Dina Bdaiwi

Hey~ My name is Dina Bdaiwi and I am a Dual Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist as well as Professional Clinical Counselor. 

More about me, I am of Mexican and Syrian [Latiné/x and South West Asian North African (SWANA)] heritages. I am a Queer 1.5-generation immigrant woman to the United States, born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Southern California. I play around with identity to see what fits best, in therapy together, we can reassess your connection to your identities to determine what you believe is the best fit for you, and we can discuss how to get you there!

I consider myself an intersectional feminist. Let's unpack and decolonize your thoughts and behaviors to be more in alignment with who you are and how you want to live your authentic life! Let's discuss all the critiques of society and strategize ways to stay informed and involved in causes you care most about!

I want to talk with you about bodies, relationships with food, and your relationship with yourself! There are so many ways to have a body and plenty of ways that we each respond to our bodies. I follow a HAES, Health At Every Size,approach to the treatment of body image concerns and disordered eating habits. I recognize that altering how you think of yourself and your body can be challenging, you do not have to do it alone! Let's debunk myths about bodies!

I have come to understand the world through stories, including the messages one was taught about life, yourself, and how one makes sense of lived experiences. Every story starts somewhere, maybe it was a story from before you were even born that has been passed down for generation after generation, both painful (T/trauma) or powerful (Legacy). 

There is no "right" way to respond to T/trauma. 

Values and Approach 

I practice a blend of Narrative, Relational-Cultural, and Feminist Therapies. What that means is, therapy with me will focus on the stories you tell yourself. We will deconstruct the myths that you’ve accepted about the world and your place in it and replace them with genuine (!!) self-compassion. 

My goal is to help you:

*Inspire and rekindle your desire for living your truth - unapologetically - with joy!

*Unpack the hefty trash bag full of shit you inherited from parents/relationships/bosses/teachers/the patriarchy….you know, the usual.

*Remove value/stigma/judgment from your relationship with your body - Accepting and working with the body you have today. Not feeling defined by the number on the scale or the intrusive comments from Aunt Karen. 

*Learn how to (do no harm, but) take no shit! Another way of saying: boundaries, bitch. You’re legit allowed to move on from trashy relationships to loving and supportive ones.  

*Recover and lean into your intuition! Your gut feeling that is right in the end, ya that one! Let’s give life to this part of you that has been denied time and time again. First by others and now, yourself.

*Getting comfy with the uncomfy. Let’s talk about that painful stuff that happened to you and haunts you to this day. No rush, I am here for you cutie <3. Let’s practice dispelling shame by shedding light and reexamining the experiences, perhaps there will be some new insights for you to ponder.

*Transform the self deprecating stories you carry into ones of empowerment, self acceptance, and radical love~ to get you feeling proud to be the only you there is!