Couples Counseling Therapists in San Francisco, CA

I think I work best with clients who are motivated to address specific issues in their lives that hold them back in some way. Having a goal and wanting more for themselves in their personal lives, and work lives, gives the therapy the direction and purpose that increases its effectiveness. People are complex and everyone deserves to be treated as unique individuals with their own set of needs, preferences and interpersonal styles. My job is to fit into their psychological world to understand how to help them best--an "informed collaboration" that is purposeful and intentional.

If you are struggling with unbearable feelings, loneliness, identity issues, shame, guilt, and/or relationship difficulties, I offer a safe, non-judgmental space for you to explore yourself in relation to your world. My approach rests on the belief that our ways of understanding and coping with the present may be limited by our previous experiences. By working together, we find new expanded ways to help you understand and cope more effectively.

Welcome. My name is Angela Grau and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I provide individual therapy for adults experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, interpersonal issues, self esteem, life transitions, feeling stuck in their life or career and grief or loss. You can expect my sessions to feel warm, welcoming, collaborative and creative.

I have been practicing psychotherapy since 1977. I treat mood disorders, anxiety disorders, relationship and recovery issues.

What is it you most deeply want? I can help you find your natural strengths and let go of old beliefs and painful emotions that stand in the way of you loving the life you live. Through a mindful and compassionate inquiry into places where you feel stuck, I help you to extinguish negative patterns and to recognize and express your true gifts in the world. Many of my clients are artists and creative professionals. My specialties include helping you to have more fulfilling relationships, expand your creativity, overcome addictive patterns, develop your self-esteem, and experience greater personal growth.

My practice is helping others develop the skills they need to become more resilient to the pressures and stressors of life and to live a meaningful authentic life, striving towards wholeness. Suffering is part of life, and can we learn to be with it, possibly even lean into it, and listen for what it might be wanting us to learn. Depression, anxiety, cravings, problems in relationships, feeling stuck and loss of meaning, can occur when we aren't connected to our authentic selves. Together we will work towards creating and nurturing who you uniquely are in the world. When we become more aware – we can open to life.

As a clinical psychologist I specialize in treating anxiety and depression in the context of trauma, work stress, relationship problems and family conflict. I help people deal with issues including grief and loss, substance abuse, domestic violence, and childhood trauma. My approach is to seek immediate reduction in symptoms while carefully addressing long-term, underlying problems.

We often know where we are stuck and what is causing distress — but not how to go about fixing it. My job is to help you get where you are trying to go, to help you figure out what's getting in the way and to help you connect the dots and see the bigger context. People work in therapy in different ways so there is no one formula for everyone. In general, I am interactive, thoughtful, solution focused and believe in people who are working on themselves.

Mindfulness in Psychotherapy and Counseling. Are you dealing with anxiety, stress, depression, or relationship issues? Do you feel overwhelmed or helpless with these issues? You don't need to struggle alone. With Mindfulness-based Therapy, you will have an opportunity to develop your awareness and inner strength to cope with your challenges. I am anti-racist, cross-culturally sensitive, and committed to providing a safe, nonjudgemental, and compassionate space where you can be well supported on your healing journey.

I welcome individual adults, parenting couples and teens into my private practice. My clients often wish to discuss improving their mood, increasing performance at work/school, identifying problems in relationships, exploring their gender identity and establishing healthy screen time/social media habits. With all clients, my initial goal is to offer a safe, non-judgemental space in which we can discover what facets of life most impact them, and how. The goal of my therapies is always to unravel with clients how they arrived in the stressful circumstances they currently inhabit, and how to work on reducing emotional pain.

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.

I work relationally with a diverse group of clients. I believe that connection is one of the most important aspects of any relationship and strive to build that with my clients. In the past, I have worked in retail, the trades and hospital administration and drug and alcohol services. It was not until I started studying psychology that I found my passion. Yet, These experiences have shaped who I am today and help me to identify with my clients.

At The San Francisco Marriage and Couples Center, we offer couples therapy, marriage counseling, and relationship counseling. We are an organization of professional mental health clinicians with a top priority in providing progressive and cutting edge treatment for trauma, mood, and relationship issues. Our therapists have been chosen for their expertise in helping mood, trauma, and relationship issues. Therapists who practice at The San Francisco Marriage and Couples Center provide as integrative approach to treatment offering Western talk therapy and Eastern complimentary recommendations including meditation, yoga, and qigong.

I currently work with adult and adolescent individuals and couples . The issues I deal with include depression and dysthymia, panic attacks, stress, generalized anxiety disorder, gender identity disorder, obsessions and compulsions, childhood sexual trauma, childhood physical abuse, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, communication conflict, commitment, intimacy, sexual difficulties, insecurity, trust, infidelity and social phobia.

Therapy is an open, non-judgmental space to come into contact with your thoughts, feelings and the complex and challenging aspects of life. Through the process you will begin to know yourself, more honestly and intimately in order to live a deeply meaningful life with clear intention and heart aligned purpose. As we work together a hope of mine is to collaborate with you in a empathetic, compassionate and creative way. I will bring an integrative framework into the process using a holistic approach to healing and unifying body, heart and mind. Our suffering is worthy of our time, our curiosity and our compassionate attention.

I see children, adolescents, and adults in individual psychotherapy and psychoanalysis who are struggling with a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, life cycle challenges, and trauma. At times the way people cope with and manage their past or present difficulties create additional barriers to feeling good, and fulfilling their hopes and goals. As a conscientious, professional, and compassionate clinician, I strive to provide a therapeutic relationship in which together we can think about, understand and help you work through those feelings and thoughts that are troubling, confusing and worrisome.

You may have come to my page feeling disappointed with your current circumstances, relationships, work, or the world at large. I specialize in working with adults, adolescents, and couples experiencing high levels of stress, interpersonal conflict, difficult family dynamics, grief, and chronic pain or illness. I often work with people who feel "different" and who may have experienced discrimination and deep feelings of otherness throughout their lives. This includes children of immigrants, neurodiverse individuals, survivors of complex trauma/abuse, and others who identify with minority status in one or more ways.

Moving closer to a balanced and whole state of mind is the main goal of talk therapy. In a trusting and collaborative environment, you are given the chance to remove obstacles on the way of reaching your full potential for personal growth and improved mental health. Also, through conversation with an objective and trained individual, you will be able to understand the complexities of your mind, making your unknown known. In addition to working with adults, one of my main focuses is individual and family psychotherapy with adolescents dealing with issues such as identity formation and relationship building.

In pain and struggle are also resilience, strength and even opportunity. Engaging in a therapeutic relationship is an act of courage and hope that can lead to relief and lasting change. You may be experiencing loneliness, relationship issues, anxiety, depression, low self esteem, loss, creative blocks or the effects of trauma and oppression. Maybe you are just not where you would like to be in your life. Therapy can help to create a more fulfilling life in part by deepening self knowledge, increasing resilience and mitigating the effects of early life experiences.