Therapists in Kern County, CA

Your life’s challenges can feel overwhelming at times, whether it’s navigating relationships, managing stress, or overcoming past traumas. Embarking on therapy can be daunting, especially when feeling trapped in a cycle of stress and uncertainty. Many of the clients I work with feel successful and high functioning in many aspects of their lives but find themselves struggling in others. While they may thrive professionally or academically, they often grapple with managing work-related stress or navigating personal conflicts. Despite their successes, they may feel taxed by the pressures of their careers or relationships.

Are you feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve you? Do you crave a deeper understanding of yourself and your emotions? Do you wish you could build healthier relationships or develop more confidence? If this resonates with you, then you’re not alone. Sometimes we feel locked in unhelpful patterns, and need help to make a positive shift. If you’re feeling unsure in how to move forward, I’m here to guide you toward deeper self-awareness and meaningful change. As a dedicated therapist, my mission is to provide a safe space to explore your inner struggles and empower you to navigate life's challenges with clarity and resilience.

I often explain that psychotherapy is like physical therapy for the brain. With a combination of a safe, nurturing environment and evidence-based methods, you can develop new “pathways” in your brain and process your thoughts and feelings to help you heal and grow. I will approach our work together with a genuine curiosity and seek to collaboratively explore the different parts of your story. Having lived in several different countries, I have great respect for and extensive experience working with people from various backgrounds.

I enjoy working with the client's present day experience while bringing in relevant aspects of one's personal history. I work collaboratively with my clients on re-creating a life of healing and fullness. Therapy might mean working through depression and anxiety, significant events in the past, exploring spiritual meanings, all the while exploring the here-and-now. Having had extensive international experiences, I also actively engage in an intercultural frame and approach in therapy, exploring cultural values and intergenerational issues. Wellness is actively defined by the forces and people that has shaped and continues to shape us.

We all know life can be stressful and filled with different challenges that overwhelm us. It is only natural that sometimes you may feel lost and helpless when you try to deal with these matters by yourself, including life transitions, work stress, relationship difficulties, cultural/racial problems and so on. I would like to assist you in navigating your path to better understand these issues, find best ways to manage them, and process your emotions in a safe place, so that you can better yourself and achieve your goals through that experience. In our work together, I will help you to live a more meaningful and joyful life.

I am here for you! We can easily become consumed with negative thinking and/or dysfunctional behaviors. When we don't have specific tools to cope effectively with stress, we can quickly fall into some destructive patterns. Let’s work together and find better ways to respond.

I am interested in your story - where you have been and hope to go, what you have done and dream of doing, and who you are and have yet to become. My clients are often highly intuitive and high achieving adults, creatives in the art and entertainment industry, helpers, parentified adult children, entrepreneurs, executives, couples, Asian American professionals, and parents. Common issues include: relationship issues with loved ones, dissatisfaction with current life/direction, work/life balance stress, burnout, codependency, self-neglect, complex family dynamics, performance/creative blocks, anxiety, depression, and trauma.

I am a clinical psychologist with extensive background in both psychotherapy and assessment. Many of the clients I have worked with in psychotherapy have backgrounds of abuse and trauma, grief and loss, depression and anxiety, relationship breakdowns, and/or adjustment difficulties to career and life transitions. My psychotherapy approach draws from psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, systems perspectives, and scientifically grounded research. I work collaboratively with my clients to set the goals and pace of the psychotherapy process.

Dr. Anna Selena Cho, was born in Los Angeles and has personal experience living bi-culturally. Dr. Cho was traditionally trained in visual arts in her early developmental years and eventually obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Southern California, M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy at Phillips Graduate University, and her Doctorate in Applied Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Cho has developed programs with organizations wanting to further expand their learning standards towards socio-emotional integration.

Many of us are struggling to get through the days as we deal with the stress of balancing complicated thoughts and feelings about identity, relationships, and coping with the constant pressures of living in our current situation. Whether it is the weight of the pandemic, the state of our society, personal and relational struggles, or all of the above, I would be honored to walk with you as a supportive, consistent, and helpful companion and guide in your journey towards healing and strength. I view the therapeutic relationship as an equal partnership as we work together towards the fulfillment of your personal and relational goals.

It is said that the role of an interpreter is to bridge the communication gap between two or more parties who do not speak the same language. As a person who grew up dreaming of becoming a UN interpreter, I am a therapist whose passion is to help translate the language of the heart to help individuals increase personal insight and understanding of their emotion to better connect and strengthen their relationships with others. If you feel that your effort to improve your relationship with loved ones is not working, allow me to come alongside and help you.

In this world, we face trials and challenges of various kinds that can leave us feeling many difficult emotions. Know that you are not alone – there is hope and help ahead in getting through your struggles. Using an integrative and goal-oriented approach, I strive to walk alongside those in emotional pain and seeking healing, growth, or transformational change. I have experience working with clients struggling with past trauma, anxiety, depression, negative self-concept, and relationship issues. I have also enjoyed helping couples work towards restoration and reconciliation, resolving communication and marital issues.

I help people with diverse cultural backgrounds to solidify healthy personal identities, locate themselves within larger communal identities, identify their values, needs, and preferences, and to communicate these in healthy and culturally sensitive ways so that they can live personally meaningful and satisfying lives, while still honoring their parents, families, and cultures. I also help clients with other concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, career concerns, work-life balance, life transitions, cross-cultural adaptation, and intercultural relationships.

While I believe that all of us have the strength to overcome our own struggles, I also believe that therapy makes that process easier. With professional help, you can overcome issues with less time, less strain on your relationships, and less impact on your overall well-being. I personally and professionally, believe in the power of this process, and look forward to meeting you where you are to face your struggles together.