Aya Okumura , LCSW

Aya Okumura is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, and depression. She speaks English and Japanese and practices from Hawaii. Aya focuses on women's issues among other life challenges and aims to make beginning therapy feel simple and doable.

Aya uses a conversational, respectful style. She listens first and tailors sessions to each person's needs. Her approach is practical - she helps people set small goals, try new ways of coping, and notice what works between sessions.

Many clients come with big life changes, caregiving strain, or health-related concerns such as cancer or HIV/AIDS. Aya also supports people dealing with workplace stress, social anxiety, panic attacks, and isolation. She frames problems as stories people can change rather than fixed labels.

Her methods include client-centered listening, motivational interviewing to build momentum, and narrative techniques to reframe life events. She also uses solution-focused steps to create short-term, achievable plans. These tools are selected to match each person's goals and pace.

Aya is upfront about limits to her practice: she does not write official documentation for disability, Social Security, FMLA, courts, parole officers, or employers. To begin, people answer a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions through the service.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Aya often uses client-centered therapy and motivational interviewing in online sessions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and following the person's lead to help them find their own answers. It works well for stress, grief, and self-esteem concerns. Motivational interviewing helps people find motivation to make changes by exploring values and small steps rather than pushing advice.

She may also use narrative therapy to help people reframe difficult experiences as stories they can revise. That approach can be useful for processing loss, trauma, or life transitions by separating the person from the problem. Aya will work collaboratively to choose which approaches fit best, checking in about goals and preferences and adjusting as needed.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for a full conversation that feels like an in-person visit. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging allow shorter, flexible check-ins that fit around work or caregiving duties. These options make it easier to maintain momentum and access support from different locations.