The Counselors

Nina and Katelyn are the co-founders of TeleTherapy Room. The idea was created after working together for years and being tied to ‘the job’. We have both worked in oversaturated, fast paced, insurance and diagnosis-driven environments. We have been in respected clinical and operational leadership positions building programs for communities from the ground up. We have supervised therapists, trained medical providers, nurses, first responders, and front line healthcare workers but we finally paused long enough to realize we were burnt out.

Each on our own separate journey we discovered we had the same goal in mind — balance. We both find immense joy and pride in our clinical work as counselors but needed to reconnect to our identities as individuals and counselors. We began seeking specialized education and trainings to narrow down the clients we love to serve. We founded TeleTherapy Room to connect with those individuals— you! We hope our experiences navigating our own anxiety with life transitions paired with our clinical expertise can assist you with your goals. Read more about each of us below.

  • Here is the moment when we finally find ourselves mustering up enough courage to reach out for help.  One part of us is saying, “I hate feeling like this.  Does talking to someone make me look weak?  I just need help, I feel lost.”  The other part of us is saying, “Our story is not special.  Some people have it worse than I do.  I just need suck it up and move on.”  Our identities and roles begin intertwining and next thing you know we have the past version of me, the people pleasing daughter, the hardworking therapist who struggles with work-life balance, the stressed-out wife who feels like she sucks at everything, the comedic friend who struggles with her own insecurities, and the anxious pet parent who constantly believes she is failing. The list goes on and our identity feels lost. 

    Being a first generation Asian American Indian, I struggled with balancing family and cultural expectations.  I often felt pressured to play a specific role in my family, achieve certain markers in life, and at times felt judged and misunderstood.  Because of my past experiences and lack of knowledge and conversations surrounding mental health topics, I struggled with maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships, implementing boundaries, managing my emotions, and often struggled with feeling not good enough in various aspects in my life.  My question to you is- can you relate to my story?   

    In the first episode of Friends, one of my favorite television sitcoms, Rachels says, "It's like all my life everyone's told me, 'You're a shoe! ' Well, what if I don't want to be a shoe? What if I want to be a purse or a hat?" From the beginning, Rachel knows she is not meant to live out a life that had already been decided for her.  And as women, we have expectations of how we should act, look, and be to fit into a compartment so others can understand us better.  Well ladies, I say, if you don’t want to be a shoe, don’t!  Be true to who you are.  Many believe a good therapist can connect with anyone from all walks of life; I believe a great therapist knows their skills set and how to connect with their niche of clients.  I specialize in working with early to middle aged self-identifying women, where family and cultural expectations and upbringings have impacted their outlook on their interpersonal relationships and relationship with their self. These struggles can become overwhelming and, at times, leaves us feeling defeated. 

    Collaboration is key in therapy.  You are the expert of your life, and I am here with a set of skills to help you find the tools you are looking for to build and grow yourself. I ask that you give me ten percent of your trust and let me earn the other ninety. At times I may challenge you, but growth often happens when we are uncomfortable.  And during these difficult times, I want you to choose a therapist who can relate with you, understand your needs, and provide you with the support and skills needed to continue in your growth journey. 

    Education: Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling

    Certifications:  Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTSI), Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), National Certified Counselor (NCC).

  • Courage. This word means the ability to do something that frightens one; to have mental and emotional strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. This is what finding yourself looks like. This is what navigating your identity feels like. I have a wealth of lived experience with my own journey so I get it. I’ve navigated various circumstances in my own life and overcome many of my own obstacles. Becoming a mother was one of the largest and hardest role changes I’ve gone through. The long and tired nights, the unending demands of being a working mother the endless anxiety, and the search to develop my new self as “mommy”. I have moved across the country leaving everything behind and started over. I've changed careers and navigated forging new relationships.

    What I have learned is we have more resilience and strength than we give ourselves credit for. We have the inner drive and can untangle the webs if we have the right skills. I can help you learn those skills. I can help guide you on your own unique journey. You are in the driver seat, and I am your co-pilot— sounds fun, right? Counseling can be fun. It is fun to learn who you are and to discover the confidence you have within. We don’t need to prove our worth to anyone but ourselves.

    I value the mind-body connection and believe we can find healing when we approach our health from a holistic perspective. I value authenticity, honesty, balance, and choice. Engaging in counseling takes a lot of effort and it can only be genuinely transforming if you show up as your true self. I will show up as mine and that may include laughing, maybe some crying, and definitely some hard conversations. I am passionate about helping women adjust to challenges, re-shape their identity, and deal with past traumas to become their ideal self. I aim to teach how to live with anxiety and not work against it. 

    My role is to listen, ask questions, guide, and challenge you to shape your own path of healing and self-discovery. I work best with women who are growing tired of the way their life is going and are ready and willing to dig deep to make lasting changes. Change is hard, and it’s not immediate (that would be too easy, right?). Counseling is a process and sometimes it’s fast and sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s frustrating and sometimes it’s energizing. I can help you learn a lot about yourself, build new skills, and find your inner strength. Each of us has the ability to find light even in the darkest times. I am so excited and lucky to walk this journey with you.

    Education: Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

    Certifications: Board Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH), Trauma Informed Practitioner (TIP), Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTSI), Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), National Certified Counselor (NCC)