Manina works with clients of all ages, including children, teens, adults, couples, and families. She enjoys helping people navigate anxiety, depression, self-worth and body image concerns, relationship challenges, life transitions, and healing from difficult or traumatic experiences. She also has experience supporting clients impacted by domestic violence and substance use. At the heart of her work is helping people better understand themselves, feel more connected in their relationships, and move toward the life and relationships they want.
Manina believes therapy works best when it feels genuine, collaborative, and tailored to the person sitting in front of her. She draws from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and play therapy techniques. With couples, she focuses on helping partners understand the patterns that keep them stuck, communicate more openly, and reconnect with one another. With children and families, she uses developmentally appropriate and play-based approaches to help build emotional awareness, connection, and healthier relationships.
More than anything, Manina wants clients to feel comfortable being themselves in the therapy room. She believes every person brings their own story, strengths, and capacity for change, and that good therapy begins with feeling genuinely heard and understood. She recognizes that asking for help can be difficult and considers it a privilege to be trusted with the parts of people's lives that matter most to them.
Manina earned her undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and is currently completing her Master of Social Work degree at Utah Valley University.
Growing up in Alaska gave Manina a lifelong love of the outdoors, adventure, and wide-open spaces. When she's not in the therapy room, you'll likely find her hiking, staying active, planning the next family adventure, or spending time with her husband and their six kids. She loves being outdoors, values health and fitness, and is a firm believer that life is better with meaningful connection, a little adventure, and plenty of laughter.
Finding the right therapist is about both expertise and fit. Below are the concerns this therapist commonly supports, the therapy approaches they may use, and the client communities and life stages they have experience working with.
Therapy is tailored to your goals, needs, and pace. Depending on what you are working through, this therapist may draw from approaches such as:
This therapist supports clients navigating emotional, relational, and life challenges such as:
This therapist welcomes clients from a range of backgrounds, identities, and life stages, including:
