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Mia Houtermans, LCSW

Mia Houtermans, LCSW

she/her

Licensed in CA #88486
Insurances Accepted: Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, Health Net/MHN
I believe that change flows easiest from self-acceptance, and that self-acceptance is nurtured through the telling, the listening, and the embodied expressions of our lives.

My Therapy Style

My approach is warm, inviting, direct and attuned. I meet my clients with interest, non-judgment, and respect. I believe that change flows easiest from self-acceptance, and that self-acceptance is nurtured through the telling, the listening, and the embodied expressions of our lives. I am driven by a profound sense that individual and community care are interwoven, and that healing is a process of mourning and meaning-making. Through the formation of a safe, authentic, and reflective therapeutic relationship, I support clients in feeling and releasing pains from the past, developing a sense of presence to what is and what they dream can be, and moving towards trust in their own inner knowing. This can be a deeply personal process and a collective and collaborative one.

At the foundation of my therapeutic approach is the person-in-environment ethos of social work and the art of ethnography - before I was a therapist, I was a social-science researcher with a background in cultural anthropology. I, therefore, pay close attention to the social and cultural ecosystems of one’s life, and to the stories that shape one’s identity formation. The therapeutic modalities I have found most effective to this endeavor, and have therefore prioritized, are narrative, mindfulness-based, cognitive-behavioral, existential, and relational psychodynamic modalities. My work is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and shows a commitment to exploration and innovation - one where I strive to continue to learn with and alongside the clients in my care.

Education & Training

MSW - Social Work, University of California, Berkeley

Fellowship - Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser Richmond

Internship - The Psychotherapy Institute, Berkeley

Get to Know Me

What are your interests outside of work?

Playing the guitar, taking care of my plants, and writing.

How do you recharge?

Every morning I wake up early, before anyone else is up. I love this time - I sit in meditation and stretch. My reward is a lovely cup of coffee, that I drink wholeheartedly.

Do you have any pets?

I have two cats - Atlas and Ashby. They are brothers. They follow me when I leave the house, meowing at me as I walk down the block. When I return, Atlas crouches down in the grass, watching me as if ready to pounce. When I get halfway to the front porch, he takes off running and beats me to the door!