Clare Chi, LMFT | Virtual Therapist in California

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Welcome!

I'm Clare Chi, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering virtual therapy across California.

I specialize in working with adults and adolescents navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, and identity, with a particular focus on supporting AAPI individuals and those navigating the weight of high expectations, perfectionism, and life transitions.

See if we're a good fit
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How I got here

I grew up believing that thoughts were safer than feelings, that worthiness was measured by achievements, and that bravery was invincibility rather than vulnerability. For much of my life, I lived in my head rather than from my heart.

I began to shed these beliefs and intentionally come home to myself in the midst of people who held space for me to feel safe and seen. Through my lived experience, I came to deeply believe that healing and growth happen in relationships with ourselves, with others, and within safe and attuned spaces.

This belief is what led me to this work, and it’s what I bring into every session with you.

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How I show up for you

I aim to create a space where you feel fully seen, heard, and welcomed. A space that is steady, warm, and collaborative, where all parts of you are allowed and honored.

My work is relational, person-centered, and trauma-informed. I approach our time together with curiosity and compassion, allowing your experience to guide the process. You are the expert on your own life. My role is to guide and support you in making sense of your patterns, understanding your internal world, and moving toward meaningful change.

Together, we’ll explore how your relationships, past experiences, and environment have shaped the ways you cope, connect, and protect yourself. Many of these patterns developed for good reasons - to help you adapt, belong, or stay safe. Therapy offers space to understand them with compassion and translate insight into change, creating room for something new - a relationship and life that is authentically yours.

Therapy is both reflective and practical. It’s a place to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and begin to live in a way that feels more aligned, intentional, and authentic.

My Approach

Attachment-Based

Understanding how early relationships influence present patterns

Relational

Healing through a secure, attuned connection

Practical

Supporting change that feels meaningful and sustainable

Person-Centered

Honoring lived experience and inner wisdom 

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Trauma-Informed

Prioritizing safety, pacing, and nervous system regulation

Strengths-Based

Recognizing resilience alongside pain

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The modalities that guide our work

I utilize modalities and orientations in ways that fit your needs and strengths. Every intervention is guided by curiosity, compassion, and what will be helpful in meeting you where you are at. Here’s a little about what that can look like:

  • Instead of pushing away difficult emotions, ACT helps you make space for them, get clear on what matters, and take meaningful steps toward the life you want.

  • Your thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected. We’ll explore these patterns and shift the ones that aren’t serving you, helping you feel more confident and at ease.

  • Early relationships shape how safe, worthy, and connected we feel. In a safe space, we’ll explore those patterns, care for your inner child, and build more secure connections.

  • Your responses make sense given your experiences. Rather than asking “what’s wrong with you,” we ask “what happened to you,” honoring your survival while creating space for safety, choice, and healing.

  • Mindfulness helps you slow down, tune into the present, and meet your thoughts and emotions with curiosity, so you can respond to life with clarity and calm.

  • Much of what drives how we feel lives beneath the surface. We’ll explore your emotional story, understand your patterns, and support lasting self-awareness and growth.

  • You already have so much within you. This approach trusts that completely, giving you space to lead your healing, discover your own insights, and grow into a life that feels true to who you are.

Ready to feel more like yourself again?

Starting therapy can feel vulnerable. Finding the right therapist matters.

If my approach resonates with you, I invite you to reach out for a free consultation. We can talk about what you're navigating and whether working together feels like a good fit.

Let's Begin