Angela Tran, LAC
Modalities: Psychodynamic, DBT, person-centered, EFT, trauma- informed
Clientele: Adolescents (12+), Adults
Specialties: Anxiety, depression, attachment wound, self-esteem, perfectionism, relationship challenges, generational trauma, LGBTQIA+
Approach: CBT, DBT, person-centered, trauma-informed, EFT, psychodynamic
Insurance & Private Pay rate: Aetna, BCBS, Cigna; $125/ 55 min
You’ve Spent Your Life Trying to Be Good Enough. What If You Already Are?
Growing up as the daughter of immigrants, I learned early what it meant to carry expectations.
Be a good daughter. Work hard. Make your family proud. Don’t disappoint anyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall short.
For a long time, I carried those expectations into everything I did. I struggled with imposter syndrome, questioned whether I was doing enough, and measured my worth by what I accomplished and how others saw me.
It took my own journey of self-exploration and therapy to begin untangling those beliefs and discovering who I was beyond the roles I played and the expectations I carried.
Maybe some of this sounds familiar.
Perhaps you’re the dependable one, the overachiever, the peacemaker, or the person everyone turns to when something goes wrong. You’ve become so good at meeting other people’s needs that you’ve lost touch with your own.
Maybe you feel guilty saying no. You replay conversations, second-guess your decisions, or worry that disappointing someone means you’ve failed them. Even when you’re doing well, there’s a nagging voice telling you that you should be doing more.
Or perhaps you’re trying to navigate the complicated space between honoring your family, culture, and upbringing while figuring out what you actually want.
You can love your family and still question the expectations you grew up with. You can care deeply about others without abandoning yourself.
Today, I help teens and adults navigate anxiety, perfectionism, generational trauma, attachment wounds, relationship challenges, and identity so they can begin building lives that feel more authentic, connected, and compassionate.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
You don’t have to be the perfect client, either.
You can show up messy, uncertain, overwhelmed, frustrated, or even a little skeptical.
You don’t need to have the right words, know exactly what’s wrong, or arrive with a perfectly organized list of things you want to work on.
My style is warm, collaborative, direct, and genuinely human.
I’ll listen with curiosity and compassion, but I also won’t be afraid to gently challenge you when I notice patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
We might explore why you feel responsible for everyone else’s emotions, why setting boundaries brings up guilt, or why you keep finding yourself in relationships where your needs come last.
And yes, we’ll probably laugh along the way.
I believe humor can make difficult conversations feel a little less intimidating. Therapy can be meaningful and challenging without feeling heavy every minute.
My Approach
I believe understanding yourself is one of the most powerful foundations for change.
My approach integrates psychodynamic therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), person-centered therapy, and trauma-informed care.
That means we’ll look beyond the immediate symptoms to understand how your experiences, relationships, and beliefs have shaped the way you see yourself and the world.
For example, we may explore how early attachment experiences influence your current relationships, why certain situations trigger strong emotional reactions, or how long-standing beliefs about your worth continue to affect your choices.
We’ll also develop practical skills for managing emotions, communicating your needs, setting boundaries, and navigating everyday challenges.
My goal isn’t to tell you who you should become.
It’s to help you understand yourself more deeply so you can make choices that reflect who you genuinely want to be.
I earned both my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Counseling from Arizona State University. My clinical experience includes working with clients across the lifespan in residential settings, schools, and community mental health.
These experiences have reinforced my belief that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing.
Who I Work Best With
I especially enjoy working with teens and adults who are:
- Struggling with perfectionism, imposter syndrome, or people-pleasing
- Navigating cultural expectations and intergenerational family dynamics
- Healing from childhood experiences or attachment wounds
- Experiencing anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem
- Feeling stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns
- Learning to set boundaries without guilt
- Exploring identity, belonging, or LGBTQIA+ experiences
- Navigating major life transitions
- Trying to understand who they are outside of their achievements or responsibilities
- Looking for a therapist who is compassionate, honest, and willing to challenge them
I have a particular appreciation for people who have spent much of their lives feeling that they need to earn love, approval, or belonging.
You deserve relationships—including the one you have with yourself—where your worth isn’t constantly up for evaluation.
A Bit More About Me
Life has also taught me that we don’t always get to control what happens to us.
Living with an autoimmune disorder has given me firsthand experience with the frustration of wanting your body to cooperate when it has other plans.
It’s challenged me to rethink expectations, uncertainty, and what it means to be compassionate toward myself when things don’t go according to plan.
Those experiences continue to shape how I understand resilience and the importance of making room for ourselves as we are, rather than constantly fighting to become who we think we should be.
Outside the therapy room, you’ll usually find me spending time with my partner and our two dogs, preferably doing something dog-friendly.
I also love reading and watching movies, especially Marvel films. I’m always happy to talk about a good movie, and I appreciate a little humor even in life’s more serious moments.
I don’t believe being a therapist means having everything figured out.
I believe it means showing up with curiosity, humility, compassion, and a willingness to keep growing.
Reach Out to Me Now
You don’t have to spend the rest of your life proving that you’re enough.
You can learn to set boundaries without feeling selfish, make choices without constantly seeking approval, and build relationships where you don’t have to sacrifice yourself to feel loved.
You can honor where you came from while creating a life that feels more like your own.
And you don’t have to figure it all out before you begin.
If you’re ready to loosen the grip of old expectations, better understand yourself, and discover what life might feel like with a little less pressure and a lot more self-compassion, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
THERAPY THAT FITS YOU
