awareness | compassion | connection

Therapy is a process of being exactly as you are, while taking the next step into who you are becoming.

Welcome to Shima Therapy—a place for reflection, healing, and rediscovery, serving individuals and relationships across California, Hawai‘i, and Japan. Here, we walk alongside those who feel the weight of stuckness yet hear the quiet call toward something more—more aliveness, more truth, more ease in simply being. Whether you’re tending to inner wounds, longing for deeper connection, or seeking clarity of purpose, our work embraces the mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of your life. Rooted in presence, we cultivate awareness and compassion as gateways—openings toward wholeness, intimacy, and the steady joy of coming home to yourself.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy offers a space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most—especially for those who are used to holding space for others or creating in the world around them. Rooted in contemporary relational Gestalt therapy, this is a collaborative and alive process, grounded in real relationship and present-moment awareness. Together, we give light and air to the aspects of you that have been tucked away—feelings, needs, and stories that once had to be hidden to make it through and keep going. As we hold those parts with compassion and care, they can begin to breathe again. Therapy becomes a place where new insight, vitality, and choice can emerge. This is not about fixing what’s broken—it’s about expanding what’s possible. You’re invited into a fuller experience of yourself and your life, with more authenticity, aliveness, and connection.

FAQ

Relationship Therapy

The couples and relationships we work with are navigating the rich and often tender terrain of building a meaningful life together—careers unfolding, identities evolving, and the relationship shifting in response. What once felt effortless can start to feel strained, not because something is broken, but because what worked before may no longer serve the people you’re becoming. We bring curious, compassionate attention to the space between you—the familiar rhythms, protective patterns, and small gestures of care or disconnection that shape your bond. Together, we slow down and listen for what’s happening beneath the surface: what’s reaching out, what’s pulling away, and what’s longing to be felt. This is a process of inviting the other to be heard, not just with words, but through presence, empathy, and a willingness to be impacted. As awareness deepens, new ways of connecting emerge—ones that make space for more authenticity, intimacy, and aliveness. We welcome all identities, orientations, and relationship styles with warmth and openness.

FAQ

Meet the Team

  • Matthew Shima, LMFT

    Founder / Psychotherapist

  • Chloe Shen, AMFT

    Associate Therapist

  • Christina Kam, LMFT

    Licensed Psychotherapist

  • Tuul Gantogtokh, AMFT

    Associate Therapist