“The wound is the place where the light enters you.”
Nina Marikian, MA, AMFT
.png)
Nina Marikian, MA, AMFT
Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Associate 147716
Supervised by Monica M. Huston, LMFT 118825
About Nina
Hi, I’m Nina. I’m so glad you’re here.
As an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), I bring both personal and professional experience to my work with children, adolescents, and adults. I earned my Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California and my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from UC Irvine.
My path toward therapy began long before graduate school. It started in my childhood home in Pasadena, California, where I was raised as a first-generation Armenian-American by immigrant parents whose lives were shaped by both trauma and resilience. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand how unspoken emotional pain and untreated mental health struggles impacted my family’s well-being. Those early observations lit a fire in me to help others break cycles of generational pain and find healing. While therapy wasn’t normalized in my Armenian home, I knew from a young age that I wanted to become the kind of support system I longed for.
My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and grounded in curiosity and compassion. I draw from psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to meet clients where they are. Psychodynamic work allows us to explore how early experiences shape present-day emotions and relationships. CBT supports clients in managing unhelpful thoughts and building confidence. EFT helps deepen emotional connection, especially in family dynamics. For clients seeking it, I also offer Christian counseling, integrating faith as a powerful tool for healing and hope.
My office is a safe place where adults, teens, and children can bring their concerns and struggles—such as depression, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, and major life transitions—and receive care tailored to their unique needs.
Education & Credentials
- University of Southern California
MA in Marriage & Family Therapy - University of California, Irvine
BA in Psychology & Social Behavior
Nina's Approach
Nina works with kids and teens not just because she is trained to, but because she genuinely enjoys young people, and thankfully they seem to enjoy her too. With extensive experience in public school settings supporting adolescents and young adults, she is deeply passionate about walking alongside them as they navigate the complicated journey of self-discovery, relationships, academic pressures, mental health challenges, and building a strong sense of self-worth. She also finds it incredibly meaningful to collaborate with parents, helping them foster healthier communication, strengthen emotional bonds, and create more supportive family environments.
Nina also supports women navigating major life transitions, such as relationship changes, career shifts, motherhood, divorce, grief, menopause, or identity redefinition. These seasons can bring emotional and relational challenges, but together she helps clients work toward clarity, confidence, and healing. She helps women cultivate greater calm, resilience, and a deeper sense of self-worth.
Nina values working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, including immigrants, and offers sessions in both English and Armenian. She believes that honoring cultural identity is an essential part of healing and strives to create a space where all parts of a client’s story feel seen and respected.
Outside of therapy, Nina enjoys long walks, experimenting in the kitchen, dancing, watching comedy movies, and cherishing time with her loved ones—especially her mischievous red poodle, Stella.
