About

Meet our Psychotherapists

John Valenzuela, Ph.D

Dr. John Valenzuela is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist based in Ojai, California. His lifelong passion has been psychology, and he graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology in 1995. After graduating, he worked in a residential treatment facility for 18 months. Deciding he could return to psychology later, he pursued a career in technology and education and maintained this career while returning to school in 2007. At Pacifica Graduate Institute, a school that explores both Jungian studies and empirical methods, he engaged in research on dreams and cultural identity. Also, during this time, he traveled the world as an admissions professional for U.S. boarding schools.

These experiences have enriched his therapeutic approach by developing an ability to connect with multiple professionals and cultural identities. 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.

Dr. Valenzuela brings his personal, professional, and cultural experiences empathically to his clients and supervisees.

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.