About Emily
Emily was born and raised in the Central Valley of California. ​Her upbringing in this region has left her with an intimate familiarity of the diverse populations that make up the area as well as a clear need for specialized treatment in these communities; this influenced her desire to serve marginalized groups, such as members of the Valley's LGBTQ+ population.
​
​As an undergraduate student at UC San Diego, she studied the human condition through the lens of art history. During her time at Pepperdine University, she took the position of Graduate Assistant for Pepperdine's human sexuality program. She worked alongside the department head to create lectures and course outlines aimed at equipping future mental healthcare professionals with knowledge in sexual health and sex therapy.​ Concurrently, Emily worked as a part of a research team that explored the effectiveness of a novel treatment approach aimed at improving symptoms of depression in teenagers.
​
Before starting her own practice, Emily practiced at a non-profit in Lodi serving high-risk populations. In the years following, she worked as part of a small private practice which been consistently ranked as the #1 mental health group in the area.
​​
Her Approach
During your sessions, you will work with Emily J. Courney, LMFT to increase self-awareness surrounding long-standing patterns in order to nurture congruence between your internal world and outward actions. Emily's approach is influenced primarily by existentialist, psychodynamic, and attachment theories. In other words, she will work through several combined approaches in order to help you identify how your past experiences have shaped the way you interact with the world today.
​​
Emily has worked with clients from diverse backgrounds and cultures, as well as families and individuals of all ages. She is experienced in helping her clients through self-esteem issues, identity exploration, intimacy issues, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and sexual trauma. Collaboratively, you will work toward goals you set together, celebrating achievements along the way.