Aparna Bell, LPCC

Aparna Bell is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California with 13 years of experience in mental health and substance use treatment. She works with people who struggle with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, addiction, stress, relationship and family concerns, and related issues such as grief or trauma. Sessions are conducted in English and informed by a mix of counseling approaches described below.

Aparna trained with a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from San Francisco State University. Her background includes work in outpatient and residential dual diagnosis programs and recovery programs in San Francisco. That experience shaped how she supports people facing addiction alongside mood and anxiety concerns.

In sessions she uses a person-centered style that listens for patterns behind current problems. She draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at underlying issues, and uses cognitive-behavioral techniques to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Motivational interviewing influences how she addresses ambivalence about change, especially around substance use.

Conversations tend to focus on concrete skills and small changes. She helps people practice clearer communication and healthier boundaries. When addiction is involved, she works with harm reduction or abstinence goals and addresses related depression, anxiety, or trauma that often co-occur.

Aparna encourages steady, realistic steps rather than quick fixes. She helps people recognize stuck patterns such as people-pleasing, difficulty saying no, or giving up personal needs for others. Practical coping skills and clearer thinking come together with deeper reflection to support longer-term change.

How her approaches work for online sessions