Mona Klausing (She/her)

LMFT #101243
Accepting Clients

Visit www.avanicounseling.com to view my full bio and my team of therapists.

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in San Diego, CA

Services
  • Individual
  • Couples
  • Family
  • Adolescent/Teen
  • Group

About My Clients

Our society teaches us to value independence, confidence and productivity – sometimes to the detriment of personal relationships and our own sense of self-worth. Almost daily we are bombarded with narrowly defined gender roles, and ‘rules’ around how we should look, act, think and feel. I enjoy collaborating with clients to reconsider the boundaries of their lives, how they create meaningful relationships, and in doing so, identify their preferred ways of engaging with the world around them.

My Background and Approach

Prior to making a mid-career change to the field of marriage and family therapy nine years ago, I worked as a marketing and public relations executive for almost 20 years in the high tech industry in California. This experience taught me a lot about working with clients from very diverse cultural backgrounds and professional identities. It also gave me an opportunity to witness firsthand the stress and other negative effects of ‘corporate America’ and in conforming to social norms and pressures that don’t fit our own ideas of self. Born in India and raised in the US since the age of three, I have also lived and worked in the Dominican Republic and Japan. I am part of a multi-cultural and multi-lingual family. I believe this gives me a unique perspective on how individuals, couples and families deal with the stressors associated with immigration and acculturation, multi-ethnic relationships, intergenerational conflicts, life transitions and other difficulties.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

My therapy approach is client-centered, compassionate, honoring of your values and lived experiences, and focused on the changes you would like to make in your life. I draw from Narrative Therapy practices and Solution-Focused principles to support you in re-writing your personal story and overcoming the challenges that keep you feeling stuck. I also recognize that many of the hardships that clients face are the result of systemic racism, injustice and inequity, which can manifest in a host of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression and violence. These are not flaws in a person's character but the negative effects of a society that privileges the rights, desires and dominance of certain people over others.

Insurance Plans Accepted
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Optum
  • United Healthcare
I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 13 years of practice
  • Rate: $125 - 200/session

Info

619-786-5850 Email Mona
5694 Mission Center Road
Suite 602-309
San Diego, CA 92108

Reach out to Mona