About Aya
Aya Okumura helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and big life changes. She uses clear, practical conversation to help people find ways forward. Aya is described by clients as respectful and compassionate.
She speaks English and Japanese and practices in Hawaii. Aya has 20 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker, holding LCSW credentials in Hawaii and California. She tailors sessions to each person's needs and focuses on what matters most in daily life.
How Aya works
Sessions often center on small, manageable steps that add up over time. Her approach leans on client-centered work, where the person sets the pace and topics. Motivational interviewing helps when someone feels stuck and needs to find internal reasons to change.
Narrative techniques open space to reframe difficult stories and see different possibilities. Aya also uses solution-focused practices to identify practical next steps and build momentum. Together she and the client set short-term goals and track progress in straightforward ways.
The work aims to reduce overwhelm and restore a sense of agency. She is comfortable addressing issues such as caregiving stress, cancer-related concerns, hospice and end-of-life questions, HIV/AIDS, workplace problems, multicultural issues, panic and post-traumatic stress, and women's health topics. Aya does not provide official documentation for legal or workplace purposes.
If someone is ready to begin, she supports them through the first steps toward change.
Aya lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What Aya works with
The areas below are the ones Aya selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 20 |
| Languages | English, Japanese |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Hawaii |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that guide online sessions
Aya uses client-centered therapy to create a space where the person leads the conversation and the therapist follows their concerns; this approach is helpful for people needing listening, validation, and clarity about next steps. Motivational interviewing is another tool she uses to help clients who feel stuck find their own reasons to change and build momentum with small, meaningful goals.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Aya will collaborate with each person to decide which methods match their goals and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts the plan as progress and needs evolve so the work stays practical and relevant.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which make scheduling easier across time zones and busy days. Video calls let people use visual cues for deeper conversation; phone sessions require less bandwidth and can fit a break at work; chat and text are useful for brief check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These formats aim to increase flexibility and help clients keep therapy consistent with their lives.
Start online instead of waiting
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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