Mihoko Kusachi , LMHC

Mihoko Kusachi brings a cross-cultural perspective and a strengths-based focus to her work as a licensed therapist. She grew up in Japan and completed education in Tokyo and the San Francisco Bay Area, earning a master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in rehabilitation of people with disabilities. As an LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), she has provided mental health counseling for the past 10 years and has more than 20 years of experience as a social worker and case manager in clinical settings in the San Francisco Bay Area and on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Mihoko’s professional background includes practice in Japan, Australia, and the United States, supporting children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with and without disabilities. She has helped people manage a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, gender identity, cultural adjustment, guilt and shame, self-esteem, motivation, loneliness, and questions of purpose, among other emotional and situational challenges.

Her clinical approach integrates humanistic and existential perspectives with somatic awareness and mindfulness-informed cognitive-behavioral techniques. Mihoko favors a body-mind or psychosomatic integrative framework that honors clients’ strengths and preferences. In sessions she guides personal reflection, cognitive reframing, sensory-based exercises, relaxation, and self-regulation practices to help ease emotional difficulties and support practical change.

Committed to social justice and culturally responsive care, Mihoko is attentive to intersectionality and the experiences of people from traditionally underserved backgrounds. She sees her role as a collaborative partner who helps clients uncover and nurture inner resources so they can move forward with greater authenticity and balance.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, active listening, and a collaborative relationship. It helps individuals explore values, build self-awareness, and strengthen their sense of agency when facing life transitions, relationship challenges, or questions of identity.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. It is practical and skills-based, often used to address anxiety, depression, stress, and difficulties with motivation and sleep.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and gentle acceptance of experience. These practices support emotion regulation, stress reduction, and improved attention, and can be combined with other techniques to ease overwhelming feelings.

Mihoko approaches treatment collaboratively and will work with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the therapeutic process, and she partners with clients to try strategies and adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexible access to licensed professionals through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, caregiving, or geographic distance, and allow clients to receive consistent support in a way that suits their daily life.