Making Connections
Meet our Psychotherapists
John Valenzuela, Ph.D
Dr. John Valenzuela is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist based in Ojai, California. He founded Nexus Counseling and Wellness as a philosophical principle to bring attention and awareness to connection between self and others, within our personal narratives, and to the extended community.
His journey began after graduating from UCLA with a BA in Psychology in 1995, where he worked in a residential treatment facility for 18 months. Deciding he could return to psychology later, he paused his career and moved to South Korea to teach English for a year. Returning to the path in 2007, he began the clinical psychology program at Pacifica Graduate Institute, a school that explores both Jungian studies and empirical methods. While there, several new plot lines emerged, including his research on dreams and cultural identity and their link to neurobiology.
These experiences have enriched his therapeutic approach to extend the reach of empathic understanding to his clients and mental health professionals. Along with his studies, he has fostered an ongoing dream practice for the past 30 years, and now is an author of a book on dreams, Jungian psychology, and neuroscience.
Tatiana Zarmati (AMFT)
Tatiana Zarmati, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, is committed to helping individuals reconnect with their inner wisdom, cultivate self-compassion, and establish a deep sense of safety within their nervous system. With a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, she provides trauma-informed care under the supervision of Dr. John Valenzuela.
Tatiana specializes in guiding children, teens, and adults through healing past trauma and reclaiming a sense of wholeness. She employs a gentle, creative, and collaborative approach, honoring the unconscious mind as a vital key to lasting mental wellness. Through talk therapy, mindfulness, somatic exercises, art therapy, and parts work, she empowers clients to build healthier relationships, foster emotional resilience, and deepen their connection with their authentic selves.
In a warm, nurturing space, Tatiana supports individuals in integrating fragmented parts of the self, illuminating the hidden corners of the psyche, and stepping into a more balanced, empowered life.
PJ Haring (AMFT)
PJ Haring is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist under the supervision of Dr. John Valenzuela. He has returned to psychotherapy after a long career as a yoga instructor and high school teacher. His breadth of experience has crafted a sincere and straightforward therapeutic approach that is often psychodynamically informed.
Peri Donch (AMFT)
Peri Donch is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist based in Southern California, under the supervision of Dr. John Valenzuela. After earning a BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University, Peri spent many years in the high energy Los Angeles fashion industry before returning to her calling in mental health - meeting at the intersection of psychology and art.
Through her yoga and mindfulness practice Peri pursued multiple modalities of embodiment, cold exposure and breathwork. She has trained and certified under the guidance of Marlize Joubert, whom she assists in breathwork trainings. This breath practice was the catalyst for Peri to return to psychology and enroll in the masters program at Antioch University Los Angeles with a specialization in Spiritual and Depth Psychology.
Peri integrates depth psychology, somatic exploration, and creative work to help clients navigate anxiety, relationship dynamics, life transitions, and grief. Her holistic approach emphasizes mindfulness and body awareness—guiding clients to reconnect with themselves through breath and intentional presence. Drawing on her background in the creative industries, Peri fosters an environment of safety and trust, empowering teens and adults to move through transitions toward a life of joy and peace.
Erin Chalfant (Registered Psychological Associate)
Erin Chalfant, MA, MFA, is a Pre-doctoral intern completing her PsyD in Counseling Psychology, working under the supervision of Dr. Valenzuela. Her dissertation research focuses on late-diagnosed neurodivergent women through the lens of archetype and myth. She is a world traveler, yoga teacher, writer, and a mother, and each of these threads informs the depth and presence she offers to her clients with whom she sits. She works primarily with adults, with a particular focus on highly sensitive women, neurodivergent individuals, including those with late-diagnosed ADHD and autism, couples, and individuals navigating divorce, depression, anxiety, motherhood, and life transitions.
Her therapeutic approach is integrative and depth-oriented, drawing from Hakomi, somatic and mindfulness-based practices, EMDR, narrative therapy, and depth psychology, including dream work, ecopsychology and archetypal inquiry. She holds a psychodynamic and trauma-informed lens throughout her work, trusting that healing unfolds at the intersection of body, story, and the unconscious. Erin is committed to meeting each person with kindness, curiosity and insight.
