Anxiety and stress
Racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, irritability, or a constant sense that something is about to go wrong. We look at what keeps the anxiety going, not only how to quiet it.
Benjamin Vu, MS, LMFT · Therapist in Garden Grove, CA
Therapy for the things you usually keep to yourself.
I offer psychodynamic therapy in person in Garden Grove and by video anywhere in California. Much of my work is with young men and with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) clients dealing with anxiety, family pressure, and relationships, and I keep Sunday hours so therapy fits around a full work week.
- Where
- In person: 12842 Valley View St, Suite 202, Garden Grove, CA 92845
Telehealth: anywhere in California - When
- Sundays, by appointment
- Sessions
- 50 minutes, weekly
- License
- LMFT No. 165635
What I help with
Common reasons people reach out
Men's issues
Pressure to have it all figured out, anger that comes out sideways, difficulty asking for help, and questions about identity, work, and family expectations.
Relationships and family conflict
Repeating patterns with partners, tension with parents or siblings, and the distance that builds when it feels safer not to say what you need.
Trauma and PTSD
Experiences that still show up in your body, your sleep, or your reactions, sometimes years later. We go at a pace that feels manageable.
Growing up around addiction
For adult children of alcoholics and anyone affected by substance use, including your own. Old survival habits often follow us into adult relationships.
Life transitions and disruption
Job loss, housing instability, a move, or a crisis that changed how you see things. I have spent years working with people in hard circumstances.
AAPI experience
Therapy that understands where you come from
For many Asian American and Pacific Islander clients, therapy is not something the family talked about. Struggles were handled privately, success was expected, and asking for help could feel like letting people down. I work with these experiences directly, without asking you to explain or defend your culture first. As a first-generation Vietnamese American therapist, I know many of them firsthand.
Family expectations
Pressure around school, career, marriage, and caring for parents, and the guilt that comes with wanting something different.
Between two cultures
Feeling too American at home and not American enough elsewhere, or struggling to talk with parents across a language or generational gap.
Stigma and saving face
Worry about what others will think, keeping problems inside the family, and the toll of always appearing fine.
Family history
The effects of immigration, war, and hardship that earlier generations rarely discussed but that still shape how a family relates.
Approach
Psychodynamic therapy, in plain terms
Events that have happened to us do not have to define the way we go about our lives.
Psychodynamic therapy looks at how past experiences, relationships, and feelings we push aside shape the way we react today. Instead of only managing symptoms, we work to understand where they come from, so change lasts.
Sessions are conversational. You bring what is on your mind, and I help you notice connections and patterns. Many people find that once they understand why they respond a certain way, they have more choice about it.
I also draw on practical tools when they help, especially in the early weeks when things feel urgent.
About me
Benjamin Vu, LMFT
I am a first-generation Vietnamese American and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I earned my MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of La Verne in 2023. Before becoming a therapist I worked in fire service and emergency medical services, and I have spent years doing community crisis work.
That background shapes how I practice. I am direct, steady, and comfortable with hard conversations. Many of the people I work with have never been to therapy before, or tried it once and felt it wasn't for them.
Many of my clients are Asian American and Pacific Islander, and I understand how family expectations and culture can shape what feels okay to talk about, and with whom.
Services
Who I see
Teens, adults, and older adults. Weekly 50-minute sessions are the usual starting point.
For partners who keep having the same argument, or who feel more like roommates than a couple.
For families working through conflict, a transition, or a change in how they relate to each other.
Fees and insurance
What therapy costs
Fees are based on session length and are the same for individual, couples, and family therapy.
50-minute session$150
90-minute session$225
Cancellation with less than 24 hours' noticeFull session fee
A sliding scale is available for clients who qualify. Ask about it during your consultation. I accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Venmo, Zelle, and cash.
I am not currently in network with insurance plans. If your plan has out-of-network benefits, I can give you a monthly superbill to submit for reimbursement. Check with your plan about your coverage first.
Your right to a Good Faith Estimate
Under the No Surprises Act, health care providers must give clients who don't have insurance, or who are not using insurance, an estimate of the expected charges for services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services. Ask for one when you schedule, or at any time before your first session.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Keep a copy of your estimate. For more information, visit cms.gov/nosurprises.
Contact
Book a free consultation
Call or email to set up a free 15-minute phone consultation. We can talk about what is bringing you in and whether we are a good fit. I usually respond within two business days.
Phone(714) 497-0796
Emailbenjaminvumft@gmail.com
Office12842 Valley View St, Suite 202, Garden Grove, CA 92845
I see clients in person from Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Cypress, Huntington Beach, and nearby Orange County cities, and by telehealth anywhere in California.
Please keep email brief and leave out personal health details. Email is not a secure way to share private information.
If you are in crisis
I do not provide emergency services. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.