotten.
I can help you rediscover your song. I can help you to feel heard, to understand what is impacting your song, and to start singing it your way again.
Are you one of so-called "minority" and have felt that many others, even your counselor/therapist, do not understand how it is like to be one? People like you come to me because they know that I "know". I am one of you. My identities involve being a BIPOC, an AANHPI, a Japanese immigrant and a female. Of course everybody has own uniqueness, and there is no exactly the same experience. Still, you can count on me for genuine empathy toward your minority stress (e.g. microaggression, prejudice, racism - including internalized one). We will not just mourn who we are, however. We will explore how you can be who you want to be, regardless of societal oppression.
I was serving at healthcare/social service agencies for 15 years. Hence I have a lot of compassion to those who are in helping professions, including unpaid ones such as caregivers for their loved ones. Professionals in these fields have great intentions to make other's lives better. However, working under "the system" and the reality of being in the frontline can cause much stress and possible burnout. Caregivers, without doubt, are dedicated and hard-working people. Yet, they tend to be underappreciated and isolated. I used to offer in-home counseling to them and observed how difficult it can be to balance their lives. It has been my pleasure to work with "helpers" with or without pay to remind the value of their existence, reasons why they are doing what they are doing and an importance of self-care to contiue their meaningful work.
I always respect and wanted to work with aging adults because they are wise with more life exeriences. As a result, I became certified as a Geriatric Mental Health Specialist by Washington State, lead a program for at-risk aging adults and offered counseling and assessments in various settings including homes, hospitals and skilled nursing facilities for them. They often had chronic medical conditions including dementia, hence I have received extra trainings for them. Grief is also common in the population due to losses of abilities, independence, family members, friends, etc. My expertise in aging adults has been appreciated not only by them but also their caregivers to remind them of their resiliency.
Please contact me if you have any questions. Free 15 minute phone consultation is available upon request.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 6:30am-9:30am(HST)/9:30 am - 3:00 pm (PST))
Closed on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and major holidays
Copyright © 2018 Your Song Counseling, PLLC - Ayako Aizawa, MS, LMHC, GMHS - All Rights Reserved.
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