Takako Ainsworth

Takako J. Ainsworth, LCSW, CST is a Certified Jungian Analyst and Certified Sandplay Therapist based in Berkeley, California. She uniquely bridges Japanese cultural psychology with Jungian analysis and internationally certified Sandplay therapy, helping adults work through feelings of being lost, stuck, or empty due to anxiety and confusion. She holds the understanding that trauma is often buried in the unconscious mind and in the body, manifesting in relationship conflicts, work problems, and even physical pain or persistent illness. Her therapeutic approach strives to hold a safe, warm, and non-judgmental space, allowing clients to slow down and rediscover hidden resources within themselves.

Takako's path to psychotherapy was shaped by profound personal loss, which led her to work in hospice care in the United States. She spent over seven years as a medical and clinical social worker at San Diego Hospice & The Institute of Palliative Medicine and Scripps Hospice, where dying patients taught her the importance of living fully. This experience inspired her to transition into full private practice in 2013, first in San Diego, then San Francisco, and now Berkeley, with the mission of walking alongside people toward a more authentic way of living.

A prolific writer and scholar, Takako has published extensively in the Journal of Sandplay Therapy and the Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche, exploring topics such as Japanese folklore (tsukumogami, kitsune), midlife journeys through sandplay, anima and individuation, and her own experience of immigrating to the United States. Her most recent publications include works in 2025 on a man's midlife journey through sandplay and the concept of tsukumogami through a Jungian lens. She is also an editorial associate of the Journal of Sandplay Therapy.