My name is Mariru (mah-ri-ru). I’m a queer, second-generation Japanese American therapist. I was born and raised on Ramaytush Ohlone land in South San Francisco.

My path into this work began as a crisis phone counselor for older adults, where I witnessed the profound impact of loneliness and the healing that happens when someone feels truly seen. This early experience helped me understand not only the realities of aging and isolation, but also the depth of care required to support people through change, grief, and complexity. My work with older adults continues to shape how I think about meaning, caregiving, grief, community, and the many transitions that come with aging.

As a child of immigrants, I continue to engage in an ongoing process of understanding cultural displacement in my own life and within my family. This includes grieving what has been lost, while also reconnecting with ancestry, resilience, and continuity. It has become my life practice to explore how intergenerational patterns shape me, and how they can be held with both awareness and care.

Being part of queer community has deeply shaped how I understand healing, love, and connection. It has opened up possibilities for relating beyond dominant norms, and invited me to imagine more expansive ways of belonging, intimacy, and care.

My work is supported and inspired by many teachers. I am especially grateful for the guidance of my grandparents, my family, my best friend, my partner, and close relationships in my life. I am also shaped by the natural world—my garden, my plants, and the birds—and by traditions and lineages that honor the connection between body, mind, and place.

I hold appreciation for the many teachers and influences that inform my work, including Linda Thai, Thuy Nguyen, and Lenape elders Joe Baker and Hadrien Coumans, among others. Thank you for helping me understand healing as something that happens not only through insight, but through the body, relationships, and our connection to the world around us.