Piyola Derbarseghian, MA, AMFT, became passionate about therapy after recognizing the stark contrast between the openness surrounding mental health, relationships, and sexuality within American culture and the discomfort and silence around these topics in her own Iranian-Armenian communities. Witnessing this gap sparked a deep commitment to understanding relational dynamics, identity, and intimacy more fully, and to creating spaces where conversations about these subjects feel safe, thoughtful, and culturally attuned.
Piyola earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Human Sexuality from California State University, Northridge. She went on to complete her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Alliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology.
She continued her clinical training at a nonprofit organization, where she primarily worked with young working professionals navigating life transitions, relationship challenges, identity exploration, and complex family dynamics. This early work solidified her passion for supporting high-functioning individuals who outwardly appear successful yet internally may be struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, relational stress, or uncertainty about their next chapter.
Piyola has since pursued advanced training under AASECT-certified clinicians and has completed additional training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). This specialized training allows her to integrate attachment-based and relational frameworks into her work with both individuals and couples, fostering deeper emotional connection and unity within relationships.
Throughout her career, Piyola has worked with tech developers, physicians, financial advisors, as well as individuals in healing professions, alongside creatives in the entertainment and Hollywood industries, and business owners and entrepreneurs. Many of her clients are high achievers, from emerging professionals to seasoned leaders, seeking support in their interpersonal lives and intimate relationships.
Her work is grounded in helping individuals better understand themselves within the context of their relationships, culture, their personal identity and values. She is committed to creating a therapeutic space that is thoughtful, culturally sensitive, emotionally attuned, and deeply collaborative.
About Piyola
My Approach
My approach is centered around helping individuals and couples build deeper emotional and relational understanding in a world where many people are expected to simply “keep going” without ever slowing down to examine their patterns, needs, or inner world.
I work with adults and couples navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, and intimacy concerns. Many of my clients are thoughtful, high-functioning individuals who are successful in their careers and responsibilities but feel stuck when it comes to relationships, emotional connection, or understanding themselves more deeply.
What makes my practice unique is the integration of psychodynamic therapy, emotionally focused work, trauma-informed, and intimacy-focused sex therapy. Rather than only focusing on surface-level solutions, our work explores the deeper emotional and relational patterns that shape how you connect with yourself and others. By understanding these patterns, clients are able to create lasting change in how they experience relationships, intimacy, and self-trust.
I also offer specialized support around sexual confidence, desire differences, performance anxiety, painful sex, out-of-control sexual behaviors, and shame related to sex and sexuality. Many people carry trauma and messages about sex from their respective culture(s), religion, family, or past relationships that create anxiety or disconnection. Therapy offers a respectful, nonjudgmental space to explore these experiences and rebuild a healthier relationship with intimacy.
Because of my own multicultural background as an Iranian-Armenian American and an immigrant myself, I also hold space for the complex ways culture, family expectations, and identity influence relationships. Many of my clients are first- or second-generation individuals or culturally diverse couples navigating the balance between tradition, autonomy, and modern relationships.
At the heart of my work is the belief that meaningful change happens when people feel safe enough to be honest about their experiences and curious enough to understand themselves more deeply. Therapy becomes a place where clients can slow down, explore their emotional world, and develop relationships that feel more authentic, connected, and fulfilling.