Therapists in South of Market (SoMa), San Francisco, CA

I aim to help my clients achieve their goals by dissolving obstacles, discovering patterns, and gaining insights while developing new skills to cope with life challenges. This journey may take a few sessions or several, and it requires motivation, commitment, and consistency. I work best with clients who are willing to be accountable and responsible for the changes they wish to make in their lives.

Because everyone comes with their own needs, goals, and styles, I am flexible in my approach. I can be practical and problem-focused, but much of my work is deeper, and deals with emotional patterns developed early in life, I work a lot with trauma and loss. Attending to the therapy relationship is also important for learning about relationship patterns and trust. I bring my love of creativity to my work as well. Working with dreams and imagery, I find, can bring surprising insight. When therapy really takes off, I find that clients often discover their own creativity and a sense of life purpose.

Often, much of the suffering a person experiences comes from difficulties in relationships; with others and with oneself. With compassion and understanding, I can help you explore what gets in the way of having satisfying relationships. As part of that process, we can look at ways to communicate more effectively. I have special interest and experience in working with people from different cultural backgrounds, of mixed cultural backgrounds, or in cross-cultural relationships. I have worked with many clients who are adult children of alcoholics, and understand the challenges of such an upbringing. I work with individual adults and couples.

My practice focuses on working with individuals, couples, adolescents and their families from a family system perspective. I believe that all of us benefit from recognizing who we are within the construct of our larger social dynamics. I am a psychodynamic and interactive therapist, focusing on your strengths as a means to work through your challenges. I will work with you to identify your therapeutic goals, and we will explore how best to reach your desired outcomes. I am creative, empathetic and very pragmatic. Therapy is a journey, we will work hard together to make the most of your energy, finances and time.

I believe that healing and growth are inherent functions of the psyche. Within the containment of a warm, compassionate and collaborative therapeutic relationship, I encourage and cultivate the emergence of these functions in my clients that can lead to positive change or even profound personal transformation. It is crucial to explore difficult feelings and thoughts in this process. In my experience, while these thoughts and feelings can lead to psychological symptoms when avoided and pushed into the unconscious, they hold great potential for change when experienced, confronted and reflected upon in a safe setting.

I am a licensed psychotherapist and a lawyer. During my time serving as the first External Director of the Stanford Law School Wellness Project, I founded and co-hosted the WellnessCast, a monthly podcast about wellness and mental health in the legal profession. In my Bay Area private practice, I work with lawyers, physicians, and other professionals to increase well-being by providing a non-judgmental space to explore strengths, challenges, vulnerabilities, and anxieties. Through a process of engaged listening, inquiry, and collaborative thinking, we will gain insight into your situation and work toward meaningful change.

Struggling with anxiety, depression, substance use or other self-defeating behaviors? Challenged by work, relationship or family issues? Concerned about your own or your teen's mood, judgment, behavior? Executive or founder stress? General overwhelm? Therapy provides a safe space for processing thoughts and feelings, and for exploring different ways of being. Whatever your concerns, we'll work together to help you feel better. My style is warm and collaborative, with a sense of humor. Our work can develop your strengths & self-confidence & help you feel more comfortable in your own skin, leading to a greater sense of vitality and peace of mind.

I provide compassionate, thoughtful treatment which helps clients to achieve meaningful change. My approach is tailored to each individual's needs and comfort to support the process of healing and growth. I attend to many aspects of identity and circumstance and work with clients to co-create an understanding of themselves and their difficulties.

Clients come to me because they struggle with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, feeling lost and being stuck in patterns they don't like. Many experienced childhood trauma that has hurt their sense of self. Others come for support during life transitions or because they are grieving. I work with couples and adult family members who have a fear of conflict and tend to give up what they need in their relationships, and also those who fight easily and find conflict escalates quickly.

We live in a culture that is constantly pushing us to strive for perfection. Whether in school, work, or our everyday lives, the need to constantly achieve can put great strain on our self and those we care about. This can lead to chronic depression or anxiety, social isolation, feelings of inadequacy, or even thoughts of suicide. Through compassionate acceptance and practical skill building I can help. Whether you're seeking to improve your day to day functioning or understand your identity and purpose, I can help you move forward.

I am passionate about my work as a therapist. I frequently feel honored and humbled to facilitate and witness another's healing process. I sense we are trying to navigate our way the best we know how, and sometimes, when we get stuck, we need support from a fellow pilgrim. I am grateful to have been the beneficiary of therapy when grappling with my own inner turmoil and difficult relationships. If you too are looking for less suffering and anxiety, more fulfilling relationships, and a deeper sense of what you truly want, I would be excited and privileged to support you in your journey.

My specialty for over 20 years is food, weight, body image and exercise issues as a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and nutritional consultant . My own eating disorder history led to my path helping those struggling with binging, restricting, purging, compulsive exercise and body dissatisfaction. We work on the BODY level with nutrition; the FEELING level, addressing anxiety, depression, self esteem; the THINKING level, obsessing about calories, carbohydrates, fat grams, the gym, the scale; we build EMPOWERMENT, finding your voice, using boundaries, recognizing and honoring your needs, healthier coping skills. Our focus is to normalize eating and change your relationship to food and to your body.

The most important thing in working with me is your positive desire to change. Given that I'll bring you into the office, we will discuss your issues of concern and design and implement suggestions to create growth , understanding and lasting solutions. Many clients see me once for behavior change through hypnotherapy. Others see me for ongoing psychotherapy appointments. Some clients combine both modalities to insure continued growth and change. I am optimistic about the possibilities of health and healing through our work together. After forty years in practice I remain committed to my clients and their work with me

You want help feeling better or making tough decisions. You may feel anxiety, depression, or just have the painful idea that everyone else is doing better than you. I will teach you to create more ease, focus, and meaning in your life. Sessions with me are offered through video meetings which we can schedule at our mutual convenience.

I specialize in attachment theory, addiction/addiction related issues, & becoming more aligned with your authentic self. I also enjoy working with couples wanting to strengthen communication skills or rebuild trust within their relationship. Caregivers were the first to teach us how to relate to others. Healthy relationships are often not modeled for us & we wonder why the same patterns repeat. I can help you gain insight into these patterns & we will work together to have healthier relationships. My goal is to get to know you, establish a strong connection, and provide a safe space to begin your healing journey together.

Engaging in psychotherapy is an ideal way to work on understanding yourself and others and increasing satisfaction with life. If you are feeling overwhelmed, if every day you are weighed down with conflict or heavy emotions, talking to a professional, and someone outside your family, friends and loved ones, can help in gaining perspective and getting the bigger picture.

I believe that as human beings, we are hard-wired with the need to get our emotional experience into the mind of a trusted other. My work as a psychotherapist is to find emotional resonance with my clients' life experiences, deriving both from their family of origin and from present-day situations and relationships. Whether a client is depressed, anxious, struggling with relationship problems, trying to overcome traumatic experiences, or trying to find their own unique, personal voice in a complex world, talking in psychotherapy can help to expand your capacity for growth and happiness.

I engage with my clients deeply, using my years of experience, expertise and intuition, to allow them to experience life more fully. Many people cover over feelings of fear and sadness to protect themselves from hurt. I strive to create a safe environment where trust can be developed, and people can gradually rely less on their need to protect themselves through self-destructive patterns, and more on their healthy, life-enhancing strengths. I help my clients to feel more connected with themselves and to have richer, more meaningful relationships with the people in their lives.

If you've come to a crisis point in your life, it can make such a difference to talk with someone who can help you not only with your immediate concern, but with understanding what it can tell you about yourself. I have an exploratory approach -- listening for what you say but haven't yet heard and speaking up for what you allude to but haven't yet articulated. This process requires privacy, safety, curiosity, and attention.