Bethany Ling, PsyD — Therapist in Carlsbad & Vista
Postdoctoral Fellow | she/her
I specialize in working with individuals and interracial/intercultural couples helping them navigate the ways that culture, race, and background shape their relationships. I also work with children and parents to build positive relationships. I approach therapy with curiosity, empathy, and a deep respect for each person's unique story and identities.
It's not always easy to put your feelings into words, especially with the people who matter most. How we connect with others is shaped by how we were raised, the cultural contexts we live in, and the relationships we've had along the way. Paying close attention to your specific identities and experiences is central to my work with individuals and interracial/intercultural couples where culture isn't background noise, but part of the conversation.
When you feel disconnected from yourself, it's hard to show up as who you really are in any of those spaces. I work from a relational and psychodynamic perspective. The most meaningful work happens when we are able to attend to the parts of yourself that you’ve been hiding or struggling to accept, feel scattered or in conflict.
Whether you are navigating a challenging relationship or life transition therapy offers a supportive place to process these things. I see couples, children, and adults at our Carlsbad and Vista offices. If this sounds like we might be a good fit, I'd welcome you to reach out for a free consultation.
Therapy for interracial and intercultural couples
When you and your partner come from different racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds, the normal challenges of a relationship carry extra weight. The way you were each taught to express love, handle conflict, relate to family, or talk about money may come from very different places. Those differences can show up in your relationship in ways that feel confusing or hurtful, even when the love between you is real.
I work with interracial and intercultural couples who want to understand each other more deeply, not just on the surface, and the ways that culture, race, and your upbringing have shaped who you each are. This might mean exploring how your families respond to your relationship, making sense of dynamics around race or privilege that feel hard to name, or finding ways to honor your identity without feeling the need to conform to each other’s cultural preferences or comfort zones.
Having these conversations isn’t always easy. But, when they happen in a space where both partners feel seen and respected, it can bring you closer together rather than pulling you apart. If you're looking for a couples therapist in North County San Diego who understands the complexity of navigating cultural differences in a relationship, I'd welcome the chance to talk.
Child therapy and support for parents in Carlsbad & Vista
I've also worked with many children and their parents across private practice and community mental health settings. As a parent, you're holding a lot, your child's safety, their academic needs, their social and emotional world, and your own needs as a person. Finding balance isn't always straightforward, and it's hard to show up fully for your child when you feel disconnected from yourself.
In my work with families, I explore the relationships that shaped you as a parent, your relationship with your own caregivers and how those experiences show up in your parenting now. My goal isn't just to support you in parenting. It's to help you understand yourself more fully, so that the work we do together touches your relationships with your children, your partner, and yourself.
Credentials as a Psychological Associate
I hold a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, where I also earned my master's degree. I completed my pre-doctoral internship at Mid-Ohio Psychological Services and am currently a postdoctoral fellow at Coastal Therapy Group. My training has spanned community mental health, private practice, and university settings.
We are a group practice of psychologists that work as therapists in Carlsbad, Encinitas, & Vista. Many of our clients come from the surrounding towns of Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, and Del Mar.
