Narrative Therapists in San Francisco, CA

Unresolved conflicts, sadness, worries, relationship dissatisfaction, divorce, destructive behaviors, loss, trauma, or other adverse life experiences. These moments can torment the best of us. You are not alone. What you are going through now is a chapter in your book, but certainly not the whole story. You are looking for assistance in understanding yourself more deeply, ways to better cope with change and find the happiness, balance and calm you need.

Lisa Pepper-Satkin, MA, MFT is an Executive Therapeutic Coach helping high-achieving leaders actualize BIG visions. She is also a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator. Lisa uniquely integrates 25+ years’ experience as a Licensed Psychotherapist and Entrepreneur, fusing these disciplines in a unique approach she calls Executive Therapeutic Coaching. She assists the client in recognizing what personal blocks and entrenched behaviors are preventing them from achieving optimal results by creating a safe pathway to explore what is getting in their way. She combines these skills to guide highly committed people.

Do you want to create a more balanced and meaningful life? Are your obstacles or patterns preventing you from achieving your goals and full potential in relationships & career? Are you trapped in the chains of depression, anxiety, or addiction? I work to help you attain your goals and aspirations in a stoic, no nonsense, proactive, and empathic manner with cognitive behavioral techniques. I have a general practice & specialize in relationships, life transitions such as motherhood/fatherhood, depression/anxiety, addiction/substance abuse, & grief.

Choosing a therapist that is a good fit and you can see working with deserves consideration. It’s important the therapist is someone you can trust, who gets you, and has professional experience with what you need, and conveys a sense of confidence and commitment to helping you. I try to get to know every client I work with, understand who they are, what their lives are like. I look for your individual strengths, unique capabilities, positive qualities, and help you recognize and build upon these to improve your current circumstances.

I am a collaborative therapist which means that we work together on the goals you want to achieve and how you'd like to achieve therm.

Do you find yourself struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, identity, and difficult life transitions? Do you find yourself feeling stuck and can’t seem to focus or move forward? There are many ways to get unstuck, and this is the work I love to do to help you heal, grow and live a more fulfilling life. I use an integrative approach including attachment-based work, DBT, CBT, IFS, and mindfulness, bringing in each as needed. Above all, I strive to hold space and empathy for your life experience.

You finally left the office after another long day. This should be when you can take a deep breath and relax, but it’s not. The day’s stress is still with you, and you have no way to shut it off. And in some ways, this is more comfortable for you. You’ve spent so long training yourself to ignore your own needs that it’s easier to stay focused on everyone and everything else. But lately, you’ve begun to wonder what it’s all for. You see other people enjoying full lives. Meanwhile, you’re stuck in this narrow existence. You love your career, but there must be more to life than this. It’s time to make a change.

I have a therapeutic style that is honest, empathetic, compassionate, and straightforward. Using clinically proven treatment methods via Teletherapy, I work holistically, leveraging a combination of treatments to address mental health concerns such as complex trauma, re-parenting, grief, addiction, PTSD, confidence, work/life balance, abuse, and sexual issues. I am also clinically interested in the study and offering of psychotherapy to those living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. My expertise as a Nutritional Psychologist allows me to look at your needs holistically. www.drjeffreylawton.com

Anxiety is something you’ve struggled with for a long time. While you seem to be functioning OK on the outside, inside you’re dealing with feelings of dread, catastrophic thoughts that you can’t seem to stop, and constantly feeling like you need to plan for what could go wrong. The good news is that therapy can help you struggle less with anxiety. You and I will work together to help you relate to anxiety more effectively and focus on building a full and vital life.

Starting therapy for the first time or returning after a long break can feel intimidating. You might have even had bad experiences before. I'm here to help. We will go at your pace because your experience is important to me. I believe that lasting change and healing can only happen when our whole selves are seen and welcomed. I provide a safe healing space and bring a strong, grounded presence so that you can begin to cultivate more love and compassion for yourself, connect with your inner wisdom and become more whole and authentic in your relationship with others.

Is your communication suffering? Think about it for a moment. Are you communicating well with others? With yourself? What happens when communication is: Misunderstood Misguided Missing? Successful relationships require effort, though they need not be difficult. Stress, anger, anxiety, and depression can affect your satisfaction. If you improve your communication with yourself and others, then you have a better chance at more satisfying relationships. And that is where I can help. I specialize in working with individuals, couples, and more than couples to improve communication and deepen their relationships.

I work with people-pleasing millennials who want to heal from past emotional wounds and stop self-sabotaging. Do you struggle with anxiety, body image and patterns of self-judgment? Always putting others needs before your own? The traumas and abuse you experience throughout your lifespan- big or small, can warp the way you see yourself, making you question everything, overthink, and cause you to stand in your own way. If this feels relatable, you are not alone. I will work with you to break through these barriers, heal, and create a life that aligns with your values.

Are you tired of feeling anxious, fearful & overwhelmed? Are you tired of your negative thoughts & patterns blocking you from accomplishing your daily goals, big or small? You feel stuck because your mind continues to tap into old stories that are creating self-doubt in who you want to be, what you want to do & what you want to have in your life. You’re tired of trying to figure it out alone & getting the same results. You finally want accountability, to learn how to decrease stress & to learn how to reverse engineer your thinking so that you can align with the women & mom you want to be & pursue what really excites you in life.

Sometimes we feel anxious, depressed, ashamed, disappointed, or just plain numb because we think we should be better, faster, smarter, or simply not have these feelings at all. With the goal of moving forward in a more positive direction, relationship challenges, communication breakdowns, trauma history, substance use dependency, procrastination, fear, isolation, grief, positive expressions of anger, coming out, are just some of the things we work on in therapy. The solutions my clients seek are often found within, and I help them find them with insight, gentle nudging or sometimes with stronger, more direct interventions.

I am so glad you're here. I understand how daunting it can be to take steps towards healing. Perhaps you feel misunderstood by the people around you. Or perhaps you are accustomed to confronting problems alone, without the help of others. Whatever you might be facing, I am here to assure you that you are not alone. I am honored to walk alongside you as you step outside of your comfort zone to embark on your journey to growth and self-discovery. I offer warm and collaborative therapy services to individuals and couples who are seeking to work through past traumas and challenges with identity.

If you're looking for a therapist who brings authenticity, warmth, and a feminist sensibility to their work, I might be the person to help! I typically work with clients who find themselves at complex intersections of identity, especially around sexuality, gender and culture. Many of my clients are children of immigrants, and/or queer and trans people of color, navigating questions about family and relationships. I can offer an affirming space work through intergenerational trauma and feelings of cultural guilt or shame. I am also able to support clients wit common concerns like anxiety, depression, stress management & more.

Starting therapy and finding the right fit can be a daunting task. I view the therapeutic relationship as something that is co-created over time and as the primary tool for healing. I have experience working with ages 3-50+ providing specific insights and tools relevant for the progressive stages of life and the many difficulties that can come up along the way. Focusing on the here and now, we work to increase self awareness, compassion, insight and care while simultaneously holding the larger context within which we meet, including ways that race, gender, class and culture impact our experiences and identities.

When life feels overwhelming, finding meaning and connection can feel elusive. Layer on the struggles inherent in our current world—family dynamics, life transitions, climate anxiety—you name it, and it’s no wonder it can feel impossible. In my work, I help people navigate life’s murky waters, and the feelings of inertia that can come with the territory. Helping people connect with, and stay true to, their authentic selves is what makes my work meaningful. I work particularly well with clients who struggle in relationships (including with adult family members), as well as adults with ADHD or those who suspect they might have ADHD.

My mission is to empower you to be your best self by providing support on how to follow your intuition, build insight around the changes or healing you are seeking, learn skills to manage challenges, and regain trust in self and others. I believe change is possible and most often occurs when people feel heard and safe in relationships. In our work together, I will help you develop strength + confidence in order to restore balance and peace in your life. I offer a warm and intuitive therapeutic approach, in which I am both supportive + direct, and where it encourages thought and growth. Are you ready to start your healing journey?