Stephanie Olano (she/her/hers)

My sessions are all online, and ideal for those working from home. I offer support for young adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or coping with all of the huge life transitions and stressors that happen in young adulthood. It’s common to feel stuck and overwhelmed by this stage of life, leaving people seemingly unable to live up to their potential. My approach to therapy is to be authentic and listen to my clients without judgment. Most of the time, young adults are constantly hearing advice or being judged about their decisions. In our therapy sessions, my client and I work as a team to figure out the problem together; we work to understand what's stopping them from achieving their goals. I do not hold my own agenda with my clients, and I try show and model that all of my clients have autonomy. My approach is anti-racist and values a decolonized version of therapy. I also use mindfulness, existential therapy, and bringing in things like pop culture.

I identify as a cis-gendered Latinx female. I’m passionate about working with Latinx and BIPOC individuals, first generation college students, the LGBTQ+ community, those struggling with suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and those in substance use recovery. I was born and raised in the Bay Area. Prior to starting my practice, I primarily worked as a school-based therapist in Peninsula and South Bay neighborhoods. I care so much about those who feel like “The Other” because that was me, too. For most of my teenage years, I was considered a shy, emo kid. No one understood my interests or hobbies, and my appearance also made me a target. As much as I wanted to be accepted, I also wanted to feel connected, and to choose a path and own it. I wanted to live an unapologetically authentic life. So that's what I help my clients do now.