Aria Maniskas, AMFT

I believe therapy should be as individual as the person seeking it. No single approach works for everyone, so I tailor my work to each client’s needs, experiences, relationships, and goals.  I have passion and experience of integrating medical health issues with mental health needs to support people living with life altering medical conditions as well as couples and families adjusting alongside them. I also work with individuals and couples navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy, and the postpartum period, including postpartum depression and anxiety. These experiences can change relationships, identity and expectations for the future. Therapy can provide a place to make sense of those changes and determine what moving forward looks like for you.

My path to becoming a therapist has shaped the way I approach this work. Before entering the field, I worked in patient advocacy, helping people navigate healthcare and insurance systems, as well as in research and marketing. I also volunteered in equine-assisted therapy, where I saw the value of experiential approaches and the many ways meaningful therapeutic work can take place. I earned my master’s degree and completed my clinical practicum training at Kaiser Permanente within an Integrated Healthcare Model. Working alongside other healthcare professionals further shaped my understanding of mental health as part of a larger picture that includes physical health, relationships, family, and the systems people must navigate.

I bring these experiences together to provide therapy that is practical, goal oriented, and responsive to the person, couple, or family in front of me. My objective is to work with the client to understand what they need from therapy.