Therapists in 94705

My intent is to help you deal with problems you're facing and lead a more fulfilling life. I have a strong track record of helping people overcome difficulty, struggle and confusion in their lives. I'll work to help you discover a new way of experiencing yourself in the world. I use an integrative mind/body approach to psychotherapy in facilitating change toward contentment and vitality. I work with couples and individuals around issues of intimacy, self-worth, life transition, purpose and spiritual inquiry. My style is collaborative, engaged and supportive.

Marcus utilizes a strengths-based and client-centered approach to therapy.  “I believe the human spirit has an astounding capacity for resilience against seemingly unbeatable odds and that the solutions we seek are already within us. I meet the client where they are and help build upon their existing skills to create a life they are excited about”.   Marcus’ background includes working with youth in residential housing settings, high schools, youth programs, unhoused families in crisis, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities.

The world needs helpers, just like you. But when your life gets stressful and overwhelming, where do you turn? You nurture others. You put your heart into your relationships and your work, but sometimes it starts to feel like it's too much. Like you're exhausted and unable to take some time for yourself.

In a world that is not always safe and affirming, you're looking for a therapist who will listen deeply to your experience. Someone who will partner with you. You want to better manage the effects of trauma, mood problems and anxiety. You're exploring your relationship to some problematic habits. You're likely trans, queer, or adjacent. You want to be in a space that is down to Earth, open, welcoming. But you also want a space that is real and bullshit free. I won't tell you that you're too sensitive or that your feelings don't make sense. I WILL tell you that you have intrinsic value and your needs are okay.

I am a leading authority on healing shame. I co-created the Healing Shame – Lyon/Rubin method and am the Co-Director of the Center for Healing Shame, a continuing education provider that offers workshops to therapists and other helping professionals. In my private practice, I developed therapy techniques integrating somatic and expressive processes to work with the all-pervasive shame and trauma that underlie toxic family dynamics, depression and eating disorders. I integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy and AEDP with Drama Therapy, Hakomi, Focusing and Expressive Arts. I work with the imposter syndrome and voracious inner critics.

Regardless of our histories, healing is possible. I know because I have experienced it myself & have accompanied people in untenable conditions deepen their awareness & access what they need to heal. I provide therapy for people who want to transform limiting beliefs & patterns, heal attachment trauma and abuse, navigate relationships & complex families, & take accountability for past harm. I support people to feel compassion for all parts of themselves & live with more resilience and joy. My clients are queer & transgender people, social justice organizers, survivors, people impacted by the legal system, addiction, and/or violence.

I am about the soft life. Soft life is a life of self-care where you make yourself a priority. It is a life that emphasizes reduced stress, dispelling false narratives and good boundaries. You are worthy and it is your time to breath. I provide individual therapy for a range of issues including stress, grief, multi-cultural issues, anxiety, and depression.

I provide guidance and support for individuals and couples who want to confront challenges, gain insight, and improve relationships and communication. I work well with adults of all ages who are navigating major life transitions -- such as entering adulthood, facing midlife, changing careers, ending long-term relationships, or adjusting to an "empty nest." No matter what issues are being addressed, I bring to each session a calm presence, a nonjudgmental attitude, curiosity, and a sense of humor.

I consider it a privilege to work with you to explore aspects of your life experience which have diminished your satisfaction with life or otherwise left you feeling lost or alone. Challenges around loss, aging, illness, trauma or relationships can feel too frightening to tackle alone. As a seasoned and compassionate psychotherapist, I can help you bear and work with what may feel unbearable. Together, we will create a protected space that fosters the trust, aliveness and self-expression that are essential to growth and success in love and work, where you can ultimately reclaim your life and joie-de-vivre.

If you would like to get to the root of your challenges in life and make lasting change, I'm here to help. You may have particular issues you want to work on. Or you may be discouraged, depressed, or constantly anxious. You may feel trapped by obligations and everyday pressures. Or you might just have a sense that you're not living your best, fullest life. I am here to affirm that your life can be better.

Therapy is an opportunity to come home to yourself and expand your capacity for connection and vitality. My role is to be by your side as you examine parts of yourself that are difficult to face alone. I shine a warm light on experiences, emotions, and beliefs that have yet to be processed, and seek to expand upon sources of strength, expression, connection, and beauty. Whatever the areas of growth you bring to the therapeutic space, my priority is to hold an empathic, non-judgmental, inclusive space in which you feel safe and deeply seen.

Many people have trouble finding meaning and vitality in their lives and are constrained by other people's expectations. If you feel that you can't fully own your life, perhaps talking about your situation would be useful.

My approach is friendly and collaborative; working with you to explore reactions, emotional patterns, and thought processes. I encourage honest exchange at your own pace while providing tangible techniques to take into your life. I incorporate mindfulness practices from my training as a yoga teacher. My professional background includes two decades of experience in the conflict resolution field with a focus on assisting individuals and teams who have workplace and academic concerns. I work with people from a variety of backgrounds including executives, university faculty, medical professionals, engineers, and people who work in tech and startups.

We all have the ability to experience joy, happiness and passion in our lives. Sometimes things can get in the way of that…pressure you put on yourself to have the “perfect” job or life, internalized narratives that falsely lead us to feeling unworthy of our dreams and goals, feeling paralyzed by decision making and thus feeling stuck. All of these things are "roadblocks." I encourage the use of storytelling, metaphors and creativity to explore the things that are going on for you. Through this exploration, we may grasp a better understanding of the “roadblocks,” that are arising for you and find a way through them.

I have 20 years of clinical experience and do individual therapy. I work with ALL adults who wish to make positive changes in their lives and relationships. I offer collaborative psychotherapy and I am an integrative clinical psychologist. This means I use various techniques as appropriate, such as EMDR, CRM, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Techniques, and others. I use a non-pathologizing style of talk therapy.

I provide creative and culturally responsive offerings. Each client’s unique strengths and needs shape what our work together looks like. I often integrate mindfulness and expressive arts approaches, including body-based, somatic modalities. I find ways to gently and accessibly invite clients across all experience levels to engage with their own creativity.

I tend to work with and help those that are impacted by anxiety and/or depression on a daily basis, hindering overall well-being but also in specific areas of life as well. I look to support, educate, guide and collaboratively work with my clients of any age, aiming to help them get to where they want to be in their lives. I focus on helping you determine which goals you'd like to focus on that uses your own core values in your life to help bring more meaning to the the thoughts you have and the things you do each day.