Therapists in San Francisco, CA

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.

I provide contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy for people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and relationship issues, especially in immigrant and cross-cultural families with a history of complex trauma. I believe that our symptoms make sense in the context of our early experiences, family histories, and systems we live in. We learn resilience and survival strategies in difficult situations that may not be sustainable for us now. Therapy has lasting results when it starts with an exploration of who you are as a whole person, not just the symptoms you are experiencing right now. ​

I view psychotherapy as a joint venture in which we work collaboratively to reach your goals. My style is direct, transparent and positive, warm, interactive and nonjudgemental. I create the safety needed to allow us to explore the issues that underlie depression, anxiety, loneliness, lack of fulfillment and other concerns. As a therapist I follow your lead. With over two decades of experience I work diligently to understand each individual, employing elements of psychoanalytic, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral theories to create an approach that best suits the unique individuals and relationships with whom I am working.

If your child has experienced trauma & dissociation, they may have trouble managing their feelings, communicating their needs, or be using challenging behaviors. The world can feel scary to the traumatized child, so it's hard for them to communicate. They often cope in ways that were the best solution during the trauma, but no longer fit current circumstances, and which seem confusing or destructive. I see it as my job to help your child explore their inner world, so, through the language of play, they can learn how to express emotions, solve problems, & get needs met in healthy ways that fit the present!

I am a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. My approach to psychotherapy is referred to as psychoanalytic or insight-oriented therapy. This type of therapy stresses that each person and their difficulties are unique. And that our difficulties are often rooted in factors outside of our awareness. People seek therapy for a situation that requires attention, and in my experience this generally concerns multiple and interacting problems rather than isolated symptoms. As therapy progresses the immediate feelings of distress typically diminish in severity. It then becomes possible to focus on understanding the factors that contributed to

My approach to therapy is integral; I work from an attachment and trauma informed lens with a deep grounding in relational psychoanalytic theory. I have experience with treating depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, questions of gender and sexuality, complex family dynamics, relationship issues, chronic pain, and grief work. My wish it to foster a therapeutic space that feels both challenging as well as safe so that we can work together to meet your treatment goals. In our work together I may bring in mindfulness techniques, parts work, attachment theory, dream work, movement, and myth.

It is my passion and a privilege to help people struggling with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, trauma, family dynamics, relationship issues, career stress, life transitions, existential angst, and finding meaning and purpose. I welcome people of all types and backgrounds into my practice. I see you as a unique individual and I look forward to getting to know you on a deep level. I am here to support you every step of the way on your journey of self-discovery and healing transformation.

Do you feel you have it all/have enough, but do not feel satisfied, content, happy, or at peace? Do you want to find meaning and purpose in your life? Do you want to examine the root causes of your emotional suffering instead of putting a bandaid on your symptoms? If so, I invite you to schedule a 20-minute consultation with me to begin exploring your transformation. I can help you to learn to trust yourself, discern what you have and don't have control/responsibility over, and find your center/ true north, which you can utilize to make decisions more effectively and flow through life's ups and downs with more ease.

People often find themselves stuck repeating patterns of relating to others, thinking, feeling, or behaving. These habitual ways of responding feel like the self. And yet, when patterns—typically formed in childhood—are loosened, what feels very much more like the self can emerge with new freedom. Through my psychoanalytic style of practice, I engage people's curiosity about who they are currently, bringing my own interest in life history and impasses that may fall outside of conscious awareness. Often, the impulse to try therapy comes from a feeling that one has been stuck being oneself for some time and it is not fully working.

I help individuals who are feeling anxious, lost, disconnected, overwhelmed, unstable, or alone. These feelings may be related to a specific season of life or could be ways that you’ve felt for a long time. My areas of focus include anxiety, depression, developmental trauma, identity exploration, survivors of intimate partner abuse, life transitions, and relationship issues. My approach is compassionate, engaged, and warm.

My approach to therapy is psychodynamic, psychoanalytic and relational. Our task together is to help unlock the parts of you that got stuck somewhere along the way.

There comes a time when we get tired of feeling stuck in the same old patterns. We suddenly see our lives clearer, realizing we’re no longer satisfied and yearn for change. This dissatisfaction takes on a different flavor for each individual. It can come in the form of a realization of our unfulfilled needs, an exhaustion of performing for others, resentment at having our boundaries crossed far too many times, or a growing bitterness and overall displeasure for life. Perhaps, we’ve tried other modes of healing or even short-term therapy, frustrated at the lack of quick results. Until, the recognition hits us, we must look deeper.

I find it effective to combine behavioral solutions with depth work. Since the unconscious ripples into all aspects of life, I have found that relational therapy addressing unconscious motives can help with most psychological difficulties. In addition to working with individuals, couples & families, I am adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies where I teach in the Masters in Counseling Psychology Department and Psychological Services Clinic.

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.

Starting therapy is not easy, and I hope you'll soon feel comfortable with me because of how I listen and become interested in the details you bring, helping you start to feel safe and at ease. I'll listen to the layers of what you say, and do my best to notice patterns which you may be unaware of. Together we'll think about the present moment of your life, your history, your needs and desires, and what gets in the way of your greater happiness and satisfaction.

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.

Entering psychotherapy is an important and courageous decision. I view therapy primarily as an opportunity for a human encounter, and believe that through the therapeutic work you can grow, heal and develop healthier and more adaptive ways to deal with ongoing and new challenges. Our work will be based on your unique needs and the difficulties you are facing. I have an empathic, collaborative and direct approach to therapy that will allow you to see improvements. I am dedicated to assisting you in overcoming difficulties in your life, and will work with you to identify goals you wish to achieve.

Sometimes it seems life asks us to bear the unbearable. A heartbreaking loss, difficult transition, illness of yourself or loved one, the lack of anything that might make your life meaningful and pleasurable—these are some of the issues I respond to and can help with. If you’re suffering or your life lacks purpose look at my website and, if you feel a connection, please reach out. I work from a generous and flexible sliding scale and am committed to providing accessible treatment. Whatever you’re facing, you don’t have to do this alone. Psychoanalytic therapy, especially as practiced by Lacanian analysts, can be transformative.

I love working with folks who are curious about the growth potential psychoanalytic psychotherapy can unveil. I believe in the curative elements of this approach and hope to generate positive change and wellness with you. Weaving a relational insight-oriented lens with art therapy, we can uncover areas of unconscious suffering, root causes, and establish goals for treatment. By increasing our self-understanding and meaning making capacities, we illuminate new perspectives and intentionality. Together, we can co-create effective pathways to integrate that knowledge towards personal growth and inner healing.