Therapists in Mill Valley, CA

Parents of teens and young adults who are smart, sensitive, thoughtful and seeking more substance in life, LOVE this model of work. I offer 24/7 support and an independent perspective. Everything I do is based on what works, builds on strengths and on helping adolescents answer the three fundamental questions of growing up: "Where do I fit in?", "Who am I and what's MY path in life?" and "Am I good enough?" Once we connect and agree to work together your adolescent or teen will learn to step way beyond what had been holding them back.

I am a psychotherapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, faculty member at Barbara Brennan School of Healing (BBSH), and consultant in Mill Valley. I bring 25 years of experience in the fields of body-based healing and psychology. I have been offering energetic healing, Somatic Experiencing and other body-based modalities since 1990 to help people shift from outdated patterns so they can live fully in 'real time'. Whether supporting individuals, couples, or families, supervising or leading a group, I offer steadfast presence, deeply honed intuition, extensive clinical training, and profound love and care for people.

In a world with an increasing number of new realities, therapy can be an anchor to help weather these uncertain times. As new and old stressors collide, I provide support and compassion to children, adolescents, and parents. Are you feeling like The Giving Tree? Worn down to the stump? Kids struggling to cope? While parenting can be so hard, so can growing up. Or being a grown-up, for that matter! Especially as the world feels topsy-turvy. Learning to respond intentionally rather than to react can help us develop the necessary resilience to be healthy and grounded.

I am a highly skilled psychotherapist with 40 years experience working with families, marriages and individuals. One of my specialties is relationships in crisis, and I have helped couples successfully work through intense conflicts, issues of infidelity and sexual problems. My therapy with families includes individual work with children around managing anger and anxiety. I also coach parents on how to be better limit-setters, and establish the best routines and methods to help children attain social and academic success.. My 2007 book "More Coaching for Fatherhood" is a guide to both improved parenting and personal growth.

I have worked with many patients over the years who have had multiple fears and anxieties that control their daily lives. Learning how to have mastery over fears so that the fears do not control us is an important part of therapy. Sometimes personal fears cause conflicts in relationships with significant others. Learning how to support and care for each other is especially important during the present global pandemic because our fears can be real and they affect us in different ways. I encourage grace and kindness when dealing with one another. Be slow to anger and pour kindness into misunderstandings.

I work actively with people to assess what is important and meaningful to them. I use inquiry and observation to help you know yourself better, as well as identifying and addressing obstacles that prevent you from fully engaging in life, in relationships and in creative work. This self understanding can enable you to build resiliance and expand your capacity to embrace the inevitable gifts, disappointments, and changes, that life brings your way. These changes may include feeling better about yourself, expanding your ability to develop closer intimate relationships, and create more satisfaction in your work life.

If you are reading this now, you may be struggling with feelings or experiences that have become hard to bear and even understand. You may feel alone and as though no one seems to really get what you are going through. It may be some immediate situation or transition in life that feels extra hard to navigate, or some long-standing grief or pattern in relationships that seems to have a hold on you. You may have symptoms such as anxiety or depression, perhaps with less than optimal means of coping. Psychotherapy can help you understand and change.

***Currently accepting new Clients*** Welcome, stressed out moms! Life can be complicated, and sometimes you need to take a minute (or maybe 50) to talk to someone who will truly listen. I strongly believe in the words of Carl Rogers and treat all my clients with "unconditional positive regard." In particular, I know how hard it is to be a mom. We deserve to feel good, and our children will also do better when we feel better. Therapy helps us to feel unburdened. It allows us to see our challenges objectively and therefore tackle life's problems with more ease.

Do you have a child or “tween” that is highly sensitive, bright, and a bit overwhelmed? Do they have trouble identifying and managing strong feelings? Could they use help developing positive coping strategies? Are they struggling to communicate with peers, parents, or siblings? In my private practice office, I specialize in helping children understand the benefits of their sensitivity and how to manage its inherent challenges. And I can help you… help them.

I help individuals who are seeking support through significant life changes or are suffering from past wounding to heal and to deepen self-awareness.

Is the Corona virus making you anxious, depressed or angry? If you would like to quit smoking for good or drink too much I can help. I integrate mindfulness meditation, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and psychodynamic insight-oriented psychotherapy to help you cope with stress, overcome addictions and deal effectively with challenges in your relationships and at work. For more than 20 years I have been an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco where I taught and did research on stress, trauma, anxiety and relationship issues.

Seasoned clinicians integrate safe, effective, cutting-edge neurofeedback and neurotransmitter testing with mindfulness. All brains are biased towards remembering trauma. Everyone is distracted by repeating anxious thoughts that keep us from being at our best. Without endless talk about problems, new brain technology can now open us directly into letting go and being happy. At Echo Rock, we integrate positive psychology, mindfulness, counseling, brain nutrition testing, and passive Low Energy Neurofeedback (LENS). We are immediately effective with anxiety, PTSD, TBI and sports bumps, sleep disorders, ADHD, migraines, memory loss, addictions, medication reduction, as well as enhancing meditation and peak performance.

There's in fact a tried and true way of finally coming to fully trust in yourself, which heals the self-doubt that can otherwise complicate life so unhappily. Whether your self-doubt involves anxiety, depression, relationship troubles, trauma or shame, there sleeps within you the instinctual self-certainty which silences the "critical voices" from your past.To revive an abiding faith in your core self with a reliable confidence in your instincts and innate abilities, you recover the inspired initiative to actualize your life's goals and dreams, while engendering harmonious and mutually respectful relationships with others.

I work with clients who find themselves in a place of stasis, often when some situation, whether it is grief triggered by a loss, or anxiety and stress triggered by the involvement of high-conflict personalities, has impeded their ability to meet their goals. Many clients will feel surprised and frustrated by a feeling of being "stuck," and this is relatable. For high-achievers, the ability to set and meet goals has become an ingrained expectation, and the feeling of something, or someone, interfering with their ability to parent, work, or enjoy life, is often a new and novel predicament.

If you are struggling with personal or relationship challenges/crisis, our sessions will provide you an immediate relief. With 30 years in the field, my goal is to help you with feeling stressed, overwhelmed, lonely, fearful, stuck, anxious or depressed. I am a sensitive, down to earth clinical psychologist, specializing in treatment of couples and individual adults. My attentive listening, deep-seated acceptance, encouragement and warmth will provide you a safe, supportive environment where you would feel at ease exploring and transforming yourself, and your relationship.

All of us need support at different times in our lives. And when that time comes, it takes lots of courage to reach out, so welcome. I am a body centered psychotherapist, bringing in tools of trauma re-negotiation and resolution that I gratefully learned through my training in Somatic Experiencing. Together we will discover, through the wisdom of the body, your innate resiliency and capacity. Through my training and experience in Systemic Constellation work we will explore the dynamics of the family in ways that foster a healthy completion your family of origin. I look forward to talking with you.

We collaborate together, targeting difficulties and utilizing personal strengths to support your vision and growth. Examples: parenting the child you have, changing repetitive, downward spirals in intimate relationships, taking on anxiety w/new strategies, setting boundaries and making connections, experimenting with new approaches to old problems. My approach is tailored to your needs, guided by my experience. Together we track progress. In practice since 1979, I see all ages and most problems. I enjoy long-term depth psychotherapy as well as short-term problem solving therapy. I work with parents, couples, families and individuals and consult for psychotherapists.

Are you or a loved one having difficulty coping with chronic illness (cancer, HIV, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, pain or other illness) or managing stress in your life? Health issues can affect every aspect of your life, including relationships, work, finances, mood, and sense of self. I have over a decade of experience helping individuals, couples and families improve the quality of life and reduce suffering. As a Clinical Health Psychologist, I take an integrative approach to psychotherapy and will work with you to create a treatment plan that is tailored to your unique needs and goals.