About Me

Most people experience some level of trauma over the course of their lives. Trauma is not limited to a single catastrophic event; it can also emerge through chronic stress, loss, discrimination, medical experiences, displacement, relational wounds, or experiences that overwhelm our capacity to cope. While trauma can profoundly shape how we relate to ourselves, our bodies, and the world around us, I believe healing is possible, and that healing is about more than simply surviving the past. It is about reclaiming joy, connection, meaning, and a sense of aliveness in the body.

I am Yassi Keshavarz, LCSW, a trauma therapist whose work is grounded in the understanding that trauma is both personal and collective. Meaningful healing requires attention not only to our individual experiences, but also to the larger political, cultural, social, and structural forces that shape our lives.

Originally from Iran, I grew up as a member of a religious minority, experiencing fear, restriction, and systemic discrimination from an early age. I immigrated to the United States in 2011 and carry with me a deep, lived understanding of displacement, identity, belonging, and cultural transition. Early in my career, I worked with unaccompanied refugee youth - an experience that profoundly shaped my clinical perspective. Their courage and resilience strengthened my commitment to supporting refugees, immigrants, and survivors of complex trauma as they work to reclaim safety, dignity, connection, and meaning.

I specialize in Complex PTSD, dissociation, OCD, Anxiety, Depression, and trauma related to chronic illness and medical experiences. My approach is integrative and deeply body-oriented, drawing from EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ego State Therapy and Structural Dissociation, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Somatic) . Rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction, I help clients access deeper layers of healing by attending to the interconnected experiences of the mind, body, nervous system, and the internal parts that carry pain, protection, and wisdom.

I also work closely with professionals and high-functioning adults, including medical providers, therapists, engineers, educators, leaders, and caregivers - people who give deeply to others yet may quietly run on empty. From the outside, these clients are often seen as capable, dependable, and strong: the people who hold everything together. Internally, however, they may experience exhaustion that never fully lifts, perfectionism that never rests, pressure to continually perform, or a quiet belief that rest must be earned. I create a space where even the most intellectual, driven, and protective parts can soften, be understood, and finally exhale.

My work is informed by both professional training and lived experience. I believe that our protective patterns developed for good reasons, even when they no longer serve us. Rather than judging or fighting these parts, I help clients approach them with curiosity and compassion, creating the conditions for greater internal safety, integration, and choice.

I am licensed in California and Utah and practice in Sacramento, where I live with my husband and two children. Outside of my professional life, I enjoy reading, singing, dancing, and spending time in nature with loved ones.

At the heart of my work is a warm, nonjudgmental space where every part of a person is welcome - from the strongest protector to the most vulnerable part carrying pain. I walk alongside my clients at their pace, honoring their history, culture, strengths, and capacity for change. Together, we work toward healing that feels not only safer, but also more rooted, connected, empowered, and alive.