Psychoanalytic Therapists in Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA

I am a psychotherapist with offices in SF and Oakland, treating both adults and couples. I take a relational and collaborative approach to psychotherapy. We are all unique, consciously and unconsciously influenced by the relationships and life-events that leave a lasting impact on how we address our current situation. Difficulties can sometimes arise when the habitual thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that once served us now have us feeling stuck, depressed, and powerless. Fear, ambivalence, compulsivity and patterned thinking can hamper our ability to address the inevitable twists and turns of daily life.

Too often psychotherapy focuses on causality, pathology and cures. However, rather than being "sick" or 'broken", often we are just lost inside ourselves or relationships. Everyone is a unique person with their own story, experience and perspective. The goal of therapy is to achieve a deeper awareness of where we are, to discover internal meaning for our many experiences, and to experience a life worth living. While working towards that awareness, I also feel it important to teach individuals, couples and families the skills needed to cope with the pain and day to day stressors that bring them into therapy.

Psychotherapy provides a unique space for you to explore your experience in life in a profoundly important way. In a culture that does not make space for "negative emotions", and idealizes independence, there is little room to get to know the parts of ourselves that we imagine others will not approve of. When we aren't in touch with all aspects of our humanity, effectively shutting out parts of our experience, we can find ourselves feeling confused, depressed and/or anxious, having trouble in relationships with others, not enjoying our work, having difficulty processing grief and loss, or struggling with issues related to our identity.

As a licensed psychoanalytic psychotherapist and relational psychoanalyst, I believe in the collaborative process of assisting clients in uncovering their emotional and personal truths. I attempt to create a safe place for the client to more fully understand and transform their challenging lived experiences, in order to identify and work through the obstacles that inhibit their growth. I see my therapeutic role as being a thought partner in helping clients create meaningful change and identify and strengthen one’s inherent resilience.

Often in life there are unexpected events or life transitions that challenge our abilities to cope or understand our sense of self or purpose. When what has been helpful to navigate life is no longer working, symptoms may show up in the form of sadness, depression, anxiety, stress, physical ailments, feelings of isolation, or an overwhelm of emotions that may be difficult to manage alone. I view therapy as a unique opportunity for honest observation and exploration in service of creating a deeper connection with your inherent nature as a way to discover how you can find support from yourself, as well as, feel supported by others.

I believe that insecure relationships (of many forms!) are the root of most suffering. As a result, my work is focused on those who wish to improve their relational lives. This includes single people who aspire to having a romantic relationship, but who seem to encounter difficulties in securing one; those who are already in a romantic relationship, but are facing challenges; people contending with struggles with friends or family; or people who aren't so sure about how they relate to, well, themselves. I also work with those who aren't even necessarily sure what has them down or anxious, but who hope to learn and to get unstuck!

My style of working is thoughtful and direct. I am committed to helping people discover and enhance their emotional capacity in order to create more satisfying lives. Through the transformative experience of being deeply understood by another in an authentic, safe and honest relationship, people can develop increased compassion (for self and other), experience a more stable sense of self-esteem, discover new ways of relating, experience increased tolerance for difficult emotions, and transform destructive patterns into more satisfying expressions of self.

Perhaps you have some symptom that's bothering you: writer's cramp, an embarrassing blushing problem, relationship or sexual difficulties, an eating disorder, a problem with anger, or perhaps you have debilitating anxiety attacks. Or you simply are unhappy, depressed and dissatisfied with your life, even though you are relatively successful. The list of possible symptoms is endless. As a psychoanalyst, I can assist you on the classic and still the most adventurous road to relief: the search for self-understanding. Also, should you need it, I offer short-term counseling and couples therapy.

Whether or not they say it, most of the people that I see want to live a life that is worth living. They want to feel empowered-- to be active participants in their lives. You may feel a void, emptiness, and that something is missing. Often people feel stuck in their lives because they have lost connection with a vital part of themselves and with their hopes and desires. This vitality is the source of our imagination and creativity. This internal source and "knowing" of what we need and want becomes disconnected, covered over by past disappointments, losses and fears.

If you or your child struggle with trauma or dissociation, you might feel very alone. When the world feels like too much & people can feel unsafe, it's hard to share what's inside. Especially if your inner world feels like too much. If it's also chaotic, scary, or numb inside, figuring out who you are, what you want, & what's safe can get confusing. It's hard to feel unsure what you need & how to get it! I see it as my job to help you or you & your child sort through & make sense of the conflict & overwhelm, access strengths, & develop safe ways to relate to what's inside & what's outside, so you feel more stable & connected.

Whether you’re looking to gain insight, strengthen your relationships, or identify harmful patterns of behavior - I'm here to help. One of the key aspects of successful and quality therapy is the therapist/client relationship. I understand the courage and vulnerability it takes to seek therapy and use warmth, humor, and curiosity to build strong relationships with my clients. Through a collaborative, nonjudgemental, and empowering style, I strive to create a safe space for openness and exploration to help clients develop healthier coping strategies, decrease negative symptoms, and foster personal growth.

A seasoned psychotherapist with tremendous respect for the complicated difficulty people face when deciding to contact a psychotherapist. Coming to the point of seeking help, is a critical moment that has often been building for a over period and the person making the phone call has already tried in many ways to solve a problem that has become overwhelming. My approach in treatment is accessible, direct and thoughtful. Trained as a psychoanalyst and an addictions specialist, I treat individuals, couples. Areas of particular interest and expertise are issues are issues related to addiction and adult transitions.

People who come to see me are suffering in some way, whether it be with work, relationships, or other issues, and they want to know why and what they can do about it. Some people have identified the problem as having to do with a mental health diagnosis, stress, intimacy issues, or some other term that has helped them describe the outward appearance of the problem. However, they have come to therapy because these descriptions do not get to the heart of the problem. With time and a good therapist, therapy is the perfect place to confide your thoughts with another and find a better way through the challenges of life.

Something is getting in the way of living the life you want to live. You want to be professionally successful, have good relationships with friends and family, contribute meaningfully to the world and even have some fun. Instead you may be suffering a barrage of negative thoughts about yourself, sabotaging work or relationships or feeling unbearably anxious. I can provide a supportive, respectful relationship where you can face these difficult issues. I have helped many people to curb self/other destructiveness, improve relationships and have a more successful work-life while learning to be more kind to themselves and others.

Dr. Maria Meka is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, grief and loss, immigration challenges, family conflict, personal and professional life transitions, and cross-cultural relationships. She has vast experience in providing psychological care for adults and adolescents from a variety of social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Dr. Meka's approach is rooted in psychodynamic theory, with an emphasis on understanding patients’ unique environments and backgrounds in relation to their presenting problems.

I imagine you've found your way here because you're feeling stuck and needing a reason to hope that things will change. Others may not see that you're feeling this way, but you know you're in need of relief. If this sounds like what you're going through, I may be a good fit to help you.

What matters to you? Being curious makes a significant difference when you are thinking of making changes because now you are interested in yourself - in what you think and feel and want- and want to become. Are relationships your core concern? - wondering what is working and what is not, what is missing, and what is disappointing?Losses or fear of loss makes us anxious, ashamed, often traumatized by our own feelings. I am committed to working with your personal needs in a trusting, creative, dynamic, caring process and will help you achieve what you desire. Real changes take real time.

Profound Transformations Are Possible for Suffering Professionals. I specialize in helping health care providers, lawyers, scientists, academics, and other psychologists achieve meaningful life changes through private consulting.