Esther Chau LMFT

Welcome! I am so glad you are here. I work with clients who are interested in knowing themselves more deeply and fully in order to build healthy relationships--within themselves and with others. The clients who would benefit the most from working with me are those who are ready to be curious about how past experiences have influenced the present and those who are committed to using that knowledge to create new experiences that are aligned with their values. It is also important to me that I know my clients deeply and fully. This includes knowing and celebrating all of your identities, cultural contexts, and other parts that come together to shape who you are!

Using Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, my role in this collaborative work is to be a compassionate witness who supports you as you explore, reflect, and connect with parts of yourself that have been pushed away or ignored. Some experiences I often work with include anxiety, grief, and trauma. These parts of you can often be stuck in the same old beliefs or feel burdened by stories others have told you about yourself. They may cause you to experience emotions such as anger, sadness, or fear. Through our work together, you can build new relationships with these parts and release these stories and beliefs, which allows for a greater experience of freedom, choice, and connection. I would be honored to join you in healing your relationship with yourself and your relationships with others.

Internal Family Systems is not simply a model of therapy for me. It is a practice that I integrate in my own life and with all parts of myself. I have experienced it as both a powerful and beautiful model of understanding ourselves and others. I believe that the change people want to see in their lives is rooted in connection. Ultimately, I see therapy as a space where one human can compassionately sit with and be connected to another human. IFS facilitates that space gently and intentionally which results in change that allows you to know yourself and move towards authenticity.

• California, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 151190