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Hello

My name is Mona Eshaiker (she, her). I am a proud queer Iranian-Iraqi American woman and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I specialize in bringing a Decolonial Psychology lens to all things work-related. 


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My Journey

I first entered the helping field in 2006 as an art and writing instructor at the Santa Cruz County Women's Jail through my college's work study program. That ended up being one of the most profound experiences of my life. It served as a turning point as I observed the immense impact of sharing our stories in a compassionate environment. This experience also served as a sober recognition of the inequitable criminal justice system and the necessity of comprehensive mental health care. 

After undergrad, I became a certified Sexual Assault Counselor and worked as an assistant facilitator to young women at Orange County Juvenile Hall. In 2011, I decided with a full heart to pursue a career in Mental Health and enrolled in a Master's program in Clinical Psychology. Upon graduation, I worked at the San Francisco Department of Public Health as a community therapist for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth.

I continued my therapeutic journey in the community mental health for several years and eventually became a supervisor to new therapists at local organizations such as the Long Beach LGBTQ Center and Starview Community Services.

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In 2018 after a bout of burnout, I took a leap of faith and transitioned from community mental health to the tech field as a regional manager at a wellness start-up. That experience illuminated the importance of employee mental health to team success, and more importantly, the value of training leaders in skills such as leading with empathy and cultivating a psychological safe workplace. 

Currently I run a small private practice of under 10 individual clients as well as provide organizational mental health consulting. 

In addition to my clinical and consulting practice, I am also the Senior Advisor of Wellness & Inclusion at the Rise Journey and sit on the Clinical Review Board at Violet Health.

Values

I value community, compassion, courage, creativity, deep listening, and forgiveness. 

I acknowledge the impact of systemic oppression on the health of individuals and believe community care is how we recover.

 

I recognize the profound connection between our personal health and how we are able to show up as members of any community.

 

Investing in our wellbeing is one of the most valuable investments we can make-- the more we heal ourselves, we heal those around us.

 

My approach is grounded in consent & awareness of structures of power.

Education History

B.A. Gender Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2008
M.S. Clinical Psychology, San Francisco State University, 2013

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, BBS, 2016

Clinical Supervision Training, AATBS, 2018
EMDR Intensive Clinical Training, PESI, 2022
Mental Health First Aid, NCMW, 2023 

Internal Family Systems Training, Shifting Center, 2024

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