Maya Gorstein 🔴
BA
They/Them
Telehealth
Student Intern
Hello and thank you for viewing my PAMH profile!
My name is Maya Pak Gorstein — I am currently a Master’s student in Northwestern University’s Counseling program (expected graduation 2023), and have received my BA in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College in 2020 (magna cum laude).
I decided to become a mental health counselor many years ago, where I recognized an absence of culturally-sensitive, genuinely caring mental health services. As a queer-identifying, mixed-race Korean-American, I felt that the experiences belonging to myself and others like me were largely overlooked in mainstream institutions. Because of this, I became motivated to become a practitioner who can support people of all identities, but especially those who tend to be neglected or misunderstood. My ultimate goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where my clients can feel safe to express and accept every aspect of themselves, fully and authentically.
My approach to counseling is first and foremost person-centered, meaning I like to follow my clients’ direction when it comes to goal-setting and session format, and cater treatment to their individual needs and levels of comfort. My approach is also informed by my training in psychodynamic counseling and attachment theory, through which I strive to understand problems in mental health as emerging from dysfunctional contexts and violations of trust. Through my work with my clients, I provide a safe space to process painful memories and challenging thoughts.
I work with my clients to develop understandings of how early experiences inform daily interactions, and I build upon pre-existing strengths to help my clients discover the version of themselves that they are proud to be.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with me, please reach out to Pacific Mental Health, and we will be in touch shortly. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and feel honored to be a part of your journey.
Imagine your ideal client. What are their issues, their needs, and goals? What do they want and why? (640 character max)
My ideal client is someone who is having difficulty coping with challenging life circumstances, who is interested in receiving support, and is open to learning new coping strategies and ways of approaching their problems. While I fully understand that everyone’s needs and goals within counseling are unique to their person, generally I would hope that my client’s goals relate to their self-growth — including building greater confidence and working towards improved perceptions of agency, self-worth, and wellbeing.
How can you help? Talk about your specialty and what you offer. (360 character max) My approach is chiefly person-centered, with integrative theories taking secondary precedence. Thus, while I have great respect for the theories that explain psychopathology, more important to me is my clients’ personal relationships with their struggles. I believe that nobody knows anyone better than *themself*, which is why I will never claim to fully understand what my clients are going through. Rather, my counseling approach is supportive, encouraging my clients to define the path in their personal journey towards wellness.
Invite the potential client to reach out to you for an appointment. (360 character max) Thank you for viewing my profile! If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with me, please reach out to Pacific Mental Health, and I will be in touch with you shortly.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you and feel honored to be a part of your journey.
My name is Maya Pak Gorstein — I am currently a Master’s student in Northwestern University’s Counseling program (expected graduation 2023), and have received my BA in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College in 2020 (magna cum laude).
I decided to become a mental health counselor many years ago, where I recognized an absence of culturally-sensitive, genuinely caring mental health services. As a queer-identifying, mixed-race Korean-American, I felt that the experiences belonging to myself and others like me were largely overlooked in mainstream institutions. Because of this, I became motivated to become a practitioner who can support people of all identities, but especially those who tend to be neglected or misunderstood. My ultimate goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where my clients can feel safe to express and accept every aspect of themselves, fully and authentically.
My approach to counseling is first and foremost person-centered, meaning I like to follow my clients’ direction when it comes to goal-setting and session format, and cater treatment to their individual needs and levels of comfort. My approach is also informed by my training in psychodynamic counseling and attachment theory, through which I strive to understand problems in mental health as emerging from dysfunctional contexts and violations of trust. Through my work with my clients, I provide a safe space to process painful memories and challenging thoughts.
I work with my clients to develop understandings of how early experiences inform daily interactions, and I build upon pre-existing strengths to help my clients discover the version of themselves that they are proud to be.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with me, please reach out to Pacific Mental Health, and we will be in touch shortly. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and feel honored to be a part of your journey.
Imagine your ideal client. What are their issues, their needs, and goals? What do they want and why? (640 character max)
My ideal client is someone who is having difficulty coping with challenging life circumstances, who is interested in receiving support, and is open to learning new coping strategies and ways of approaching their problems. While I fully understand that everyone’s needs and goals within counseling are unique to their person, generally I would hope that my client’s goals relate to their self-growth — including building greater confidence and working towards improved perceptions of agency, self-worth, and wellbeing.
How can you help? Talk about your specialty and what you offer. (360 character max) My approach is chiefly person-centered, with integrative theories taking secondary precedence. Thus, while I have great respect for the theories that explain psychopathology, more important to me is my clients’ personal relationships with their struggles. I believe that nobody knows anyone better than *themself*, which is why I will never claim to fully understand what my clients are going through. Rather, my counseling approach is supportive, encouraging my clients to define the path in their personal journey towards wellness.
Invite the potential client to reach out to you for an appointment. (360 character max) Thank you for viewing my profile! If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with me, please reach out to Pacific Mental Health, and I will be in touch with you shortly.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you and feel honored to be a part of your journey.
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