Meet Dr. Munn Saechao
UC Berkeley
The Wright Institute
PsyD, LCSW & PPSC
Introduction
You’ve worked hard to get where you are. Maybe harder than most people realize.
Perhaps you’ve spent years being told you’re too sensitive, too scattered, too intense, or not trying hard enough. Maybe you’ve become so good at hiding your struggles that people are surprised when you tell them how difficult things actually feel.
On the outside, you may be accomplishing a lot. On the inside, you’re exhausted from trying to keep up.
You might wonder why things that seem simple for others take so much effort, or why your accomplishments don’t always bring the sense of relief or satisfaction you expected.
What if making everyday life feel more manageable wasn’t about pushing yourself harder, but about understanding how your brain works and finding strategies that actually work for you?
I’m Dr. Munn, a clinical psychologist in Mountain View, California. I specialize in helping adults with ADHD navigate anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm, burnout, and the pressure to keep up.
I also work with teens experiencing ADHD, academic stress, and emotional challenges, as well as parents who are trying to support a child with ADHD while managing their own stress and responsibilities.
My goal is to help you better understand yourself, build on your strengths, and develop practical, sustainable ways to navigate life’s challenges.
A Personal Perspective
My personal experiences have shaped both who I am and how I approach therapy.
As an Asian American woman, the child of refugees, a first generation college and doctoral student, and a mother, I understand the weight of high expectations, cultural pressures, and the responsibility of navigating different worlds.
I grew up in a family where struggles weren’t always openly discussed. Working hard, persevering, and figuring things out were often expected.
Those values have shaped many of my strengths, but I’ve also come to understand how exhausting it can be to feel responsible for holding everything together, especially when you’re quietly struggling yourself.
My personal and professional understanding of neurodivergence has further deepened my appreciation for the different ways people think, learn, process emotions, and navigate relationships.
These experiences inform the way I work with clients. I recognize that our challenges don’t exist in isolation. They’re shaped by our histories, relationships, identities, environments, and the expectations we’ve learned to carry.
In therapy, I want you to feel comfortable being yourself, including the parts you may have spent years trying to hide or change.
I believe meaningful change begins with feeling understood, having space to reflect, and developing a more compassionate and accurate understanding of yourself.
A Thoughtful, Collaborative Approach
My approach is warm, collaborative, direct, and neurodivergent affirming.
I believe effective therapy involves more than learning coping strategies. It’s also about understanding why certain patterns develop, how they affect your life, and what might help you move forward.
I draw from evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, mindfulness, attachment-based therapy, solution-focused therapy, and strengths-based practices. Treatment is individualized to your needs, experiences, and goals.
Our work may involve developing practical strategies for emotional regulation, executive functioning, focus, organization, communication, and everyday challenges.
We may also explore deeper patterns related to anxiety, depression, relationships, cultural expectations, perfectionism, or burnout.
For adults with ADHD, this often means understanding why everyday tasks can feel unexpectedly difficult, recognizing the effects of years of criticism or self-blame, and finding ways to work with your brain rather than constantly against it.
I also understand how much effort can go into masking ADHD symptoms, compensating for executive functioning challenges, or trying to meet expectations that don’t account for how your brain operates.
The goal isn’t to change who you are. It’s to reduce distress, strengthen self-understanding, and develop ways of living that feel more manageable and sustainable.
Throughout our work, I offer a combination of thoughtful reflection, practical tools, honest feedback, and support tailored to what matters most to you.
Who I Work With
I specialize in working with adults, teens, and parents who are navigating ADHD and related emotional challenges.
Adults With ADHD
You may be managing a demanding career, relationships, family responsibilities, and a long list of expectations while privately struggling to keep everything together.
Perhaps you’re successful in many areas of life but regularly experience procrastination, difficulty starting tasks, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or burnout.
You might also carry years of frustration or shame from being misunderstood, criticized, or feeling that you should be able to do things differently.
Together, we work toward understanding these patterns, improving executive functioning and emotional regulation, and building strategies that support your goals without requiring you to constantly push beyond your capacity.
Teens With ADHD
Adolescence can be especially challenging for teens navigating ADHD, anxiety, depression, academic demands, and social pressures.
I help teens better understand their emotions, strengthen coping and executive functioning skills, improve confidence, and navigate relationships and school expectations.
My approach balances practical strategies with space for teens to explore their identities, experiences, and growing independence.
Parents of Children With ADHD
Parenting a child with ADHD can be meaningful and rewarding, but it can also come with significant stress, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion.
You may find yourself constantly advocating for your child, managing school concerns, navigating difficult behaviors, or questioning whether you’re doing enough.
I support parents in understanding their child’s needs, responding more effectively to emotional and behavioral challenges, and building stronger connections within the family.
Our work also makes room for your own well-being, because supporting your child shouldn’t mean losing sight of yourself.
Experience and Credentials
I bring over 18 years of experience in the mental health field, including more than 16 years providing direct clinical services to children, teens, adults, and families.
I am both a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California.
My education and training include:
University of California, Berkeley: Bachelor’s degree, Master of Social Welfare (MSW), and Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC)
The Wright Institute: Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology
The Help Group, Los Angeles: APA accredited doctoral internship
Westcoast Children’s Clinic, Oakland: Postdoctoral residency
Throughout my career, I’ve worked in hospitals, schools, and community mental health settings, supporting individuals and families experiencing ADHD, anxiety, depression, trauma, and complex emotional and behavioral challenges.
My professional experience has also included clinical supervision, psychological assessment, parent support, interdisciplinary collaboration, and training future mental health professionals.
These experiences have given me a broad understanding of how mental health challenges develop and affect people across different stages of life, relationships, and environments.
They’ve also reinforced something I strongly believe: effective therapy requires understanding the whole person, not simply addressing a diagnosis.
Outside of Therapy
Outside of my clinical work, I’m a mother, partner, and someone who values curiosity, connection, and continued learning.
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, being outdoors, traveling, reading, and exploring new experiences.
Motherhood has also deepened my appreciation for the everyday demands of balancing professional responsibilities, relationships, caregiving, and personal well-being.
Like many people I work with, I understand how easy it can be to get caught up in expectations and responsibilities while trying to make room for the things that matter.
These experiences continue to shape how I think about growth, balance, and what it means to build a fulfilling life.
Taking the Next Step
If you've spent years trying harder, questioning yourself, or feeling overwhelmed by expectations, therapy can be an opportunity to approach things differently.
You don't have to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Whether you're navigating ADHD yourself, supporting a teen, or parenting a child with ADHD, I'd welcome the opportunity to learn more about what you're experiencing and explore how I can help.
Book a Complimentary 20 Minute Consultation
This is a relaxed, low pressure conversation where you can share what brings you to therapy, ask questions, and get a sense of whether we'd be a good fit.
I provide telehealth therapy throughout California, with a focus on Mountain View, Palo Alto, and the greater Silicon Valley community.
I specialize in working with teens, adults, and parents of children with ADHD who are struggling with anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional overwhelm. Many of the individuals I work with are bright, thoughtful, and hardworking, yet often struggle internally with exhaustion, self-doubt, focus difficulties, fear of failure, performance anxiety, persistent stress, or difficulty sustaining motivation.
My approach is collaborative, warm, and deeply respectful of how your brain works. I tailor therapy to each person’s unique needs, strengths, identity, and nervous system, with an emphasis on understanding how you naturally think, feel, process, and navigate the world.
Our work together may include building practical supports for coping, communication, emotional regulation, organization, and daily functioning, while also exploring the deeper sources of stress, burnout, masking, or recurring patterns. My goal is not to fix who you are. It is to help you understand yourself more deeply, reduce distress, and build more sustainable ways of living.
Getting started is simple. You can schedule a free 20 minute consultation and we will take it from there. During the call, you can share what is bringing you in, ask any questions you have, and we will explore whether working together feels like a good fit. There is no pressure and no commitment required.
Yes. I provide secure telehealth therapy for clients throughout California, so you can access support from the comfort and privacy of your own space. Many of my clients find that telehealth actually makes it easier to show up consistently, which matters a lot when you are already managing a full plate.
Absolutely. I completely understand wanting to feel informed before taking the next step. The consultation itself is a low pressure way to get your questions answered and get a feel for whether we are a good fit. You are also welcome to explore the full FAQ page for more information about therapy, telehealth, fees, and what to expect. I am happy to answer any questions you bring.