Chani Segal
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
About Me
I'm Chani Segal, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I hold a graduate degree in Counseling from California State University.
My clinical experience includes working with children, adolescents, and adults navigating trauma, crisis, addiction recovery, and challenging life circumstances. My background includes community-based mental health work and working with individuals in addiction recovery, with a particular focus on the 12-step model of recovery.
These experiences have given me the opportunity to work with people from many different backgrounds, often during some of the most difficult and vulnerable periods of their lives. They've also deepened my appreciation for people's resilience, individuality, and capacity to find their way forward, even in circumstances they never expected to face.
One of the things that draws me most to this profession is the opportunity to be present with people when they need someone most. I value being able to offer a steady, thoughtful presence during times of uncertainty, pain, and transition.
I believe that every person brings a unique combination of experiences, strengths, and possibilities to therapy. I'm continually interested in understanding what makes each person who they are, and I feel privileged to be invited into their story.
For me, the most meaningful part of this work is witnessing people reconnect with their own strengths, discover new choices, and begin to shape their lives in ways that feel authentic and meaningful to them.
How I Work
I approach therapy with curiosity, compassion, and a genuine interest in understanding your experience. I believe you are the expert on your own life, and my role is not to tell you who to be or what choices to make, but to explore alongside you, offering perspective, reflection, and guidance along the way.
My work is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and grounded in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. This means that while we make room to understand your past and the experiences that have shaped you, we also pay attention to where you are now, what matters to you, and what you would like to be different.
I take a gentle, collaborative, and practical approach. Together, we'll identify meaningful goals, recognize the strengths and resources you already possess, and explore realistic steps toward the changes you want to make.
I believe that insight is an important part of growth, but understanding ourselves is only the beginning. Meaningful change also involves discovering what we want for our lives and developing the ability to bring that understanding into our everyday choices and actions. I see acceptance and growth as complementary—we can learn to embrace who we are while continuing to develop and evolve.
Sometimes the most meaningful insights come from recognizing something we've known all along but haven't quite been able to put into words. I see part of my role as gently reflecting those truths, offering a different perspective, and creating space for new understanding to emerge.
In addition to conversation, I incorporate expressive arts and psychodrama when appropriate. These approaches allow us to explore experiences creatively, access perspectives that may be difficult to express verbally, and discover new ways of understanding ourselves. You don't need any artistic or performance experience to benefit from them.
I believe we're not simply shaped by the experiences we've had; we also have the capacity to participate in creating the lives we lead. Therapy can be a space to reconnect with that capacity, recognize possibilities, and make intentional choices about how we want to move forward.
I consider it an honor to accompany you in that process—not as someone directing your journey, but as someone walking alongside you, witnessing your growth, and helping you recognize the possibilities and strengths that are already yours.
What We Can Work On Together
People come to therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes there's a specific situation that needs attention. Other times, it's a feeling that something isn't working, or a desire to understand yourself and your life more deeply.
Some of the areas I work with include:
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Trauma and Recovery
Working through painful or overwhelming experiences, understanding their lasting impact, and developing a greater sense of safety, stability, and connection with yourself.
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Crisis and Difficult Life Circumstances
Navigating unexpected challenges, overwhelming situations, and periods of uncertainty while drawing on your strengths and identifying practical ways forward.
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Relationships and Interpersonal Patterns
Exploring relationship difficulties, recurring patterns, boundaries, communication, and the ways past experiences influence how we connect with others.
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Identity, Self-Worth, and Personal Growth
Developing greater self-understanding, reconnecting with your values, and building the confidence to make choices that feel authentic to you.
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Life Transitions and Difficult Decisions
Finding clarity and direction during periods of change, loss, uncertainty, or significant personal decisions.
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Emotional Awareness and Regulation
Understanding emotional responses, developing greater self-awareness, and finding healthier ways to navigate difficult feelings.
My work is grounded in the belief that understanding ourselves more deeply can create greater freedom to choose how we respond, relate, and move forward.
