Saya Des Marais

Saya Des Marais is a seasoned mental health writer and former therapist based in Portland, OR with nearly 15 years of experience in the industry. She graduated with her Master in Social Work (MSW) degree with a mental health concentration from the University of Southern California in 2010, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California in Irvine (UCI).

As a mental health clinician, she primarily worked with children and adolescents (and their families) in community settings, including public school districts, group homes, and community health clinics. She specialized in working with complex trauma, and is trained in the use of EMDR, TF-CBT, and more. Saya is also a recognized trainer in Motivational Interviewing, a counseling method used to support people through healthy behavior change (including substance misuse).

Most recently, Saya worked as the training manager at a mental health startup before launching her content and copywriting business. She currently dedicates herself full-time to mental health writing, and her work has been featured in publications like FORTUNE, GoodRX, PsychCentral, and more. She also volunteers part-time at a local dog rescue.