Company

  • Founder

    Athena A. Taj, founder of UpThink, has 30 years of experience as a business owner and mental health professional. At the age of 23, she became the CEO of her own financial services company. Through a parallel interest in human behavior, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from John F. Kennedy University, became a licensed therapist and co-founded a counseling services company in 1996. Through her three decades of work in multiple business arenas, she has developed expertise in leadership development, team building, conflict resolution and psychological safety in the workplace. As a clinician, she specializes in the areas of anxiety, trauma, codependency, somatic processing, neuropsychology, communication, anger management and CBT.

    In addition to running her businesses, she has 25 years of experience in theater and improvisation. This creative background enables her to successfully incorporate Improv techniques within business and therapeutic settings.

    Athena holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations from University of California, Santa Barbara. She has lived in different countries and traveled to hundreds of cities, gaining insight and knowledge of different cultures. Her combined experience in business, psychology, improvisation and cultural diversity gives her a unique, multi-dimensional perspective for effecting change in the corporate arena and personal domain.

  • Our Company

    • Business Strategies

    At UpThink, we believe that problems don’t have to be difficult to solve. "No pain, no gain" is not our thing. We subscribe to a Yes culture.

    We are a group of multi-talented business professionals. We hold degrees and licenses in clinical psychology. We are experts in human behavior and workplace interaction. We’ve got a sense of humor and meet any challenge with gusto. We provide unique, groundbreaking services demonstrated to be highly effective. 

    Career Excellence:

    We offer innovative, evidence based strategies that propel your career performance and goals. Any work challenge is manageable and even enjoyable with UpThink. Our services are customized to fit your needs, time frame and budget.

    • Yes, we can bring laser focus to your career needs
    • Yes, we can spike your leadership abilities while your team smiles and begs for more
    • Yes, we can take your tough management issues and infuse them with flexibility and ease

    • We believe that contributors living their passion at work fuels productivity
    • We believe that business success is driven by adeptly placed, self aware leaders
    • We believe that your career is meant for greatness

    Personal Development

    We offer creative, powerful, evidence based strategies to help you command any life issue. Our techniques are active and exciting. We help people live their best lives.

    • Yes, we can get you through tough times with master skills and confidence
    • Yes, we can show you that happiness is right at your fingertips
    • Yes, we can send you soaring for your life goals like a jet plane

    • We believe that you can be proud of your behavior and in control of your emotions
    • We believe that you can achieve work-life balance
    • We believe that you are on this planet to make a difference

    The bottom line is...we are here to help and watch you succeed.

    So…What do you want? What will it take? Let's go get it!