Arie Koster, PsyD

I believe that every relationship is unique and each person is the expert on their own experience. My role in therapy is assisting clients in creating a road map that they can then follow to better manage their mental health. This begins with active listening which drives curiosity, promotes understanding, connection, and increased awareness. Through increased awareness, one is afforded greater control over their life, and perhaps more crucially, a sense of meaning and purpose.

I love this work because of my ethos that everyone deserves the chance to be seen and heard. As someone who struggled early in life with a physical and learning disability, both of which I overcame through therapy, I grew to understand that timeless saying, “everyone’s going through something”. Whether it’s through creating a safe and validating space or sharing a heartfelt cry, I feel blessed to participate in my client’s healing journey.

I strive toward helping client’s acquire the skills necessary to mend their wounds. No matter how big or small, we all have wounds that influence the quality of our decision making. I believe that self-reflection and courage are crucial change agents in client’s regaining control over their life. Whether it’s building client awareness of their values to then make better decisions or repairing relationships with loved ones, the goal is the same: To share and feel love.

I received my doctorate in Psychology from Alliant University in Los Angeles, California after earning my BA in Psychology at UC Santa Barbara. My clinical experiences include supporting underserved and multiculturally diverse communities in both nonprofit and county behavioral health settings. I incorporate a strength-based, humanistic, integrative approach while pulling from a psychodynamic school of thought. Second to my love for psychological practice, I find myself surfing at Ocean Beach, San Francisco. The ocean became love at first sight and has afforded me the necessary meditative and spiritual charge to be a public servant.