Aika Shinkawa

I firmly believe that it is through building authentic relationships and community with one another that we can heal. It is through connection and vulnerability that we are able to embody change and healing. My priorities as a therapist are to be able to foster an environment that encourages genuine and authentic connection that can serve as the foundation for healing. To build a space together where we are equals, where we can both feel safe and experience vulnerability, where shame is not allowed to fester, where you will not be judged for your past, and where someone wants to truly understand you. Together, we will create a vision and a roadmap for the future you desire, and you will not have to embark on this journey alone. My work focuses on the unique struggles that come with experiencing several intersectional, marginalized identities simultaneously. I am a first-generation biracial Asian American who is physically disabled, chronically ill, AuDHD, queer, and nonbinary. It was through my own, long-standing history with mental health that I set out on the path to become a therapist in my late teenage years. I think it is important, and at times life-changing, to be able to speak to someone who shares marginalized identities and has experienced similar struggles as you. I often bring these shared experiences into the therapy room with the intention of always keeping you at the center of the conversation, and also providing validation that you are not alone. I recognize that people from marginalized communities may often feel that they are alone in their struggles. My greatest hope is that, through our work together, you can come to see that other people like you understand you. I strive to help my clients learn how to exist in the world as themselves, to advocate for their needs, to feel confident setting boundaries with others, to find a felt sense of safety, and to become confident in their ability to solve problems. My areas of speciality include working with those who are autistic/ADHD, or who have OCD, CPTSD, experience depersonalization/derealization, gaslighting, narcissistic abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or for a free 15-30 minute consult to explore what our work can look like together.