Dr. Joy Yamazaki-Jones

Founder, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Clinical Supervisor PSY35457

We often come to therapy because we find ourselves feeling lost or overwhelmed by life’s stressors and no longer want to go it alone. I am passionate about supporting people from a multitude of backgrounds in their journey of self-discovery so that they may feel empowered to broaden and enrich their lives and relationships.

My services include:

• Psychotherapy for adults,

• Psychological, neuropsychological, and developmental assessment for adults and youth (age 5+),

• Clinical consultation for other mental health providers

My Approach

My psychoanalytic (also called psychodynamic or relational) approach is collaborative; I act as a companion or guide to help individuals identify and explore patterns in their relationships, with others and with themselves. Through the therapy relationship, our work will also foster understanding of how implicit beliefs, formed early in life, influence how we tend to think, feel, and behave now—things that can seem difficult to change.

This powerful process allows those beliefs and patterns to come into conscious awareness so we can choose to no longer be bound by ways that do not serve us. From that place of knowing ourselves deeply, we are free to experience and live life more fully, inhabit our whole selves, and be with others in a way that is truer to who we are. Not surprisingly, what often follows is a sense of agency, improved well-being, and relief of painful symptoms.

The in-depth nature of psychoanalytic work can be long term and is a significant commitment of time, energy, and resources. At the same time, because of what we invest, there is much greater potential for meaningful and long-lasting change.

Specialty Areas

I am committed to working in depth, paying special attention toward multicultural perspectives and the unique needs and experiences of each person I work with. I specialize in issues with depression, anxiety, relational or complex trauma, belongingness, grief, harsh self-expectation and judgment, perfectionism, stagnation, and other performance-related difficulties. I’ve also had many years of experience with work related to identity, self-exploration, relationships, parenting, family culture, and life transitions. I especially enjoy working with diverse populations and am passionate about exploring immigrant and child-of-immigrant, Asian American, biracial or multicultural identity, interracial relationships, gender and sexual minority/LGBTQ+, and neurodiverse experiences.

Assessment

I use a holistic and person-centered approach to help identify developmental and psychiatric differences, strengths, growth areas, and cognitive style in order to provide meaningful and useable feedback for adults, children, adolescents, and their families. I am dedicated to neurodiversity-affirming practice, honoring the wide spectrum of neurobiology that makes up our community. While at the same time, I acknowledge that systems in place are still catching up and require diverse individuals to seek out support and interventions to navigate their journeys in a way that optimizes their ability to excel.

Assessments can also provide documentation of medical diagnoses vital in advocating for more equitable school, work, or test-taking environments. This could mean gaining access to needed services and accommodations, moving toward creating a better fit at work or school for one’s learning/working cognitive needs. Importantly, discovering one’s own cognitive style allows for greater self-understanding and ability to aid others’ understand of us, self-compassion, and advocacy regardless of your stage of life.

Education, Training, & Affiliations

This is my 7th year in clinical practice. I earned my doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco, CA, where I received specialized training in assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders. I am also a clinical supervisor and adjunct faculty at the Wright Institute’s doctoral program, and have taught seminars at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) and Access Institute for Psychological Services. My professional affiliations include Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), Collaborative Assessment Association of the Bay Area (CAABA), and the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP).