Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Nua.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in North County San Diego and have always felt a strong calling to help others. As a naturally curious and energetic child, I engaged in play therapy, which became a formative experience and planted the seed for what would become a lifelong pursuit. I vividly remember deciding then that I wanted to “play with toys” for a living—an idea that perfectly combined my active mind, love of art, and growing awareness of the power of healing through creativity.
Art has consistently been my anchor—a space to manage energy, alleviate stress, and channel emotion. This personal connection led me to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Art at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where I developed a deep interest in integrating both disciplines. I continued this path by earning a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Counseling in 2012 and began working with Palomar Family Counseling Service, a nonprofit where I provided therapeutic services in local schools and the community clinic. Over the past 13 years, I’ve remained committed to giving back through nonprofit work and supervising new therapists, helping to foster growth in the next generation of professionals.
Driven by my childhood dream and a desire to create a welcoming therapeutic space, I established a private practice in Carlsbad under the guidance of some great mentors and friends. My office includes a specialized area for children ages 3 and up, featuring games, puppets, a large sand tray, and art materials that support play and art therapy techniques. Another space is devoted to family and group work and collaborative art-making. This practice also serves as my creative studio, where I explore multimedia abstract art that reflects the emotional and psychological journeys of my clients—honoring their resilience, vulnerability, and transformation.
While I’ve fulfilled my early goal of “playing with toys” for a living, my mission to help others continues to evolve. I offer mentorship and training opportunities to emerging therapists by renting out office space and leading professional development workshops. I also dedicate a portion of my art sales to supporting youth mental health and youth sports through local nonprofits. Most recently, I launched a consulting business to expand my reach and serve organizations in need of tailored mental health and wellness strategies.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ha, there has definitely been a lot of struggles along the way. Similar to many of my clients I experienced a divorce, raising children, having 3 jobs while in grad school, financial stress, the struggle of managing being a mom, full time career woman, sports mom, while maintaining my own mental and physical health and the big one…..COVID closing my first office 15 days after opening. Our struggles are our stories, they make us who we are.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Elizabeth J. Nua, MFT?
“Everybody is different and requires a unique approach to healing”
“This is not my job, this is my dream”
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Supervisor who specializes in working with children ages 3+ and overwhelmed parents. This is my dream career, and I bring a lot of passion and energy to the sessions. The private practice office is in Carlsbad Village, easily convenient one block from the 5 freeway and has been curated to work with children experiencing struggles with mood and/or behavior due to trauma, divorce and social difficulties. One office is a large playroom with a sand tray, puppets, games, and art activities necessary to help child clients meet their goals. The other room is a large art room and is used to engage in multimedia art therapy techniques with children, teens, and adults.
I also run a consulting business, EJ Nua Therapeutic Consulting to be able to “help more people” by offering therapeutic trainings to business, therapists, and parents as well as individualized coaching. Current offerings include an affordable Mother’s Support group starting 8/27, both online and in office options. Check out www.ejnuaconsulting.com to register.
I am most proud that I continue to serve my community, using education and past struggles to help empathize, support, strengthen others. Each one, teach one.
How do you think about happiness?
Soooooo many things make me happy. I look every day for the little things that make me happy like the birds singing, sun peeking out behind the morning clouds, the beach, the smell of coffee brewing, the smile and wag of my dog’s tail and all of the big things like my children (now adults), family and feeling fulfilled in my mission to help others. All of these things make me happy because they make me feel good inside. I don’t overanalyze the feeling to know why, lol.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ElizabethJNuaMFT.com and www.ejnuaconsulting.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJNuaTherapy?mibextid=wwXIfr
