My name is Mariru (mah-ri-ru). I use she/they pronouns. I’m a queer, second-generation Japanese American therapist. I was born and raised on Ramaytush Ohlone land in South San Francisco.
Hello!
Where I Started
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 and heard. This early experience helped me understand not only the realities of getting older, but also the depth of care that people need to move through life. 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 and resilience. 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 Identity
My work is supported and inspired by many teachers. I am especially grateful for the guidance of my ancestors, 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.
My Teachers
Columbia University - Master of Social Work
UC San Diego - BA in Sociology (Health Care/Social Issues Focus)
サンフランシスコ日本語補習校
Education
Going with Grace - Death Doula Certification
Bay Area Community Services - Inpatient and Outpatient clinical care and therapy for adults
DayBreak Adult Care Centers - Program and care coordination for caregivers and elders
Institute on Aging - Friendship Line Crisis Intervention Phone Counselor
Professional Experiences
Contact me
If you feel curious to work together and want to chat with me for a free 15-minute consultation, please reach out using the contact form.