We had the good fortune of connecting with Tina Karimi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tina, how does your business help the community?
Having a private practice makes therapy accessible and client centered. I believe that therapy should be high quality, compassionate, and empowering.
Being able to provide private consultations and then tailor my services to the specific needs of the client is transformative! I help individuals and couples learn skills, gain insight and feel confident to be able to navigate life’s challenges, heal from past trauma, and strengthen their relationships.

When people feel supported, heard, and prepared with the right tools, they are able to show up better in their relationships and in their community. I believe that therapy can create healthier relationships with self and others, as well as improve emotional well-being. With more human to human support, the world can be a better place!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run a private therapy practice and provide couples therapy and trauma informed care to adults. My work focuses on equipping clients with practical tools to improve their relationship health, emotional regulation, and overall quality of life. I specialize in two different research-based interventions that set me apart from other therapists. With couples, I use the Gottman Method, which is an intervention that is rooted in 50 years of research! With individuals wanting trauma-informed care, I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which is a structured intervention that is proven to reduce symptoms of trauma by 40-60%.

After working in community mental health and group practices for 11 years, I thought that it was finally time to branch out on my own. I was so excited to be able to choose the population I wanted to work with, have flexibility with my schedule, and provide a sliding scale for clients that wanted to work with me. It was such an exhilarating feeling to know that I did not have to work under someone else anymore.

Of course with starting any business, there are challenges that come along with it. As a therapist, we learn how to help people with research-based knowledge, not how to market ourselves and take a business approach to things. I would say that this was the biggest learning curve for me. The way I have overcome this was by making it fun and thoroughly enjoying marketing myself. I have met amazing entrepreneurs in the community as a result of this and have learned so much from them throughout the process through valuable mentorship.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a best friend visiting San Diego for the week, I would have the most epic itinerary set up for us!

We would start off the week by hiking Torrey Pines Beach Trail and getting brunch at Farmer and the Seahorse after. Hanging out at the house and having in-n-out for dinner (duh!)

Then I would take them to Balboa Park and we could stroll around and see the museums. We would then go to Mona Lisa in Little Italy for an amazing, authentic Italian sandwich.

The following day would be filled with more hikes (Cowles Mountain and Potato Chip Rock), taking a trip to the infamous San Diego Zoo, and then being on a food tour the remainder of the time.

We would have to indulge in some California Burritos and Carne Asada Fries from Lolita’s just to make sure the full San Diego experience is fulfilled.

Drinks would be us hopping around in Little Italy, starting at Nolita Hall and ending at Kettner Exchange. After this, we would probably end up near North Park and go to Lafayette to catch some vibes.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The journey of becoming a therapist would have not been possible without the support of my family. Ever since I was a young girl, my family would always tell me that I was a great listener and had so much empathy. As I got older, my mom provided me a sacred space to process my emotions and thoughts. I learned that I was able to make sense of the world around me in ways I had never known were possible.

From then on, I became curious about the world of psychology and decided to make it my major in high school. I was given a position at an internship working for a non profit organization, which then changed my life. I was seen by a Program Manager who saw my potential as an intern and offered me a paid position. This was my first job in the field in 2015, and I have stayed in the field ever since!

The mental health field is a community that thrives off of networking and support. It wouldn’t have been possible to launch my own practice without the support and encouragement of my community.

Website: https://tinastherapysd.net/

Instagram: @tinastherapysd

Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1674374

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