Therapists in 94107

As a psychologist, writer, and trauma survivor, it's my passion and privilege to help others overcome life-changing tragedies. I'm dedicated to helping people make sense of the painful experiences that have shaped their lives. Over decades of education and personal exploration, I've had the good fortune to put together some of the essential pieces in life's puzzle. My new book, "Daddy" —which the The San Francisco Chronicle calls "“a thoughtful and expansive biography of PTSD” and “a compelling narrative of familial history"— draws from these experiences to explore violence, identity, and personal and collective trauma in America.

I am extremely familiar working with high risk, treatment resistant populations, as well as high functioning, therapeutically minded individuals who are motivated to become better at mastering life's obstacles. I believe that in therapy emotional and behavioral change begins with the relationship between the therapist and the client. My role as your therapist is not to be an expert on how you should live your life; rather I am an active participant in your personal journey of self-exploration.

I am a Counseling Psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist with a special interest in helping artists, writers, actors, musicians and creative spirits of all types achieve their full potential. I am also interested in working with men around issues of fatherhood, masculinity, and relationships. I have completed specialized training working with college, medical, and professional students (UCLA and USC Health Science Campus), as well as veterans (Minneapolis and Milwaukee VA).

I offer psychotherapy, personality testing with feedback, and individual treatment of addictions. My approach to therapy is flexible but especially inspired by psychodynamic, Jungian and existential thought. Collaborative assessment means that together you and I would look at the results of tests and interviews to help answer questions you have about yourself, to get to know you more quickly and to focus the therapy. This kind of assessment can be a brief therapeutic intervention in itself. I also have a specialization in working with addictions, with motivational interviewing.

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.

I have been working with adults and couples for 40+ years. In my practice, teaching and supervision, I encourage others to become more curious about themselves. For me, therapy is a way of understanding, with you, your present and past experiences, and figuring out, what might make for more pleasure in relationships, greater satisfaction in work and interests, more acceptance of challenges and of our limitations. My style is warm and active. My clients have diverse backgrounds, and orientations. I avoid psychological jargon and giving advice. I give homework to try out changes. An extensive consultation is free.