Sana Akhtar Ramay, LMFT

Sana Akhtar Ramay is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who brings a background in both child and family services to her clinical work. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Biology from the University of California, Davis and later completed a Master of Counseling from National University. Early in her career she worked with children diagnosed with autism, a role that was both challenging and deeply rewarding and that led to a leadership promotion within a few months. She went on to work in an agency setting serving the Behavioral and Community Services Department as well as the Children’s Department, providing care for adults, couples, families and children ranging in age from 2 to 21.

One case from her practice stands out: a young woman who had experienced anxiety from an early age and had been on multiple medications beginning at age 3. Over the course of about a year, Sana provided individual counseling, family services, coordinated care with separated parents, and consulted with a psychiatrist. With collaborative support, the client was ultimately taken off medication and completed counseling. A card the client made for Sana bearing the quote "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor" remains on her wall as a reminder of how overcoming challenges strengthens clinical work.

Sana has pursued a range of trainings and certifications to support her work with children and families. She is a Certified Nurtured Heart Trainer, is certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), completed a 26-week Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training, and has taken additional trainings in grief, trauma and cognitive therapy. Her counseling style is warm and interactive, grounded in respect and dignity, with an emphasis on empowering clients and building confidence in a compassionate manner. She draws from a blend of approaches including Cognitive Behavioral, Narrative, Humanistic and Psychodynamic therapies, tailoring the process to each person and including clients in treatment planning while monitoring progress.

Sana recognizes that beginning therapy takes courage. She offers guidance, support and encouragement for those ready to take that first step and aims to help people create more fulfilling and satisfying lives.