Meet Dr. Ori

When choosing a therapist, it’s wise to consider that the most important factor in contributing to whether or not therapy will be a success is the relationship that is built between client and therapist. Having said that, you want to make sure that you choose a therapist that you vibe with, someone who you feel relatively comfortable speaking with and with whom you can see yourself building a healthy therapeutic relationship with over time. Having said that…reading about your potential therapist is not a substitute for speaking to them via a consultation call and getting a feel for what a back-and-forth conversation with them sounds and feels like, but learning a bit about them beforehand can be helpful in getting a sense of some of the parts that make up who they are. So, here’s a bit about me.

 

How I Became a Therapist:

The origin story of how I ended up choosing a career as a psychologist started in the 10th grade. I wasn’t a particularly strong student, and it wasn’t until I took an intro to psychology course at my high school that I finally encountered a subject that really spoke to me and had me feeling excited to learn more. I was always the guy that friends and acquaintances felt comfortable opening up to, so I had a feeling early on that some of my personality traits might make me a potentially good candidate for pursuing the field professionally, but that was just a hunch.

After graduating high school, I declared my major in psychology at my local community college, and continued to find that it was a subject that I was passionate about and understood well. I then transferred to CSUN in 2005 to complete my bachelor’s degree, where I also got the opportunity to work for the CSUN Crisis Helpline supporting callers in need of crisis intervention. This was my first experience being trained in and providing psychological services, one that I was very nervous about, but one that really informed me that this was something that I wanted to take all the way, that I was passionate about supporting human beings through challenging times, and that I was equipped for it.

After graduating with my B.A I took a year off to prepare for applying to graduate schools. I decided that I wanted to pursue a doctoral degree in CA, but that I also wanted to be close enough to my parents and my core friend group at the time so that I could visit them easily. That’s how in 2008 I landed at Alliant International University in beautiful San Diego, which was about three hours away from where I grew up in Los Angeles.

 

How Long Have I been in Private Practice:

I got my license to practice as a psychologist in November of 2017, and opened up my practice in March of 2018 after being given an awesome opportunity to lease office space from one of my old supervisors turned friend/colleague. There were a lot of growing pains along the way, but six years later my practice is still going strong and I’ve had the privilege of developing relationships with and supporting a host of wonderful human beings in their life journey’s.

​

Where Do You Live?

In April of 2023…me, my wife, 10-month-old son, and our 8-year-old golden retriever/cocker spaniel mix named Daisy decided to move from San Diego to Austin, Texas. In a great surprise and turn of events my mom, dad, and younger brother decided to move with us and live close by. Thankfully I was able to transition my in-person therapy office in San Diego to a virtual office that is able to serve clients all over CA and not just in San Diego. Working from home has also given me an opportunity to spend more time with my wife and son, a privilege and luxury that I am deeply thankful for.    

 

What About Your Personal Life?

My life has evolved a lot over the years with my marriage, the birth of my son, and our move to Texas. No more late nights at the dance club and spontaneous trips. LOL. Now life consists of a lot more wholesomeness like farmers markets and splash pads on the weekends, watching my son learn and grow, and spending quality time with my wife and extended family.

​

For exercise my dad and I train at a gym called Rebel Fitness, which is one of those obstacle course training facilities that prepare you for fitness races like Hyrox and Deka, or obstacle course races like Tough Mudder or Savage Race. I love exercise and it’s a non-negotiable in my self-care routine. Recently I also started seeing a Chiropractor at a Sports Medicine facility here in Austin and they have been a game changer in my recovery from workout injuries that I’ve accumulated over the years. These days I’m trying to preserve my health and body as well and for as long as I can.

​

My favorite TV show is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which you can find me watching every season over and over again on repeat. I am also a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts and used to train kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu for most of my adult life before my move to Texas. I am currently taking a break from that but am looking forward to introducing my son to Jiu Jitsu in a couple of years and training with him at one of the local Jiu Jitsu academies nearby.

 

*Please take a look at my FAQ’s page to read more about me and my approach to therapy