Sana Akhtar Ramay

My name is Sana Akhtar Ramay and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I always knew I wanted to work in a helping profession. After graduating with my Bachelors in Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Biology from University of California, Davis, I started working with children diagnosed with Autism, probably the most challenging job I have had but also equally rewarding. A few months in I was promoted to a leadership position; I started to realize how natural it was for me to be successful in that field further leading me to enroll in my Master’s program. I received my Master’s from National University in Counseling and began my career working in an agency in the Behavioral and Community Services Department as well as the Children’s’ department. During my time in the behavioral and community services department I worked predominantly with adults as well as couples, families and children. During my time working in the children’s department I worked with children aged 2-21. One client stands out in particular is one of my success stories. This client was a young lady that struggled with anxiety from a young age and had been on a cocktail of medication from the age of 3. I spent about 1 year providing individual counseling, family services, and services with parents whom were separated and consulting with psychiatrist. With everyone’s support this client was able to be taken off of all of her medication and graduate from counseling. In my last session with this student she made me card with the following quote on the front “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor”. I have her card pinned to my wall as a reminder that the challenges that we encounter and overcome make us better at what we do. Throughout my journey in working with children I have gotten many trainings and certifications. I am a Certified Nurtured Heart Trainer, certified in Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT), have taken a 26 week Dialectical Behavior Therapy training (DBT), various trainings on Grief, Trauma and Cognitive Therapy. My counseling style is warm and interactive, I believe it is important to treat anyone with respect and dignity, to empower them and instill confidence in a compassionate manner. My therapeutic approach is a combination of Cognitive Behavioral, Narrative, Humanistic, Psychodynamic, and a combination of others. I believe in being client-centered and supporting client’s where they are at. It is important for me to include the client in the treatment planning process and help monitoring success. It takes courage and bravery to take that first step towards change, if you are ready to take that first step I am happy to help guide, support and encourage along the way. I look forward to working with you and helping you create a life full of happiness.