Parenting Therapists in 94120

Are you tired of the power struggles with your toddler or preschooler? Are you navigating life changing events with your child, such as loss, divorce, adoption, moving, traumatic accidents or events? Does your little one have challenges in life with special needs and developmental delays? One of the hardest part of parenting is seeing your child being in pain and feeling like there is nothing you can do to help. I support families with young children to transform what seems like daily survival struggles into thriving in life and in relationships.

My practice focuses on working with individuals, couples, adolescents and their families from a family system perspective. I believe that all of us benefit from recognizing who we are within the construct of our larger social dynamics. I am a psychodynamic and interactive therapist, focusing on your strengths as a means to work through your challenges. I will work with you to identify your therapeutic goals, and we will explore how best to reach your desired outcomes. I am creative, empathetic and very pragmatic. Therapy is a journey, we will work hard together to make the most of your energy, finances and time.

As a child and adult therapist I am fortunate to witness the entire developmental span. With this unique window into the lifespan, I help children, parents, adults and couples gain insight into the patterns being created and already created in the mind of how they relate to and with the world i.e.how they relate to themselves and others. By first developing a safe and respectful relationship with my patients, we can begin to understand and uncover these complicated yet reflexive patterns that at some point served them, by protecting their self integrity, but along the way began to cause more harm then good.

The most important thing in working with me is your positive desire to change. Given that I'll bring you into the office, we will discuss your issues of concern and design and implement suggestions to create growth , understanding and lasting solutions. Many clients see me once for behavior change through hypnotherapy. Others see me for ongoing psychotherapy appointments. Some clients combine both modalities to insure continued growth and change. I am optimistic about the possibilities of health and healing through our work together. After forty years in practice I remain committed to my clients and their work with me

I specialize in attachment theory, addiction/addiction related issues, & becoming more aligned with your authentic self. I also enjoy working with couples wanting to strengthen communication skills or rebuild trust within their relationship. Caregivers were the first to teach us how to relate to others. Healthy relationships are often not modeled for us & we wonder why the same patterns repeat. I can help you gain insight into these patterns & we will work together to have healthier relationships. My goal is to get to know you, establish a strong connection, and provide a safe space to begin your healing journey together.

Making positive changes in our lives is not always easy. It takes courage and strength to reach out for support during challenging times. In our healing journey together, connection to our emotions, our body (somatic mindfulness), our creativity and our life force brings deeper relationships with others leading to a greater connection to ourselves. If we have experienced trauma we can find new ways to self-regulate and build resilience. We can learn to love and accept all the different parts of who we are. I feel honored to accompany you on this journey while providing skillful guidance, attunement and resources along the way.

I engage with my clients deeply, using my years of experience, expertise and intuition, to allow them to experience life more fully. Many people cover over feelings of fear and sadness to protect themselves from hurt. I strive to create a safe environment where trust can be developed, and people can gradually rely less on their need to protect themselves through self-destructive patterns, and more on their healthy, life-enhancing strengths. I help my clients to feel more connected with themselves and to have richer, more meaningful relationships with the people in their lives.

I believe that healing and growth are inherent functions of the psyche. Within the containment of a warm, compassionate and collaborative therapeutic relationship, I encourage and cultivate the emergence of these functions in my clients that can lead to positive change or even profound personal transformation. It is crucial to explore difficult feelings and thoughts in this process. In my experience, while these thoughts and feelings can lead to psychological symptoms when avoided and pushed into the unconscious, they hold great potential for change when experienced, confronted and reflected upon in a safe setting.

I am an experienced psychologist serving people of different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. As a psychologist, I am interested in and dedicated to the understanding of people. As a therapist, I help individuals, couples, adolescents and children with problems such as depression and sadness, anxiety and worry, grief and loss, challenges in relationships, work-related issues, and difficulty during transitional periods in life. As a person, I am an open-mined female who is comfortable working with people of different genders, orientation and identifications. I emphasize a balance between compassion and critical thinking to meet my clients with a kind and attentive approach.

Because everyone comes with their own needs, goals, and styles, I am flexible in my approach. I can be practical and problem-focused, but much of my work is deeper, and deals with emotional patterns developed early in life, I work a lot with trauma and loss. Attending to the therapy relationship is also important for learning about relationship patterns and trust. I bring my love of creativity to my work as well. Working with dreams and imagery, I find, can bring surprising insight. When therapy really takes off, I find that clients often discover their own creativity and a sense of life purpose.

I currently work with adult and adolescent individuals and couples. The issues I deal with include depression and dysthymia, panic attacks, stress, generalized anxiety disorder, gender identity disorder, obsessions and compulsions, childhood sexual trauma, childhood physical abuse, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, communication conflict, commitment, intimacy, sexual difficulties, insecurity, trust, infidelity and social phobia.

Crises and painful emotions can be the beginning of a journey toward transformation and wisdom. If you are looking for a deeper and more connected sense of yourself, and fulfillment in life, then you may be ready for a commitment to the therapeutic process. I believe my empathic presence - the capacity to hear, see and feel a situation from the other person's vantage point- is central to the healing process. Within such a safe relationship the patient can develop an open attitude toward the unconscious; exploration of the meaning and purpose of one's life can unfold.

I bring 40 plus years of assorted, diverse and complex Clinical Experience to the care of my patients. I offer Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy providing Individual, Couple & Family Treatments. MFT License 17611 - May 1982; Certified as a Psychoanalyst by The International Psychoanalytical Association. Working in conjunction with each person that comes to me, I strive to formulate a treatment which is responsive and that creates the conditions to most deeply address their personal concerns.

To put it simply, I help people with relationship troubles, be they with significant others, children, siblings, parents, employees, employers or with one's self. I was trained first as a Marriage & Family Therapist and later as a Psychoanalyst. Both inform my approach to the work, focusing on the complex landscape of relationships within oneself and with others. Both recognize and inform the special role of the therapeutic relationship in the work of healing. My extensive studies have been personalized and humanized by over 30 years of clinical experience with the people I work with.

You have already taken an enormous step towards your healing by beginning to look for a therapist, so first take a moment to express gratitude for yourself. You want to feel at ease, liberated, seen, understood, connected to others, and comfortable taking up space. I can help! As a 2-SQT/LGBTQ+ Affirming, Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed, Intersectional, and Liberation-Based therapist, I acknowledge that systemic harm, like white supremacy, generational trauma, and the violence and abuse that is perpetuated by trauma and oppression can have deep, lasting scars that that impact our relationships with ourselves and others.

Do you feel stress and anxiety from the sport that you play. Do you feel constant pressure to perform at your best and the results are not showing the way you want? Do you find it hard to relax and to find a sense of calmness while you perform? if you answered yes to those questions or just feel you are not yourself then therapy can be a great solution to getting you back in stride. I like to include a lot of of mindfulness and relaxation skills when we work together. I also use Hypnotherapy as well and give you the tools to be able to find your zone and perform at a higher level. I am open to all sports and all levels of athletes.

California License PSY 19522 & Hawaii License PSY 866 ALOHA, I am a former headquarters Chief Psychologist for the State of California (DSH: Department of State Hospitals Forensics a California Health & Human Services Agency) – formerly known as the Dept of Mental Health (DMH). DSH is the nation’s largest inpatient mental health hospital system. I have also been engaged in nearly 30 years in private practice since the early 1990’s providing counseling-therapy, VA C&P Disability Exams, & 2nd opinion psych exams for adults & children in: the San Francisco Bay Area, El Dorado Hills, & Hawaii by appointment only.

I’m so happy you’re here! I understand that you’re ready for support as you are going through a rough patch or because you are ready to make significant changes to improve your inner life, practical life, work, or relationships. My own life is fuller and richer because I went for therapy and coaching at a couple of crucial times. I am grateful for the help in learning how to move beyond blind spots and through stuck spaces or misunderstandings. I think of my work as an offer to you where, from graduate school, life experience and coaching, I bring listening and pragmatic tools to help you live fully or change your life.

My experience enables me to offer effective, individualized, psychological care. I treat mood, thought, and personality disorders, while providing an unconcidered and pragmatic landscape for individuals and families who are floundering or stuck in ineffective thought loops. I work with those who have experienced trauma (PTSD and C-PTSD) and are having difficulty moving past experiences that they believe define them. I am uniquely qualified to offer niche services to adolescents and their families who are experiencing discord in these highly unusual and troubling times.