Yasmine Saunders (she/her)

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #146470

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor #16398

CLINICAL APPROACH

Welcome to Teen Therapy Center, I look forward to meeting and connecting with you! I always like to say, there is never a right or wrong time to come to therapy. I encourage you to leave your fears, doubts, and worries at the door as we get to explore the strength and resiliency within you. As we begin this journey together, my hope is to create a space where you are able to show up as yourself, feel safe, and explore the barriers that stop you from feeling confident and ready to take on the world. I am not here to tell you what to do. Instead, I would like help identify values and explore how to grow compassion for yourself. I am eager to walk along side of you in your journey of self-discovery and growth!

My therapy approach focuses within a client-centered and strengths-based approach. Therapy can look different for each teen therefore I believe in meeting each person where they are at in their life’s journey. Despite what others may tell you or the thoughts you may have, everyone has strengths within them! I also incorporate solution focused, cognitive behavioral therapy, expressive arts, and mindfulness into my work. Dialectical behavioral therapy, along with family-systems, attachment theory, and trauma-informed therapy are also used in my therapeutic approaches. Within these theoretical orientations I may use, I am always mindful of multicultural factors that can impact the therapeutic setting. I enjoy working with students, teens, and their families!

ABOUT ME

When I am not at the office, you can find me training for my marathon (or some other running event!), baking, catching up on my TV shows, or trying out new restaurants. You can find me re-watching any of the Hunger Games movies or The Parent Trap! Food Network Channel is on if the other 2 movies are not! Right now, my favorite self-care practice is finding yoga videos on YouTube and doing at least 3 stretches/mediations a week.

I think of myself as a” glass half full” person, rather than “glass half empty” in that there is always some sort of positive despite feeling negative. I like to laugh and remind myself that I am trying my best, and that’s all we can do. My personal goal for this year is to travel at least 4 times out of the state of California.

I am Bilingual in Japanese and English!

SERVICES I OFFER

In-person & virtual sessions for:

  • Individual Therapy (Teens)

  • Family Therapy

  • Parent Support

THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES & PRACTICES I USE

  • Family Systems Therapy

  • Mindfulness

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Narrative Therapy

  • Non-Violent Communication

  • Person-Centered Therapy

  • Play Therapy

  • Solution-Focused Therapy

  • Art Therapy

  • Attachment-Based Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (trauma-informed)

  • Crisis Intervention

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • Existential Therapy

SPECIALTIES

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Strengths-based Therapy, Expressive Arts and Play Therapy

  • Supporting and empowering multiracial teens and their families

  • BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) community, and women and men struggling with self-esteem, confidence, and relationships

AREAS OF CONCERN I WORK WITH

  • LGBTQ+ Concerns (Discrimination from Family/Friends/Community, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity Exploration, Gender Incongruence, Interpersonal Connections, Parenting, Romantic Relationships, Sexual Orientation Exploration, Transitioning)

  • Life Transitions

  • Loneliness

  • Narcissism

  • Neglect

  • Oppositional & Defiant Behaviors

  • Parenting Issues

  • Perfectionism

  • Personality Disorders

  • Pessimism

  • Phobias

  • Pregnancy & Childbirth

  • Procrastination & Motivation

  • Psychosis

  • PTSD

  • Relationship Problems

  • Schizoaffective Disorder

  • Schizophrenia

  • School Avoidance

  • Self-Esteem

  • Self-Harm

  • Sensitivity To Rejection & Criticism

  • Sensory Processing

  • Sex Addiction

  • Sexual Assault (Survivor)

  • Sexual Assault (Offender)

  • Sexual Behaviors

  • Shyness

  • Sleep Problems (Nightmares, Night Terrors, Insomnia)

  • Social Skills

  • Spiritual & Religious Issues

  • Stress & Stress Management

  • Substance Use

  • Suicide (Attempted, Ideation)

  • Terminal Illness

  • Trauma

  • Trust Issues

  • Video Game Addiction

  • Wetting/Soiling Bed & Clothes

  • Abandonment

  • Abuse (Emotional/Verbal, Physical, Sexual) (Offender)

  • Abuse (Emotional/Verbal, Physical, Sexual) (Survivor)

  • Academic Problems

  • Acting Out Behaviors

  • Adoption

  • Aging & Geriatric Concerns

  • Aggression/Violence (In Kids/Teens)

  • Aggression/Violence (In Adults)

  • Anger

  • Anxiety (Generalized, OCD, Panic Attacks/Disorder, Social)

  • Attachment Issues

  • Attention Problems/ADHD

  • Autism Spectrum

  • Bipolar

  • Blended Families

  • Body Dysmorphia

  • Body Image

  • Bullied By Others

  • Bullies Others

  • Codependency

  • Communication Difficulties

  • Cultural Issues

  • Death

  • Death (Preoccupation With)

  • Depression (Major, Peri/Post-Partum, Seasonal)

  • Developmental Delays

  • Discrimination

  • Disordered Eating (ARFID, Binging, Orthorexia, OSFED, PICA, Purging, Restricting, Rumination)

  • Divorce (Supporting Kids/Teens, Supporting Adults)

  • Domestic Violence

  • Family Conflict

  • Fire Setting

  • Grief, Loss & Bereavement

  • Health & Medical Problems

  • Identity Exploration

  • Illness Within the Family

  • Impulsivity

  • Infidelity/Cheating

  • Learning Difficulties

  • LGBTQ+ Concerns (Anxiety, Coming Out, Depression)

* Areas of concern in bold are areas I'm particularly passionate about working with

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Education:

  • Master of Arts in Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California (2020)

  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2017)

  • Completed Level 1 TEAM-CBT certification training

Work Experience: 

  • Associate Marriage Family Therapist at Starlight Community Services (2022-2023): School based mental health for middle and high schoolers within Santa Clara County.

  • Associate Marriage Family Therapist at Bill Will Center (2020-2022): mental health services provided for youth and families between 6 years old – 21 years old.