SJ Puthigai

Areas of Specialization

Certifications + Training

• Trauma-informed

supported individuals navigating anxiety, existential distress, relational challenges, grief, and
mood and personality disorders. She also has experience working with adolescents in school
settings, supporting youth through academic-related anxiety and stress, identity development,
interpersonal challenges, and major life transitions.

Her approach is relational, trauma-informed, and grounded in a developmental lens. SJ believes
that people don’t struggle in a vacuum and works with clients to better understand themselves in
context – developmentally, relationally, and culturally. She integrates evidence-based practices
such as CBT, ACT, and DBT while also drawing from humanistic and attachment-focused
perspectives, collaborating with clients in a way that feels supportive, empowering, and tailored
to each individual.

SJ is especially passionate about helping clients build self-awareness, develop healthier coping
strategies, and feel more connected to themselves and others. She brings a strong commitment to
culturally responsive and systems-aware care, recognizing how larger societal contexts shape
personal experiences, beliefs, and identity development.

She values therapy that is both reflective and practical – helping clients build insight while also
developing tools, language, and strategies they can carry into their everyday lives. She
incorporates psychoeducation and nervous system-informed frameworks to help clients make
sense of their internal experiences and feel validated, particularly when they’ve been taught to
minimize or overlook their own struggles.

SJ earned her B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University Bloomington and her Master’s in
Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University, with specializations in Clinical
Mental Health Counseling and Professional School Counseling.
Outside of therapy, SJ enjoys reading, traveling, fashion, writing, and diving into creative
projects—whether that’s organizing a space, working on a DIY project, or building a LEGO set!!

Supervised by Julie Burke LPC-S (Texas #76792)