Arjuna Chotu

LPCA

My name is Arjuna Chotu. I was born in Oakland, California, and was raised in the city of Pittsburg, California. I attended K-12 in Pittsburg, California, and received my high school diploma from Pittsburg High School. Shortly after, I received my Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Bushnell University. With the aspiration and interest in physical and mental education, I decided to pursue both. I have gained experience through different opportunities, which have allowed me to become more competent in different facets of mental and physical health. I gained experience at Bushnell University as a student athlete mental health counselor and as an intern at their clinic. These two experiences in the mental health world have granted me the opportunity to encounter different concerns with different variables. Being a student athlete counselor allowed me to practice both physical and mental health through a favorable circumstance. I was blessed with another opportunity through Olympus Health to practice both professions as a medical assistant. While being a student athlete, counselor, intern, and working at Olympus Health. I was employed at Rehabilitation Medicine Associates as a medical assistant and at Monte Nido Rain Rock as a recovery coach. I am the oldest of three siblings. My siblings’ names are Mahima Chotu and Avishek Chotu. Though they can annoy me, they are both honestly hilarious. My parents are Ramita Singh and Ritesh Chotu. I wouldn’t be able to strive for a higher education as easily without them. I would like to mention my Aji, Aja, Nani, and Fua. They are the bread, butter, and doodh cha of the family.

My counseling style encompasses a holistic perspective to view concerns comprehensively. By exploring all aspects, we can focus on the concern while considering all outlooks. The outlooks considered are biology, psychology, and social factors that embody individuals. This holistic perspective, along with Maslow’s hierarchical structure, allows us to aim for a higher potential through a humanistic perspective while incorporating an existential and narrative therapy frame of reference rooted in a person-centered approach. What does this mean? A humanistic perspective outlines a general premise of how I approach counseling. A humanistic perspective believes in the process of becoming, and in that process of becoming, incorporating all aspects of an individual is important to consider. With the frame of reference of existential and narrative therapy, it allows one to view life from opposite principles to gain perspective from a first-person and third-person perspective, which can aid in decision making. Through existential therapy, the frame of reference is to view the concern through responsibility and the inevitable outcome of choice. Everyone has the choice to do anything, but it inevitably comes with the responsibility for the choices that you make. On the other hand, in narrative therapy, is to view the concern without any responsibility or personal attachment to the issue, to view it objectively, or to take yourself out of the situation to decrease stress, which aids in sound decision making.

I am interested in all concerns and believe it is possible to improve the condition of a current circumstance. However, I am drawn to concerns that deal with anxiety, depression, substance use, life organization and changes, relationship disputes/couples counseling, and family disputes/family counseling.

My goals and aspirations are to be able to support people with their worldview. One of the biggest differences between every individual is the perception, which leads to perspective, and if I can understand your perspective, then I can potentially understand how you perceive certain information, which can lead me to understanding your worldview. My main goal in counseling is to understand as much as possible to help as much as possible. Though it may seem simple, it is difficult to place yourself in others’ shoes and grasp their understanding. We understand ourselves better than anyone else, and there are times when we don’t even understand ourselves. Another goal in counseling is to become more competent, though I have prior knowledge in this field, there is always more to learn and new information being presented every day.

What distinguishes me from other counselors is the ability to recall someone’s life chronologically while simultaneously organizing thoughts to provide clarity. Clarity can be derived from seeking truth, and being able to organize thoughts that adhere to your reality can support an understanding of your life. Though our reality is bounded by our awareness and knowledge of our own experiences, your view on the world is important to me. Understanding your worldview allows us to collaborate and allows me to provide guidance.