Sakthi Ramesh, AMFT
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Registered California Board of Behavioral Sciences Number: AMFT 155011
Supervised by Amanda Lee, LCSW 74719
Individual, Family, & Teen Therapist
Top 3 Specialties: Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm, Identity/Cultural/Intergenerational Issues, Relationship & Attachment Patterns
Location: Irvine & Manhattan Beach, CA
Language: English
Fee: Sliding Scale
Sliding Scale: Available
Insurance: Cigna/Evernorth, Aetna, & can provide a superbill for PPO plans
Accepting New Clients: Yes
Populations: Couples and Adults
Specialties: Racial Identity, Family Conflict, Relationship Issues, Anxiety, Bicultural Navigation, Chronic Pain, Depression, Grief, Life Transitions, Self Esteem, Spirituality, Stress, Trauma and PTSD
Treatment Approaches: Relational, Psychodynamic, and Attachment-Based Therapy, Mindfulness, Somatic Awareness, Person-Centered Therapy, CBT
Hi, I'm Sakthi. Let's create a space where you no longer have to abandon parts of yourself in order to belong.
I believe that so many of us learn early on to disconnect from ourselves to keep the peace, to meet expectations, or to hold a family together. My work centers on helping you come back home to who you are, and on helping the people you love feel that steadiness too. Whether you arrive on your own, as a parent, or as a whole family, I hold the belief that when one person begins to heal, the ripple effects are felt throughout the entire family system.
My approach is relational, psychodynamic, and attachment-based. I also draw on mindfulness, somatic awareness, person-centered therapy, and elements of CBT when they support emotional regulation, anxiety management, and grounding. I tailor the work to each person and each family, balancing deeper insight-oriented exploration with practical tools you can carry into daily life.
Working With Me
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful and emotionally aware. They often look high-functioning on the outside while feeling anxious, disconnected, or quietly exhausted on the inside. Many are carrying the weight of always being the "strong one." Therapy with me is a place to slow down, get curious, and take honest steps toward the life and relationships you actually want to be present for. Together we work toward deeper self-trust, healthier connection, and the ability to move through life without leaving yourself behind.
Healing That Strengthens the Whole Family
As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I understand that none of us grows in isolation. Our patterns, our anxiety, and our ways of relating are shaped within families, and they can be reshaped there too. I love working with parents who want to show up differently for their children, with teens searching for their footing and their voice, and with families longing to feel closer and more understood under one roof. When a parent finds more calm within themselves, a child feels it. When a teen feels truly seen, the whole household softens. My training focused on the meeting point of individual and systemic wellbeing, which means I keep both the person in front of me and the family around them in view. Every family deserves a safe place to grow, connect, and belong together.
Cultural and Intergenerational Understanding
As a South Asian therapist with lived experience of a diasporic identity, I understand the quiet tension between cultural expectations, individuality, and belonging. I know how heavy it can feel to honor your family while also honoring yourself, and how those expectations pass from one generation to the next. I meet these dynamics with curiosity and care, helping individuals and families make sense of the stories they inherited and choose, with intention, what they want to carry forward.
Depth With Practical Support
I help people move beyond surface-level coping by gently exploring the emotional patterns, attachment wounds, and relational dynamics shaping their lives. At the same time, I keep the work grounded and supportive, building emotional regulation skills, nervous system awareness, and everyday tools that steady you between sessions. My hope is that you leave feeling more connected to yourself, more grounded, and far less alone in your inner world.
Education & Training
Sakthi earned her degree from Antioch University, where she focused on the meeting point of individual and systemic wellbeing. Her training at the Jung Institute brought a deeper, soul-centered lens to her clinical work, so that sessions address the whole person rather than symptoms alone. She also holds experience across clinical settings, with training in diagnosis, treatment planning, trauma-informed care, and ongoing case management.
Quote
"So many people have learned to disconnect from themselves in order to belong. I see therapy as a space where you no longer have to abandon parts of yourself to be loved, accepted, or understood. My hope is that clients leave feeling more at home in who they are."
Fun Facts
I love cooking, creative expression, music-filled drives, and deep conversations, and I feel most at ease near the ocean. I also enjoy yoga, discovering new restaurants and cafés, creating cozy rituals at home, and finding beauty in the small moments of everyday life.