Therapists in Menlo Park, CA

Life is a journey full of ups and downs. It doesn't come with a roadmap, and at times we all find ourselves in difficult situations. As your therapist, I will guide you and support you through these rough times by illuminating the path to healing and wholeness. In the face of life's challenges, our tendency is to cope, adapt and get by. Unfortunately some of these coping mechanisms are outdated and no longer serve us, so we go about life just "getting by". Rather than merely "surviving" you could be thriving.

I am a warm, compassionate psychologist who practices therapy with a "power with" rather than a "power over" approach. I have personal experience with many life events including single parenting, divorce, caring for elderly parents, and overcoming depression. I specialize in treating eating disorders, body image, identity issues, depression, trauma, anxiety, and cancer related distress. I have extensive experience working at the residential & outpatient levels for eating disorders, and provide supportive therapy for not only the client, but for the parent or significant other who supports them.

Good therapy involves the right match. I also provide a free 30 minute (in person) question and answer session (not counseling). This allows you to understand what your therapy process will look like. If we decide to work together, you will be involved in a very action oriented therapy. Our work will encourage you to practice your new skills during the week. I try to use approaches that you find helpful like: writing in a journal, reading books, support groups, and/or your spiritual practices, that may help while you are in therapy. New blog:therapist.and.mother@blogspot.com

I strive to create a safe, thoughtful, and warm therapy environment focusing on building a trusting and collaborative therapeutic relationship. I trust that clients are experts on themselves and see myself as a guide supporting people toward achieving their goals. Using a social justice lens, I compassionately supports individuals to empower themselves and find a healthy path forward. My practice is social justice oriented, trauma informed, person centered and strength based. I tailors therapy approaches to fit the needs of clients' unique identities and life experiences.

My name is Tiffany Hanzal and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California. I have over ten years of clinical experience in various diverse areas including working with those with needs in Crisis, Trauma, Grief, Anxiety, Depression, addiction, and Dual-Diagnosis, life stress, and Post- Traumatic Stress. My approach to therapy is client centered. My approach to providing therapy is to ensure that an integrative approach is used to allow for flexibility and to respond directly to each clients needs and goals.

If you are experiencing problems in your personal or professional life, perhaps I can help. I specialize in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress; relationship issues; life transitions, such as divorce, loss, and changes in health and employment; and career-related issues. I also offer some limited corporate consulting services.

Currently accepting new clients for in-person therapy. Welcome, I'm glad you're here. Healing is possible for all people, especially in the context of connection and empathy. My unwavering belief in the goodness of people and the resilience of the human spirit has guided and informed my approach to therapy. I strive to build trustworthy collaborative relationships with my clients in order to find ways to heal, change patterns, and establish more fulfilling lives and relationships.

For over 24 years, I've collaborated with people to resolve their psychological trauma, phobias, anxiety & stress as well as maximize responses to their medical diagnoses, treatments & conditions. This clinical focus stems from both a personal medical challenge since age 12 and research on treating women with breast cancer and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet Kaiser research (1998) finding 70% of primary care visits are driven by mental, emotional and relational issues highlights how mind and body are interwoven for each of us. This interplay provides leverage for preventive medicine, for responding to illness and for maximizing peak performance.

​I wholeheartedly believe that we are all doing the best we can with what we have at any given moment. I also believe that being a human is hard and at times we need to do something different. Whether it’s changing unhelpful thoughts or behaviors, facing fears, gaining increased insight as to why we do those things humans do, or accepting something that might be difficult or painful to accept, I firmly believe it is worth the work. So let’s laugh together, yell together, play together, and cry together as we embark on a journey of growth and humanness. You’re worth it.

Therapy can be as intimidating as it is life-changing, and I honor that by meeting clients wherever they are emotionally when we begin working together. I enjoy working with individuals, couples, and families looking to increase their confidence, self-awareness, and sense of connectedness to achieve greater fulfillment and more meaningful relationships with themselves and others. My style is warm, earnest, and direct, and I aim to create transformative experiences within the therapy room that positively impact clients outside of session.

Do you have a brilliant yet unfocused child? Do you worry about your child's self-esteem? Are you interested in non-medication options for ADHD? If your child is struggling with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety, Stress-Related Disorders or Depression, I can help. By performing a careful and thorough evaluation, I will work with you and your child to develop an effective plan for living happily with less school stress.

Are you feeling stuck in the same type of relationships, arguments, or habits? When you feel stuck, it can be helpful to talk with someone to consider a fresh perspective. Previous ways of facing obstacles in your life may not be working and you might want to learn new ways to cope, or you may need extra support while going through a challenging experience. Typically, I help clients with stress, depression, worries/anxiety, life transitions, professional/sport/academic performance, and substance abuse. I enjoy working with people who are interested in self-growth and are curious about themselves and others.

Therapy offers an opportunity to move your life in more desired directions and to help you live with greater personal satisfaction and engagement. My therapeutic approach focuses on helping you more deeply understand possible causes of emotional distress. We work together to develop insights and strategies necessary for managing and potentially resolving both inner conflict as well as interpersonal dynamics. I tailor the type of therapy provided to suit your needs. Our work generally involves developing psychological perspectives necessary to reduce symptoms, manage stressors, and deepen and enrich your psychological life.

I use a strength-based approach to foster genuine self-acceptance & to support clients in finding meaning. My philosophy centers around building & harnessing connections between the body, emotions, thoughts & behaviors to create healing & growth. This is an active, evidence-based approach that addresses the whole person. Treatment is uniquely individualized & with over a decade of clinical experience, I am competent in helping clients to not only heal but to make real gains. This can involve setting/tracking measurable goals for therapy to help guide our work and offer insight into obstacles along the way.

My professional experience involves providing bilingual psychotherapy to youth and adults impacted by complex trauma, domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, gang-related trauma, immigration experiences, and acute mental disorders. I utilize an integrative method to assist clients in gaining insight into their defenses and assist them to make changes to improve their quality of life.

I work with individuals from young adulthood through older age, and couples have been a specialty for more than 25 years. Life events and experiences can cause stress, confusion, grief, and myriad other feelings which, when internalized, result in anxiety and depression. Whether seeing couples or individuals, I have found that a combination of insight and understanding, attention to feelings, and cognitive and behavioral change is most effective in addressing both internal and interpersonal conflicts and concerns. I work with people to resolve, heal, accept, and cope with loss, trauma, illness, family, marital and work issues, and more.

Ed Brackenbury is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist. He has been in private practice for 40 years. He founded and directed the Institute for Marital and Family Therapy, which graduated over 250 therapists with Master’s Degrees in Marriage Family Therapy. He taught high school for ten years and was a Young Life area director for four years. Ed has been a popular speaker at local, national and international conferences. He has helped train students and church leaders throughout Eastern Europe in the fields of marriage, family and pastoral counseling.

Passionate about helping others, I find it an honor to get to know and influence each client who comes into my life. In addition to my private practice, I hold a Clinical Associate Professorship at Stanford University where I’m able to wear research, teaching, and supervisory hats. My approach to therapy is personalized integrating information about your unique circumstances with my training to deliver evidence-based practice. I provide trauma-informed individual and couple-based therapy for various issues including eating disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, obsessive and compulsive disorder, transitions, & relationship concerns.

I am passionate about helping couples craft deeply nourishing and caring relationships. In our meetings we learn the skills required for loving another person well: good communication, problem solving and repair. We explore what it means for each person to feel loved and cared for and work toward a dance that honors each members unique preferences. I also help couples have important conversations about crafting a mutually satisfying shared vision of what a meaningful life is as romantic partners, parents and community members. We work on healing from painful past ruptures such as infidelity, substance use and frequent fighting.