Therapists in Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA

Meaningful relationships are an essential part of fulfillment and happiness. I believe in the unique power of the relationship that develops between therapist and client. Through an exploration of this interaction, we can more wholly understand your past and current relationships and help shape future experiences. I work with people who are struggling in a variety of ways and are ready to dig in and do some difficult and deeply powerful work that will lead to greater choice and freedom. I view my opportunity to join individuals in their journey toward self-understanding as a great privilege and find the work exciting and gratifying.

Each client walks through my door with their own struggle. And although each person comes with their own unique story, the one thing that clients do share is a search for a more fulfilled life or a greater sense of self. I support clients as they navigate life's harder transitions - a loss of a relationship, the transition to becoming a parent, a job transition, or simply figuring out who they truly are and want to be. We work together to notice and shift your inner critic that so frequently gets in the way. Additionally, I support couples as they work through the challenges and desires that come with a relationship.

You may be a highly educated and successful person who struggles with perfectionism, work-life balance or impostor syndrome (doubting your accomplishments; fearing being seen as a fraud). You may be a person of color, a child of immigrants or someone who is geographically separated from your family and other support systems. I have had significant experience helping individuals like yourself, experiencing both personal and work-related stress. I work to understand your story, and together we develop a plan to address the goals that you have for improving your quality of life.

If you struggle to stop or reduce substance use or other addictive behaviors, I can help. I use a harm reduction approach to understanding and treating substance use and abuse. Instead of focusing only on one’s addiction, this approach explores other contributing factors, such as co-occurring mental illnesses, family relationships, and medical problems. It encourages the client to explore their unique needs and background, and to develop their own treatment goals, which may involve moderation management, in addition to abstinence. I also offer treatment for other impulse control disorders, such as sex addiction.

It may seem a world away and yet here you are; On the brink of a new day, in which courageous, interdependent, and radical connection to the life you’ve always wanted, is only an email away.

We are all inherently whole- we've just forgotten... Underneath the tumult and overwhelming flood of uncomfortable emotions is a core unscathed by the stress and trauma. My role is to help you find your way back to your center where life again feels manageable, satisfying, and vibrant. Ultimately you're the expert; yet each step of the way I will be there with you to collaborate and support your efforts.

Pursuing therapy takes courage, and it can feel intimidating to enter into a new space, without a clear sense of direction. I believe that the trust and relationship between us is the first step to a successful therapeutic environment. It is important to me that we take the time to build and foster a collaborative, safe, and supportive dynamic for you to explore, heal, and grow. Through our work together, I hope to support you in exploring what makes life worth living, building insight, developing creative coping skills, enhancing connection with others, and instilling self-compassion into your life.

People seek therapy for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you're feeling stuck in life and not sure what direction to take. Maybe fear or sadness are overwhelming you and you're desperate to feel yourself again. Maybe you want to improve your relationship, your self-esteem, or just learn more about yourself. Whatever it is, I want to help. My goal is to facilitate self-growth by helping you identify the core challenges and setbacks in your life so that you can overcome them with confidence. I specialize in creating personalized plans and providing evidence-based tools to guide you forward and help you achieve your desired goals.

If you are reading this, you have gotten my name from a person or a search. You want to know why to call me. Some reasons why include: I am direct, perceptive, and can tell you quickly whether and how I plan to help you. I have special experience with couples, GLBTQ clients, parents, people with mood disorders, therapist clients, and psychoanalysis. I have been a teacher and supervisor as well as a therapist for thirty years, which helps me have language and a plan for what we do. Call me if you think we might be a match.

Your life has meaning. There are moments in life when this doesn't feel so obvious. We can find ourselves feeling stuck, like there is no way out. Repeating old patterns can lead to feeling unfulfilled and discouraged. Change is possible. Therapy offers the opportunity to redefine your past, create a better present and ensure a meaningful future. I meet my clients where they are at, offering a safe and judgement-free space to share what is going on. Together, we can remove the roadblocks in your way and get back on track.

Gilbert received his M.S. in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University with internships at UCSF and SFGH Psychiatry Departments. For 7 years, he was the Mental Health Director at UCSF Epilepsy Center. He has been working with individuals with seizures since 2004 and has provided psychotherapy in a variety of settings, including child adolescent services and LGBT community clinics. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of San Francisco.

At Golden Gate Integral Counseling Center, we believe that quality mental health care is a human right. We are dedicated to providing affordable professional psychotherapy to adults and children, couples, and families living in the SF Bay Area. Our sliding-fee scale is structured to accommodate people of all income levels and life situations. The Center provides a supportive and inclusive environment, and services designed to facilitate healing during times of emotional stress, confusion, and pain. Our therapists' approaches are tailored to each unique client and recognize the desire of individuals to find answers within.

As a licensed therapist based in San Francisco, I help individuals, couples, and families dive beneath the surface-level issues to discover the underlying causes of their distress. Many men, women, and non-binary individuals who choose to work with me are at the grips of anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, or relationship challenges. Many are highly motivated professionals who are self-reliant and achievement-focused but often struggle with self-defeating thoughts and patterns that keep them stuck.

People I work with often tell me they feel stuck, unable to enjoy life because of anxiety or depression, a dissatisfying sex life, or difficulty in personal or professional relationships. Psychological symptoms are means of communication. Something of you needs to be heard, and a trained professional can help. If we can decipher the language of these symptoms, you may find you can change. My aim is to help you listen to and experience yourself in new or long-forgotten ways so that you may, in the words of William Butler Yeats, "live... with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life."

We all want to live in harmony—with loved ones, in our work and creative lives, and in our minds and bodies—yet sometimes we find ourselves struggling. Perhaps you are facing a new problem—work struggles, relationship challenges, thoughts and feelings that are hard to control, or maybe you have a long term issue that you have finally decided you are going to tackle head on—whatever it is I applaud you for taking this step, and I offer you my support.

My ideal client is a person with a growth mindset and wants to work on their internal narrative. I want to be a witness and facilitate transformation. I am trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Attachment focused- EMDR. Eye Movement, Desensitization, Reprocessing. Attachment focused- EMDR is an effective relational modality to reprocess old negative memories/trauma and come to embody a positive more functional narrative around the experiences. I welcome you to begin to get to know yourself on a deeper level and see the world from a resourced perspective.