Our Name & Philosophy
The name Big Valley Therapy reflects a core belief: meaningful growth can occur even in life’s lowest or most painful places. Valleys often hold grief, shame, fear, and disconnection—but they can also become spaces of deep healing and transformation when approached with care and compassion.
The name also holds personal meaning. “Otani” translates to “big valley,” reflecting a belief that even the most difficult internal landscapes can become places of growth when they are met with safety, curiosity, and support.
Rather than rushing people out of pain, Big Valley Therapy honors what emerges in the valley. When emotions are met with understanding and emotional safety, they often carry the wisdom needed for lasting change.
Our Approach
Big Valley Therapy offers attachment-based, trauma-informed therapy for individuals and couples in [City, State]. The work focuses on understanding emotional patterns, nervous system responses, and relational dynamics that shape how people relate to themselves and those they love.
Therapy here is not about fixing what is “wrong” with you. It is about helping you access your true, authentic Self beneath protective strategies that once served a purpose but may now feel limiting or painful.
Sessions are collaborative, emotionally attuned, and paced to support lasting change.
The Therapist
Josh Otani, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who works with individuals and couples using an attachment-based, trauma-informed, and systemic approach. His clinical work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience, allowing him to meet clients with depth, nuance, and compassion.
Josh understands that recovery—particularly from sexual compulsive behaviors and the relational impact of betrayal—is about far more than abstinence alone. Through personal recovery work, including participation in 12-step programs and structured recovery services such as the Life Changing Services: Men of Moroni program, he developed a deep understanding of how shame, attachment wounds, and nervous system dysregulation often drive behavior.
This lived experience informs his clinical belief that sustainable change happens when underlying emotional pain, relational patterns, and trauma responses are addressed—not when behavior alone is targeted.
Professionally, Josh pursued systemic training to work effectively with both individuals and couples, recognizing that healing often requires attention to relational dynamics as well as individual experiences. His clinical training includes EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), supporting clients in processing trauma, betrayal injuries, and deeply held emotional wounds.
Josh completed his graduate research at Utah State University, where his thesis examined The Relationship Between Blame, Maladaptive Guilt/Shame, Couple Communication, and Relationship Satisfaction in Pornography Users. This research continues to inform his work with couples navigating trust injuries, shame cycles, and disconnection.
His therapeutic style is warm, grounded, and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on emotional safety, authenticity, and helping clients access their true Self beneath protective patterns.
Clinical Values
Big Valley Therapy is guided by the following clinical values:
Safety before depth
Healing begins with emotional and relational safety. Therapy moves at a pace that respects your nervous system.
Curiosity over judgment
Patterns are explored with compassion, not shame. Every response once served a purpose.
Collaboration rather than hierarchy
Therapy is a partnership. Your lived experience is valued and honored.
Respect for each client’s pace
There is no rushing or forcing insight. Change unfolds when the timing feels right.
Who This Practice Is For
Big Valley Therapy may be a good fit if you are seeking thoughtful, relational therapy and are open to exploring emotions, attachment patterns, and internal experiences—not just surface-level solutions.
This practice often works well for people who:
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Feel stuck in recurring relationship patterns
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Struggle with emotional disconnection or intimacy
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Experience anxiety, shame, or self-criticism
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Want deeper emotional awareness and authenticity
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Are ready for meaningful, lasting change
You do not need to have everything figured out to begin. Curiosity and willingness are enough.
What Therapy Can Offer
Therapy at Big Valley Therapy can help you:
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Develop greater emotional awareness and regulation
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Build safer, more secure relationships
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Understand and soften protective patterns
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Strengthen self-compassion and authenticity
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Create deeper connection with yourself and others
Healing is not about avoiding the valley—it is about learning how to move through it with support.
Begin Your Journey
If you are looking for attachment-based, trauma-informed therapy in [City, State], Big Valley Therapy offers a supportive space to begin. Reaching out is often the first step toward meaningful change.
You are not meant to walk the valley alone.