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Tamala Takahashi

Tamala Takahashi.jpg

At A Glance:

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Specialties and Certifications

 

  • Neurodiverse Parenting Specialist

  • Registered Associate Marriage Family Therapist

  • Registered Professional Clinical Counselor

  • Certified Trauma Professional 

 

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Life Experience

 

  • 2 of my 3 children were diagnosed with ADHD in their late teens/early 20's. My other child shows signs of ADHD/autism, but has not been diagnosed.

  • At age 49, I was late-diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive).

  • My husband of 27 years is late-diagnosed with AuDHD.

  • I am also a survivor of childhood emotional neglect and abuse.

 

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Education

  • ​Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, Antioch University of Los Angeles

Tamala's Story

At the age of 49, I was late-diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive). My husband of 27 years was diagnosed with AuDHD at age 48 and two of my three adult children were diagnosed with ADHD in their late teens/early 20’s. While my oldest child is undiagnosed, they are likely autistic/ADHD as well. 

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I am also a survivor of childhood emotional neglect and abuse. This is common among the neurodiverse as even the most well-meaning parents may not have the appropriate tools to support their children. It’s also common for those parents to have been neurodiverse as well, with their own experience of neglect and abuse, handing down their generational trauma. 

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Soon after having been diagnosed with ADHD, I became an empty nester. My first career as a non-profit and professional development consultant was cut short by COVID, so I decided to go back to school and become a therapist focusing on trauma recovery. 

 

I am sharing this with you because I believe it will help me understand and support you. I look forward to hearing from you!

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Main Areas of Focus
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Parenting Neurodiverse Children & Adults

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My goal while working with parents of neurodiverse children, adolescents, or young adults is to hold space for the truth of their experience while they navigate the challenging role of parenting.

 

Every child has different needs and every parent has a different background, so the formula for “good” parenting will be unique for each client. At the same time, therapy is an opportunity for parents to practice proven communication tools, coping skills, and family coordination that can result in better relationships, calmer conflict management, and higher sense of life satisfaction both for the parents and children. 

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I also hold awareness of the social, economic, generational, geographical, and cultural forces that parents live in and are influenced by. Therapy for families or parents also includes acknowledgment and awareness of the parents’ own experience growing up and being parented. 

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Using solution-focused, acceptance and commitment, and trauma-informed therapy approaches, my hope is to support clients while they work towards finding peace in their own sense of who they are, help their children find their sense of self, and work towards becoming the kind of family they want to be.
 

My Therapeutic Philosophy
 

I believe a therapist’s role is to provide stability while the client(s) works through uncertainty, reality checks the lessons they learned in life, tries something new, and finds a healthy path to what it looks like for them to be grounded. The specifics will look different for each client(s), but all sessions are built around the principles of acceptance, patience, and kindness.

 

I work collaboratively with the client(s) to identify areas of focus and what works best for them from their perspective. In our 50-min. sessions, therapy goals are usually a combination of gaining clarity, self-awareness, self-compassion, and coping skills. When working with couples or families, communication skills are a significant part of the work as well.

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You are NOT Alone

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The neurodiverse experience can feel lonely. Whether you are neurodiverse or have a neurodiverse partner/family member, it can feel like you are expected to behave a certain way and say certain things, or that no matter how hard you try, you can’t do it right. Maybe you feel like there are things that just don’t make sense but nobody else can see it. That struggle can feel so lonely. 


My intention in therapy is to provide a space where you are no longer alone. Whether in couples or individual therapy, I am there to support you and hold space for your lived experiences.

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Other Areas of Focus​​

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  • Parents of neurodiverse children (child or adult)

  • Adult ADHD/Autism/AuDHD (diagnosed or suspected)

  • Adolescent ADHD/Autism/AuDHD (diagnose dor suspected)

  • Women/Non-binary clients with ADHD/AuDHD

  • cPTSD and Trauma

  • Childhood emotional neglect/emotional abuse 

  • Adult neurodiverse relationships with parents and other family members

  • Empty nest/menopause transitions

  • Multi-cultural relationships/families

  • Intersection of neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ 

  • ADHD/AuDHD with anxiety and depression

  • Young adult launching (college, early career, living away from parents, adult relationships)

  • Self Esteem and Assertiveness

  • Social media/video game addiction

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License

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  • Registered AMFT 

  • Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452

  • Employed by New Path Couples Therapy Inc.

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