Miki Cotner, LMFT
State Licensed:
California
Languages:
English
Aloha! I'm Miki, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 16120) with a focus on holistic
mindbody wellness, aimed at finding balance between the wisdom we receive from our bodies and
minds, as well as from the world and through our lived experiences. I have always felt an innate calling to
hold space for others in their journeys of self-care, self-discovery, empowerment, and evolution.
Highlighted by my background as a yoga instructor, massage therapist, and doula, I believe in integrating
our sessions with a multidimensional view of the issues presented in the therapy room, to gain informed
perspectives and deeper self-awareness. I am a compassionate listener, curious to hear about what you
have to share and to explore and develop together with you the personal meanings, inquiries, and goals
that arise. Therapy is a powerful vehicle for navigating through past traumas or grief, work or social
stressors, challenges in family or intimate relationships, or any life transitions, and I am here to
collaboratively work with you to move forward towards a happy and thriving future as you envision and
hope for yourself.
My Approach
As an AMFT, I work with individuals, couples, and families to create meaningful change and to strengthen
relationships, by fostering security and empathy through a foundation of deep self-awareness and
intention. My approach in therapy is compassionate and collaborative, to understand clearly your
backgrounds and stories that surround any issue introduced in the therapy space, to navigate together a
therapeutic path that feels authentic for you in your journey of healing, empowerment, and connection.
I draw from theoretical frameworks of Collaborative Therapy (language and meaning-making), Narrative
Therapy (reauthoring the narrative), IFS - Internal Family Systems (Self and parts work), CBT - Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (thoughts, feelings, behaviors) and The Gottman Method (methodical couples
therapy), to create a safe space where we can explore your life experiences, to recognize your personal
beliefs, attachments, and patterns through the lens of multi-dimensional self-awareness, with the
intention of healthy change to support thriving relationships. I incorporate mindfulness techniques to
help you establish a sense of grounding and mental clarity, so that your goals and actions feel truly
integrated to your own lived experience.
Together, we can work through challenges or stressful experiences, untangle any codependent patterns
or insecure attachments, and improve communication skills and boundaries that foster self-agency,
loving relationships, achievement, and joy.
My Focus
I believe that at the core, people yearn to be truly heard and understood, and my intention is to offer care and validation for the stresses and concerns brought to the therapy space, as well as to propose
perspectives and techniques on how to move through any complex thoughts, emotions, or challenges
that may be hindering you from moving forward in an efficient, empowered, and fulfilled way. Sometimes we are stuck in a rut or a pattern, and therapy can help inspire epiphanies, growth, and movement by harnessing the strength and wisdom within.
My Communication
Style
I have always been a good listener and empathetic by nature, and I communicate with respect, curiosity, and compassion. My intention is to attend to the underlying issue at hand, to understand stories that inform your family backgrounds, cultural and social values, and wishes for your future, to be able to meet you where you are so that we can develop therapeutic goals that match your personal preferences and feelings of what healing, balance, and success means to you.
My Journey
I believe my 15+ years of compounded professional experience as a yoga instructor, massage therapist, doula, and therapist have instilled within me a solid foundation and practice of non-judgmental awareness. I have worked with a large span of clients, from adolescents to older adults, and have experience treating mental and physical crisis clients through a trauma-informed integrative approach. Growing up going to an international school in Tokyo, as well as my experiences living and traveling
around the world, has engrained in me a lifelong mission to consider and honor multicultural relations both in therapeutic application and through a wider social lens. As an AMFT, mother, and holistic practitioner, I am someone who deeply cares about providing therapeutic support and psychoeducation for individuals, couples, and families to cultivate success, wellbeing, and happiness for all.
Therapy Types
& Methods
Collaborative Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Gottman Method
Attachment theory
Trauma-informed
Emotion focused therapy (EFT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Psychoeducation
Mindfulness techniques
Culturally competent
Focus Areas
Life transitions
Marital/Pre-marital/Divorce
Family and couples' conflict/challenges/dynamics
Infertility, Pregnancy, Prenatal and Perinatal support
Parenting
Identity crises
Work stress
Aging, Grief, Loss
Physical pain or discomfort
Anxiety and Depression
Cultural conditioning/challenges/dilemmas
Trauma, Child abuse, Neglect
Anger management
Education
MA MFT - Alliant International University
License
CA/D1105282