Trauma and PTSD Therapists in Palo Alto, CA

Sometimes we need extra support to get through difficult times in our lives, or a sounding board when making difficult decisions. I am here to provide a safe space for you on your path towards positive change and healing. If you are looking for a change in your life or struggling with feelings of depression, anxiety, grief or trauma, please reach out for a free consultation. If you are not sure if therapy is right for you, I am happy to discuss what you are looking for and support you wherever you are in this process.

As an EMDR Consultant and Brainspotting Clinician, I offer evidence-based therapy for clients and training for therapists. As a former Director at Stanford Medical School, I offer internationally recognized expertise in how people learn and change from 20 years of training, research, and teaching at Vanderbilt and Stanford. As a relational trauma expert, I offer the ability to differentiate between the sound of your intuition guiding you and your traumas misleading you. My passion is utilizing the powerful benefits of EMDR & Brainspotting Intensives with clients who are ready to live without disturbing clinical symptoms.

Welcome! If you're struggling with challenges stemming from past trauma or current situations, such as overwhelming sadness, worry, difficulty regulating emotions, loss of enjoyment in activities, or strained relationships, I'm here to support you. If you're feeling powerless or questioning your worth, know that you're not alone. Let's work together to navigate through these difficulties.

Do you feel a sense of disconnection from the person you once were, following challenging or traumatic life events? Are feelings of anxiety, isolation, fear, or persistent sadness dominating your daily experience? Are your relationships with peers and romantic partners strained, hindered by unresolved trauma and emotional challenges? Do you sense that your trauma and relationship issues are impeding your ability to lead a healthy life? Perhaps you often ponder if there's a way to make things better in your life. In our individualistic society, the weight of trauma symptoms and relationship difficulties can be unbearable.

This is my passion and my clients feel at ease with me quickly with my empathy and humor. I help relationship stress, anxiety, PTSD, neurodiversity, grief, recovery from child and narcissistic abuse, finding their true authentic self and passion. I use client-centered Rogers, Kohut, EMDR, Beck and Ellis CBT, DBT. ACT, Jung... I am a Christian and I also respect people with other faiths or no faith. I help therapists, interns too.I am 72 years old and I have been married for 48 years to my beautiful wife singer Christina Purcell and we did individual and couple therapy too. We write songs such as the songs on her CD "Love's Calling."

As a therapist I am solutions-focused, inquisitive and relate-able, and will utilize a diverse range of theoretical approaches tailored to your individual needs, including: Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT/DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Creative & Expressive, and Trauma Informed Therapy including EMDR (Certified Through EMDRIA). By integrating various evidenced based treatment protocols, we will collaborate to get where you want to go. My process is always to ask you, the client, what it is you want, what would that look like, and what is in your way of achieving your goals.

My role is to guide and help you in developing insight, greater satisfaction, and symptom relief. I provide support by discussing your concerns and feelings, and by helping you resolve and move towards your goals, such as fulfillment, belonging, to cope with hardship or to feel 'unstuck'. I guide you in examining your situation, struggles and relationships, facilitating deeper understanding and strengths to make positive shifts. My style is warm, collaborative and engaging. I compassionately promote therapeutic healing, growth & change. For youth, I practice a combo of play, talk and behavioral therapy, parent coaching/support.

Do you feel anxious & stressed? Overwhelmed by daily life? Have you ever thought-is this all there is? When you are feeling stuck, it can be hard to isolate what is causing it. You want to feel relief - you want to feel happy. Together we can focus in on the cause and collaborate to find solutions that will work for you. I am here to accompany you on your journey; to provide education, tools, and support to make life’s challenges a little less challenging. I don’t just sit back, I am actively involved in your growth, your success. My focus is to provide you with relief as quickly as possible. Individualized intervention that works!

Feeling "stuck" and experiencing feelings that won't seem to give you a break can feel maddening. Reaching out for support and having someone to bounce ideas off is vital to our lives, especially after the stress of living through a global pandemic. Life can be overwhelming and exhausting, but I’m here to help you navigate any obstacles. My aim is to help you understand yourself more deeply and better cope with change. Through collaborative goal setting, I work with clients during session on what is most important to them. From stressful circumstances, to traumatic experiences - my therapy style is focused on the individual's needs.

I am a licensed clinical psychotherapist providing individual and group therapy in English, and Persian/Farsi. My clinical areas of interest and areas of expertise include codependency, trauma and complex trauma, substance use, narcissistic abuse, mood & anxiety disorders.

Depression. Anxiety. Anger. Numbness. The difficult symptoms that color experiences are merely the smoke from fires sourced far deeper within the caves of being. Pull up a chair and share your story. Together, we will untangle the knots that bind and restrict, inhibiting you from embracing all this life has to offer. The best You awaits!

Wrestling depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, relationship problems, or alcohol and drugs? Do others see you're at odds with yourself or your circumstances? Inner conflict, harsh self-criticism, rigid thinking, and refusal to accept yourself are blocking a life you want. Therapy doesn't need to last years nor require endless focus on the past. You can decide what to work on and have a say in the direction of that work. There are solutions for what's happening, and sometimes just seeing and keeping focused on these brings change without attention to much else. At other times it's more complicated. Give yourself room to explore.

We go through so much in life, and so quickly—but when do we get the chance to make sense of it all? With things moving so fast, how do we find a chance to make changes or different choices? Are you looking for a space to slow down, process your experiences, and find a new way forward? I’m Maha, a second-generation South Asian cisgender woman, and have been fortunate enough to work with folks from all walks of life coping with trauma (including intergenerational and racial trauma), depression, anxiety, interpersonal issues, life transitions, and identity exploration/integration.

Learn how to feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy provides all the elements of intimacy: honest communication, vulnerability, and trust. Good therapy is challenging yet warm, providing both structure and empathy for your unique experience.

I am a licensed psychotherapist and consultant specializing in treating trauma. I have extensive experience in the areas of PTSD, childhood attachment wounds, and sexual abuse. I believe everyone deserves a safe, secure space that welcomes all of them. Together we will explore the parts of yourself that seem harder to navigate, and over time we can develop a new understanding of the internal walls that hold you back from significant growth.

Concierge therapy offered in Palo Alto, Rockridge & SF locations. You decide on the day, time, location, in-person or online. This modality is for busy professionals/students who want to graduate psychotherapy fast. Sessions are fun and focused. Most clients can graduate from therapy within 3-6 months for life transition problems. For severe trauma and mental health cases, it can a little longer. Specializing in teens, couples and individuals struggling with trauma, abuse, substances abuse, depression, anxiety, grief, suicide, trust, abandonment, severe mental health and anger.

Learn how to feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy provides all the elements of intimacy: honest communication, vulnerability, and trust. Good therapy is challenging yet warm, providing both structure and empathy for your unique experience.

As a Black, queer femme with mixed ancestry, I carry with me both a personal and professional understanding of the systems of oppression and domination that entangle with identity and wreak havoc in our lives. I have specific interest and experience working with those struggling with racial identity, sexual identity and gender identity; those healing from and finding their independence from/within dysfunctional family dynamics; folks who have been affected by intimate partner violence and dating violence; and those seeking to uncover patterns of intergenerational trauma within themselves and their family systems.

Your potential to reclaim your happiness starts here. Our therapy services offer personalized support for adults facing depression, anxiety, PTSD, relationship challenges, narcissistic abuse recovery, and life transitions. With unwavering support and personalized strategies tailored to your unique needs, we'll guide you towards lasting healing and a renewed sense of self. Step into your full potential today!