About Prana

A woman with long dark hair, wearing a maroon blouse, smiling in a professional setting with blurred background.

Like many of you, I wear many hats.

I’m an Asian American woman of Indian descent who loves bold spices, good conversation, and yes — New York pizza. As a proud New Yorker, I know what it means to move fast, think fast, and live in a constant state of “being on.” Moving to California was my way of slowing down and realigning with my true professional calling.

I grew up with immigrant parents in a predominantly white suburb, where I witnessed mental health struggles, isolation, discrimination, and relationship stress unfold. Those early experiences helped me see how cultural conditioning, socialization, and people-pleasing/perfectionism can keep us stuck in cycles of overreacting and overfunctioning — and they continue to shape how I support clients today.

At age 40, I made a significant career pivot. Like many obedient daughters, I initially chose the “practical” route and earned my MBA in I/O Psychology. I spent a decade in corporate media leading marketing teams for Fortune 500 companies in New York City. While I thrived in many ways, I eventually realized I wanted work that felt more fulfilling, not just “impressive.”

Becoming a therapist specializing in relationships was one of the toughest and most meaningful decisions of my life. After all, there is nothing I love more than love!

For over 20 years, I was in an interracial relationship. Living through different phases of love, conflict, repair, and growth profoundly shaped my understanding of long-term partnership and just how dynamic relationships truly are.

Now, as a parent of two school-age children and two fur babies (who absolutely believe they are in charge), I’m reminded daily that connection isn’t built through perfection — it’s built through presence, responsiveness, and re-dos.

These lived experiences inform how I relate to my clients, supported by structured, evidence-based clinical training that guides our work together.

I integrate modalities including:

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Gottman-informed couples work
• Trauma-Focused CBT
• Mindfulness
• Nervous System Regulation

🌿 My Approach

Therapy is, first and foremost, a relationship.

It’s about finding a rhythm together — one that feels calm, honest, and collaborative. I offer a safe, affirming space where you can slow down, reflect, and make sense of what’s happening within you and in your relationship with the world around you.

We explore your story — your cultural background, relationship patterns, stressors, triggers, and strengths. We look at how anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, over-functioning, or disconnection may be affecting the way you show up.

We don’t just build awareness, we also build skills.

In a practical, embodied way, we practice mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills — for communication, for self-compassion, and for responding rather than reacting.

I believe that when we understand our patterns, soften self-criticism, and externalize blame, we create space for more connected and intentional living.