Arielle Dualan
Licensed Marriage + Family Therapist #151346

Individual Adult Therapy
Family Therapy
Couples Therapy

San Francisco Office
Virtual

• Generalized + Social Anxiety

• Depression / Mood Disorders

• Burnout

• Communication styles

• Life Transitions

• Grief and Loss

• Trauma

• Imposter Syndrome

• LGBTQ affirming

• BIPOC/Immigrant affirming

• Culturally-Responsive

• Adolescents

• Adults

• Families

• B.A. in Psychology - University of California, Santa Cruz

• M.S. in Counseling with a dual concentration in School Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy - California State University, East Bay

• Pupil Personnel Services Credential - School Counseling

• Triple P - Parent Coaching certification (parents with teens)

I am passionate about helping adolescents and emerging adults address developmental trauma (abuse, neglect, immigration) and traumas of oppression (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia) that may manifest in symptoms of anxiety and/or mood disorders. My ideal client is someone who is looking for a safe space to confront fears that may be holding them back from tapping into their strengths. They may adopt a narrative that is self-critical and disempowering, and are searching for an opportunity to heal from feelings of pain and distress in order to become a better version of themselves and for the people they love.

I use a warm, culturally-responsive, and relational approach. I want my clients to know they have permission to laugh, cry, and give me direct feedback because so often throughout our life, we might not have the opportunity to do so. I believe that storytelling can be healing, so I like incorporating Narrative Therapy in sessions so that clients get the chance to share and revisit parts of their story in order to make sense of their presenting concerns. I’m trained to provide trauma-informed services, so I also use elements of Family Systems theory, Feminist theory, and Attachment Theory to support clients with overcoming challenges influenced by systemic barriers.

I’ve always had a strong desire to help people–I’m a proud daughter of Filipinx immigrant parents who emphasized the importance of always making space for others. I translate that life lesson into all aspects of my life and enjoy making genuine connections with others so that they feel seen and valued. I spent the past decade doing just that by supporting first-generation college students like myself navigate their post-secondary plans and providing school-based mental health services to students and families at the K-12 level. In my experience serving diverse student populations, I worked with families and students alike to overcome barriers that stifled their ability to practice self-compassion, including imposter syndrome, burnout, traumatic experiences, and limited access to resources. My goal is to continue that work by supporting future clients develop personal insights to continue persisting through life’s challenges.

I believe healing starts when we pause to make sense of our lived experiences, both the joyous and painful moments and everything in between. As someone who felt like they constantly needed to hustle their way through life, this work taught me the beauty of slowing down in order to keep moving forward. Moreover, therapy can be empowering because it offers us the opportunity to reclaim the title of being the expert of our own life as opposed to adopting narratives that were prescribed to us.

I enjoy a little bit of everything! When I’m not at work, you’ll probably find me looking for a new recipe to try or scrolling through streaming networks to find a new show to watch. I’m a family-oriented person, so spending time with my loved ones is very important to me. I grew up in the Central Valley and have lived in various parts of Northern California over the past decade. I love exploring new places, camping, and rooting for my Bay Area sports teams! I’m also a 90s kid at heart and find a lot of comfort listening to 90s/early 00s R&B/pop music.

“Arielle is truly the best therapist I've had. It took me a while to find a therapist that was the right fit for me, and I'm so so happy I waited to find Arielle. She's an incredibly thoughtful listener, takes notes and follows up on details in a way that I feel listened to and understood without judgment. She's also doing a great job at finding the correct course of action for the various things going on in my life. From week to week, I leave with new perspectives and kernels that I get to work through during my week ahead. I feel like I was stuck before starting therapy, and now I'm finally taking steps forward with Arielle's help. She's amazing!”

“Overall it has been really amazing! Scheduling and helping us find our therapist was really easy and great! Arielle is really helping us communicate better.”

“Arielle is my provider, and she is incredible. She's created such a safe and positive space to work in. Very much appreciate our sessions so far, and looking forward to more!”

“Arielle is great and is the first therapist that I really feel has listened to me, asked questions in a way that doesn't make me feel like she's reading off a questionnaire, and responds with a balance of understanding and call to action. I've really liked her since she took my intake call!”