Rina Podolsky
Details
Pronouns:
she/her/hers
License:
LMFT
License No:
113138
Availability:
Tuesday & Thursday. Day and Evenings. | Mission Valley Office
Rate:
$190 per 50-minute Session
Mission Valley, Telehealth
Biography
Are you ready to get off the “he said/she said” cycle and remember why you like your partner? Maybe you’re simply tired of feeling tired and know that something needs to change, but you’re not sure what. You don’t have to figure it out alone. My name is Rina Podolsky and I work as a multicultural and bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). From affairs to mid-life issues, I help couples and individuals sift through what is weighing them down so they can feel, think, and make decisions with clarity and confidence. When it comes to relationships, think of me as calling in reinforcements: I am here to help you untangle, rebuild, and reconnect. Life and relationships may be challenging, but they shouldn’t be this hard all the time. I earned my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from San Diego State University after realizing how naturally supporting roles come to me. Go ahead and schedule your first appointment; I’d love to get to know you more to find out how I can support you.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Training:
- Completed The Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship
- Completed The Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Core Skills
Areas of Focus
- Couples & Individuals
- Bilingual Therapy
- Bi-cultural
- Anxiety
- Break-ups
- Divorce
- Infidelity
- Infertility, Fertility
- Issues, and Pregnancy Loss
- Grief and Loss
- Life Transitions
- Motherhood
- Parenting
- Premarital
- Counseling
- Young Adults
- Work-Related Issues
Rina Podolsky’s Education and Experience:
I was born in Mexico City into a family who had relocated from Eastern Europe. I grew up surrounded by a mixture of different rich cultures that sometimes collided and sometimes complemented each other. The experience of living in a multicultural world gifted me with a perspective of respect towards that which is different between cultures and an innate sensibility to the importance culture plays in the way people view their world. When I graduated High School I moved to Israel where I spent less than a year traveling and attending classes at Tel Aviv University. Upon my return to Mexico City, I obtained two B.A’s, the first one in Communications with a double major in advertising and graphic design. My second B.A. was in Interior Design. In both cases, I graduated with honors.
Throughout my work experience I noticed that there was a common thread, no matter which field of work, I always took on the role of supporting people during pivotal moments in their lives. That is why I decided to pursue my passion for helping people and obtained a Masters in Science in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy from SDSU. I chose the field of Marriage and Family Therapy because my prior experience had made me aware of the importance of looking at an individual as part of a larger system that affects and is affected by them.
Working at the SDSU counseling center, I had the opportunity to counsel very diverse populations, using different modalities and techniques such as Biofeedback, Motivational interviewing for substance use and recovery, Brief solution-focused therapy, ACT, Narrative therapy, and Emotionally Focused therapy. Before that, I worked at the Center for Community Counseling and Engagement which is a not-for-profit counseling center. At both sites, I worked with individuals, families, couples, and groups. My experience in working with couples was so meaningful and enriching that I chose to further my experience and join Estes Therapy. I provide Spanish Speaking Counseling in San Diego.
On a personal note, I have a rich repertoire of lived experiences, both personal and from those close to me. I have been touched by family matters, motherhood, immigration, stage of life difficulties, making difficult decisions and changing my life course. All of it has given me the capacity to empathize with people who are experiencing life’s challenges.
¿Necesita terapia en Español?
Get to know Couples Therapist Rina
Q&A time! You can get to know Marriage and Family Therapist Rina on a personal level.
When did you decide to go into Marriage and Family Therapy?
I decided to go back to school and get a master’s because I felt I needed a new challenge in my life. In the process of looking at options for my graduate studies, I came across the MFT program and immediately realized that this is what I would like to spend the rest of my life doing. It helped me bring into focus what I enjoyed in all of my past work experiences.
Do you have advice for someone who is considering becoming an MFT?
I would tell them to enjoy every second of the process of learning, to ask as many questions as they can from their mentors and professors, and to be very clear of why they have chosen this field. Lastly, I would remind them of the huge opportunity we are given when we are allowed to sit down with every client and the responsibility that comes along with it.
What would you recommend to someone who is nervous about coming in for their first session?
I would want them to know that being nervous is normal but that shouldn’t stop you from getting the support you need. It is important to me that my clients feel comfortable with me, but that rapport starts with actually meeting! I’d also want my clients to know whatever they need to upfront to make the first session less nerve-wracking. Our office is easy to find, you can have your paperwork filled out ahead of time, and our waiting room is relaxing and even has tea and coffee available to you while you wait. The first session is an in-depth “get to know you” and it works both ways — I’m happy to answer your questions so that we can work together openly and confidently.
How do you pass your time when you are not working with clients?
I love reading and learning new things. I like spending time in museums and immersing myself in culture. Spending time with my children and with my close friends is very important to me. So is jogging and looking at the ocean. Traveling is my ultimate indulgence.
If you were not a therapist, what would you be doing?
I have done so many of the things I would like to be doing, that the only thing I can think of is I would be traveling and writing and just enjoying life. But I think I would still end up circling back around to wanting to be a therapist.
Rina is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #113138) at Estes Therapy in Mission Valley, San Diego.
