I have worked as a clinical social worker and victim advocate for over 25 years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My professional work has deepened my belief and understanding that mental health symptoms are directly related to the ways in which people experience their unresolved hurts and feelings, and the complexities of societal issues that affect each individual's inner and external experiences.

Throughout my private psychotherapy practice tenure, I have gone beyond trauma work and approached psychotherapy as a way for people to increase their quality of life in a profound and meaningful way. Everybody has a reservoir of strength inside. I have been so honored and humbled to have an opportunity to witness, through compassionate and supportive psychotherapy, how one can create deep self-understanding and true self-acceptance to experience the beauty of life. 

My roots in social work go back to my own childhood experience. Growing up in the center of Tokyo, Japan, as a young girl, I witnessed many women from other Asian countries coming to Japan (in many cases, being trafficked), working in prostitution and serving Japanese men. I found a passion for advocacy centered around gender violence issues, and later came to the U.S. to study Women And Gender Studies as an undergraduate student. Since then, this work has always given me a critical compass in my life: to not bypass injustice but to bring my knowledge and skills to be part of social change, even on the most minor scale.

I earned an MSW from Boston College in 2008 and have done two-year post-MSW fellowships at the Victims of Violence Program (VOV) of the Cambridge Health Alliance; I later worked as a staff therapist in the VOV research program on PTSD. While at the Victims of Violence Program, I received weekly supervision from Judith Hearman, M.D., who helped develop my foundation of knowledge and skills as a psychotherapist, an experience that profoundly shaped my approach to therapy.

I have a training background in Psychodynamic Therapy, Attachment Theory, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Trauma Resilience  Model, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  My specialized areas are Anxiety, Trauma, and Relationship issues.

If you want to schedule a free 15-minute consultation, please contact me.  I currently accept Blue Cross Blue Shield for insurance. I will also be on the Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts, and Medicare networks in the coming months. 

For more information, you can also read my profile on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/yoko-harumi-cambridge-ma/232060. 

Yoko Harumi offers psychotherapy and talk therapy at CLINIC Thursdays 9am- 5pm. She also offers remote sessions at flexible hours.