Therapist & Clinical Social Worker specializing in trauma, grief, RELATIONSHIPS & MULTICULTURAL therapy

Hi, I’m Canh (He/Him)

Washington State License #LW61230640

California License #122224

  • Hi, I’m Canh.

    I work with individuals impacted by trauma, grief, loss, neglect, and chronic stress who yearn for more satisfying relationships with themselves and those they care about.

    Many of my clients grew up in environments where substance use and addiction was common, abuse and neglect was pervasive, were raised by immigrants or refugees, and experienced a wide range of traumatic experiences.

    As a result, they struggle with anxiety, stress, guilt, burn out, overwhelming emotions, people pleasing, overthinking, numbing themselves, distraction, perfectionism, and negative self-talk.

    I do this work because healing our wounds positively transforms our relationships, communities, and the world.

    Healing is not linear. Healing is relational, circular, and ongoing.

    I engage in my own healing work so I can hold space for you and your healing. This is the ripple effect of healing.

    I’ve been a therapist for 7 years and have over 11 years of social services experience.

    In my spare time, I enjoy running, going on long walks, doing nothing, relaxing, cooking Vietnamese food, traveling, meditating, attending silent meditation retreats, watching reality shows like Survivor, and playing Spirit Farer and Stardew Valley on Nintendo Switch.

    I look forward to meeting you.

    Take good care,

    Canh

  • EDUCATION

    • University of California, Post-Master’s Fellowship

    • University of Washington, Master of Social Work

    • University of Washington, Behavioral Health Fellowship

    • University of Texas, Bachelor of Arts

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    LICENSE

  • I love learning.

    I regularly attending trainings in the areas of: grief, trauma recovery, multicultural therapy, attachment, and relationship issues.

    I also regularly attend my own personal therapy, engage in peer and professional clinical consultation, and take time off so clients can receive the best care possible and for me to sustain my work long term due to the occupational hazards of being a therapist.

    Anticipated 2026 Trainings

    • Certificate in Complex Trauma and Dissociation - International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation (72 hrs)

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (14 hrs)

    • The Foundations of Clinical Supervision Certificate (25 hrs)

    • Somatic Experiencing for Trauma Resolution (3 Year Training In Progress; Anticipated Completion 2026) (216 hrs)

    • The Big Picture: Prolonged Grief Disorder Principles & Procedures (6.5 hrs)

    • Practice-Focused Training in Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (13 hrs)

    • The Neurobiology of Trauma and Its Application to Successful Treatment ( 5 hrs)

    2025

    • Trauma and Dissociation/CPTSD Informed Internal Family Systems (IFS) - A 5-Day IFS Retreat With Joanne Twombly (32 hrs)

    • Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP) (14 hrs)

    • 7- Day Silent Insight Meditation Retreat

    • Narrative Therapy Training (12 hrs)

    • Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (6 hrs)

    • Prolonged Exposure (PE) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (14 hrs)

    • End of Life Doula Training (40 hrs)

    2024

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 2, Deepening & Expanding (42 hrs)

    • Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) Basic Training For Couples Therapy (72 hrs)

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Workshop - Shame & Guilt (2 hrs)

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Workshop - Chronic Pain (2 hrs)

    • Somatic Psychedelic Facilitator Certificate - The Embody Lab (32 hrs)

    • Psychedelic Education Certificate (MDMA, Psilocybin, Ketamine, and 5-MeO-DMT) - Psychedelic Support (20 hrs)

    • Trauma-Informed Care Training Certificate: Working with Female Survivors of Violence (40 hrs)

    • 7-Day Silent Retreat: Befriending Mortality: Living An Awakened Life Through Mindfulness of Death

    • Cultivating Focused Attention: An Intensive 7- Day Mindfulness Retreat for Mental Health Professionals

    • 7- Day Silent Meditation Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Compassionate, and Responsive Heart

    • Mentalizing and Mentalization-Based Treatment with Adults (MBT Adult): An Introduction (6 hrs)


    • General Psychiatric Management (GPM) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (6 hrs)

    • Clinical Supervision Training: (Almost) Everything You Need to Know (18 hrs)

    2023

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1 (72 hrs)

    • PRATI Foundational Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Training (30 hrs)

    • MAPS (Now Lykos) MDMA Assisted Therapy Training (30 hrs)

    • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (14 hrs)

    • Introduction to Military Culture, Families and Deployment (6 hrs)

    • Overview of Military Service-Related Behavioral Health Challenges (7 hrs)

    2022

    • Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT) Level 1 (30 hrs)

    • Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT) Level 2 (30 hrs)

    • Transforming Resistance - Yearlong Seminar in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) (18 hrs)

    • Mental Health Suicide in 2022: An Update for Professionals (6 hrs)

    • Socratic Dialogue: A 4-Stage Model of Discovery (1 hr)

    2021

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Level 2, Essential Skills (80 hrs)

    • Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Levels 1 & 2 (24 hrs)

    • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) (12 hrs)

    • Seeking Safety Training (Substance Use & PTSD) (6 hrs)

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills: Introduction (12 hrs)

    • Community Resiliency Model (CRM) (6 hrs)

    • Attachment Injury Resolution Model (AIRM) (12 hrs)

    2020

    • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship (28 hrs)

    • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (27 hrs)

    • All Patients Safe: Suicide Prevention for Medical Providers (6 hrs)

    2019

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Level 1 Immersion (30 hrs)

    • Trauma Informed Care & Practical Approaches To Managing Trauma Responses In Eating Disorder Treatment (12 hrs)

    • Mindful Self-Compassion Core Skills Training (22 hrs)

    • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Boot Camp/Immersion (32 hrs)

    2018

    • Motivational Interviewing Skills (MI) Training (12 hrs)

    • Gottman Couples Therapy Level 1 (12 hrs)

    • Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) (14 hrs)

    • Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk: Core Competencies for Mental Health Professionals (6 hrs)

    • Essentials of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) (5 hrs)

  • I’m an active therapist, rather than a passive therapist.

    I may interrupt you, challenge you, offer you a different perspective, teach you skills, provide you education, and ask you to try other ways of thinking or relating.

    I also offer somatic and experiential therapy which is different than regular talk therapy.

    Healing is possible, especially when we engage not just our mind, but body.

    Unresolved wounds impact our body, mind, and spirit distorting our identity, feeling of safety, ability to trust, and ability to form and sustain relationships.

    My job is not to tell you what to do or "fix" you.

    My job is to help you face conflicts, feelings, and truths so you can better understand yourself, make healthier changes, and let go of patterns that no longer serve you.

    You can learn more about my approach by clicking here.

Who & What i help with

  • Clients who work best with me often seek a trauma, relationship, anxiety, and/or grief specialist.

    I especially enjoy working with overachievers, perfectionists, and wounded healers who work in high stress and high pressure environments and/or those who grew up in difficult circumstances.

    I work with healthcare professionals, therapists, and social workers who are wounded healers.

    I work with those who are exhausted, overwhelmed, burnt out, experiencing compassion fatigue, and want to take better care of themselves.

    I work with survivors of childhood trauma, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and attachment/developmental trauma.

    I work with survivors of trauma who are parents who want to parent healthier children and break the cycle of trauma.

    I work with immigrants and children of immigrants who want to increase their self esteem, feel more confident, and want to take up more space in the world.

    I work with men who want to become more aware of their emotional world, increase comfort with vulnerability, learn to ask for what they want in healthier ways, and who seek more satisfying relationships.

    I work with people of color who want to decolonize therapy, seek a more casual type of therapy, heal from racial trauma, unlearn harmful messages, and take up more space in the world.

    I work with queer/gay people who want to learn to love themselves unconditionally, feel more at home in their bodies, and unlearn harmful messaging from family, society, and our larger culture.

  • I want to…

    • Interrupt patterns of self sabotage.

    • Understand why I do what I do.

    • Heal from the impacts of trauma, grief, and loss.

    • Learn how to manage my traumatic triggers and flashbacks.

    • Learn how to manage stress, anxiety, panic, and overwhelm.

    • Learn how to be kinder to myself and practice self compassion.

    • Become more aware, name, express, and feel my emotions.

    • Learn how to manage overwhelming thoughts and emotions.

    • Have a more intimate, strong, and robust relationship with myself and others.

    • Have a space for myself because I usually internalize my thoughts and feelings.

    • Become more comfortable with vulnerability.

    • Learn to ask for what I need and when I need help.

    • Learn direct and assertive communication.

    • Learn healthy and flexible boundaries.

    • Work through feelings of shame and guilt.

    • Increase my sense of Self (confidence, esteem, acceptance, love, compassion).

    • Find more meaning and value in my life.

    • Have an outside perspective to my issues.

WHY PEOPLE LIKE WORKING WITH ME

01. Authentic & Honest

Healing requires being real and direct. I’m not a robotic, neutral therapist who sits in silence.

I bring my personality, genuineness, and sense of humor into sessions. Sometimes, I laugh and curse.

Expect me to be professional, straightforward, kind, and compassionate.

02. Challenging & Supportive

You want someone who will ask you the hard questions, challenges you, and offers feedback.

Change often happens at the intersection of discomfort, patience, and repetition. 

Please be open to feedback and change if you want your life to be different. I’ll also be open to learning, flexible, and adaptive. 

03.Focus On Long Term Change

We’ll get to the root of your issues so you can feel relief, freedom, and peace, not just stay on the surface level.

You’ll increase self-understanding, acquire practical skills, and reconnect to your authentic self so you can feel more at ease and have a more meaningful life.

My goal is for clients to work me out of a job and stop seeing me.

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I Have More Questions

  • Learn more about therapy by reading the pages below:

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    Note: There are no guarantees counseling will solve all problems, or how quickly changes will occur. There are no miracle cures, but it improves the odds, particularly if you start early.

  • Of course.

    Some people never go to therapy and live full and complete lives.

    While it's possible to work on your own personal healing, therapy offers different benefits that may be difficult to achieve on your own.

    Talking to a friend, reading self-help books, journaling, mindfulness, meditation, and scrolling through TikTok and Instagram are all tools.

    Therapy is another tool.

    Therapists provide:

    • Accountability

    • Support

    • An objective perspective

    • Structure

    • Confidentiality

    • Expertise, skills, and training

    It’s your decision to decide if therapy will be a helpful tool for you.

  • You might cry. Many people do. And it's completely okay.

    Crying is a normal, helpful, and natural way for our bodies to release pent-up emotions.

    Crying is a way to let go of the pain, sadness, burden, fatigue, or frustration you may be carrying inside.

    By crying, you're actually taking a positive step towards healing.

    Or you might not cry. And that’s okay too.

  • It’s common to feel nervous and stressed about going to therapy, especially if you’ve never gone before.

    Human beings are hardwired to avoid pain, discomfort, and the unknown.

    Common reasons clients feel unsure about therapy:

    • Feelings of embarrassment

    • Discomfort with vulnerability

    • Stigma around mental health due to cultural norms

    • Expenses/fees

    • Fear of being misunderstood

    • Fear that treatment will not be helpful

    • Commitment to treatment long term

    • Past negative experiences with therapists

    • And more

    I’ll ask you questions about your worries so we can alleviate and address your concerns.

    There is no “perfect” time to start therapy. We begin where you are at and we move slowly. The hardest part is usually making the first step and reaching out.

    Trust times take time to build. We’ll only continue meeting if we both find it helpful and a good fit.

    If I’m not a good fit for your needs, there are a variety of therapies and types of therapies available who can help you.

    As a therapist who goes to therapy, I still feel nervous at times going to therapy!

  • I do not have adequate specialized training & experience with the following populations and issues:

    • Children

    • Adolescents

    • Teens

    • Families

    • Psychosis

    • Sleep issues/insomnia

    • Mandated/court ordered therapy

    • Disability evaluations

    • Forensic evaluations

    • OCD

    • Discernment counseling

    • Sex therapy

    No Crisis Services

    • I can’t take on clients who are actively suicidal and homicidal, active eating disorders, active addiction, and/or problematic substance use due to being a one person practice.

    • These issues require a higher level of care where you are provided intensive care (e.g. more than an hour once a week).

  • Therapy has a beginning, middle, and end.

    Length of treatment depends on your goals and your ability to invest time and money.

    I work with clients based on their goals.

    Some people seek single session therapy to try out therapy and get an outside perspective.

    Some people want short-term therapy to learn skills.

    Some people seek long-term therapy to understand themselves better, general wellness, and self-management.

    My goal is for clients to work me out of a job and stop seeing me.

    We’ll end therapy when you’ve reached your goals, symptoms have decreased, you want space and time to integrate your learning, and/or at anytime you feel therapy isn’t helpful.

    Some folks also like to pause and take a break, coming back when necessary.

  • WE MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU VALUE:

    Being challenged and interrupted at times

    • Rather than venting every session and have me nod in silence; I believe there is a limit to how much endless validation can help you grow

    Are active in therapy

    • Come in with things to talk about, practice skills/tools outside session, open to trying new things

    Direct communication and soliciting feedback

    • Therapy is most helpful when you communicate with me your disagreements, your requests/wants, and when you give me feedback on what is and isn’t helpful. I’ll do the same.

    Dialectic or balance

    • I try to balance things in therapy: balancing validation with challenge, balancing insight with learning skills, listening with interrupting, and acceptance with change

    Other methods outside of talk therapy

    • Such as mindfulness, experiential therapy, psychodrama, somatic therapy

    The healing power of relationships

    • Most people bring their patterns/dynamics into the therapeutic relationship. If you tend to avoid conflict outside of therapy, you’ll most likely avoid tension and disagreement with your therapist.

    • We will use our therapeutic relationship as a template for learning new healthy experiences and opportunities for repair and growth

    Want to learn how to become your own therapist long term

    • My goal is for you to gain insight and understanding into why you do what you do, interrupt unhelpful cycles of sabotage, and learn skills/tools to manage future conflicts

    WE MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU:

    Expect perfection

    • I’m not perfect, will make mistakes, and will communicate directly when this occurs toward resolution

    Expect me to do the bulk of the work

    • Examples: Solve your problems, tell you what to do, consistently have to ask you what you want to work on in session, am more curious about you than you are of yourself

    Cancel sessions often

    • Therapy works best with consistency

    Don’t take accountability

    • Confronting our shadows require honesty about our humanity and limitations

    Don’t liked being challenged

    • Of course, I will be gentle and compassionate, but in my experienee, endless validation is not going to be helpful long term

    Demand instant change within 3-4 sessions

    • While relief can come in a few sessions, long term change requires compassion, practice, patience, and repetition

    Want to get rid of all your feelings and thoughts

    • Pain is inevitable in life

    • My goal is for you to learn to accept and manage life stressors, pain, and grief with more compassion, nuance, and acceptance.

    • If we get rid of painful feelings and thoughts, we also then will have a difficult time accessing joy, love, and peace. What we resist persists.

    • Moreover, there are things in life that cannot be forgotten, forgiven, or rid of such as the loss of a loved one or traumatic experiences

    Aren’t interested in exploring your past, childhood, or upbringing

    • There are other therapists who focus only on the present moment with an emphasis on skill building and generating quick solutions that may be a better fit (CBT, DBT, ACT)

    • Click here to see if I have openings and clicking on First Telehealth Session (60-Minutes).

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