Tomoko Iimura, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, licensed to practice in the State of Texas. I turned to the mental health field by way of 12 years in corporate roles unrelated to the field but always harboring a passion for psychology and understanding human relationships. I have previously spent my life in 8 cities in 5 countries and have now settled in San Antonio, TX. As a roving expat for the majority of my life from a young age, I am used to having to start a new life every few years. I am accustomed to entering unfamiliar worlds, slowly learning the local language, customs, norms, and values - and trying to find common ground and building points of connection. I bring this same mentality to the therapy room. I am mindful that I am entering the client's world and context that are shaped by unique life experiences and belief system, and I aim to be a respectful and non-judgmental observer, while trying to see the world through your eyes. I also saw from a young age that life satisfaction begins and ends in the home and in the quality of your relationships. Even if you have material success, if your relationships are suffering, often there is an inescapable sense of emptiness. As a therapist, my role is to help clients process difficult experiences, distill what they would like to take away from the experiences and what they would like to leave behind, so that they can be empowered to be intentional about the relationships they have now. I received my Master's degree in Psychology (Marriage & Family Therapy) from Our Lady of the Lake University. I completed my clinical internship at the Rape Crisis Center, working with survivors of sexual violence and their families, as well as at the Community Counseling Services, working primarily with members of the West side of San Antonio. I also hold another Master's degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from Columbia University in New York City from my previous life, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Middlebury College in Vermont. I am married and am a mother to a fierce little girl and a sweet rescue dog.