Play Therapy in San Francisco, CA
Accepting each part of ourselves can be difficult. I approach therapy from a place of valuing each part that makes you, you. I work collaboratively with you on determining the goals you hope to achieve and walk with you on the path to getting there. Our ruminating thoughts and complex emotions, can often feel like they get in the way of daily tasks, impacting our relationships, and in general leaving us feeling overwhelmed or stuck. Therapy is a space to process these experiences, create room for vulnerability, and move from a space of self-criticism to self-compassion.
Accepting each part of ourselves can be difficult. I approach therapy from a place of valuing each part that makes you, you. I work collaboratively with you on determining the goals you hope to achieve and walk with you on the path to getting there. Our ruminating thoughts and complex emotions, can often feel like they get in the way of daily tasks, impacting our relationships, and in general leaving us feeling overwhelmed or stuck. Therapy is a space to process these experiences, create room for vulnerability, and move from a space of self-criticism to self-compassion.
I work with adults, adolescents, and couples. Many of the adults in my practice want to grow in their careers and/or romantic relationships, while others want help with psychological difficulties that have sometimes troubled them throughout their lives. As a psychoanalytic therapist, I'm trained to provide intensive psychotherapy that leads to long-term change. My style is curious and playful, direct and deep.
I work with adults, adolescents, and couples. Many of the adults in my practice want to grow in their careers and/or romantic relationships, while others want help with psychological difficulties that have sometimes troubled them throughout their lives. As a psychoanalytic therapist, I'm trained to provide intensive psychotherapy that leads to long-term change. My style is curious and playful, direct and deep.
As someone with lived experience, I love supporting folks from my communities. I am a trans, queer, anti-Zionist Jew, immigrant, neurodivergent (AuDHD), dynamically disabled, polyam/ENM, kink affirming, HAES (Health at every size), Covid conscious therapist. Folks who seek me out tend to need support with feeling less overwhelmed by the world and by life's demands, creating relationships that feel more equitable, navigating conflict, life transitions and wanting to deepen their spiritual practice.
I use a liberatory frame in the work that includes values of collective liberation, anti-colonialism, abolition and disability justice.
As someone with lived experience, I love supporting folks from my communities. I am a trans, queer, anti-Zionist Jew, immigrant, neurodivergent (AuDHD), dynamically disabled, polyam/ENM, kink affirming, HAES (Health at every size), Covid conscious therapist. Folks who seek me out tend to need support with feeling less overwhelmed by the world and by life's demands, creating relationships that feel more equitable, navigating conflict, life transitions and wanting to deepen their spiritual practice.
I use a liberatory frame in the work that includes values of collective liberation, anti-colonialism, abolition and disability justice.
I work with teens and adults who are seeking greater authenticity, self-understanding, and ease in their lives. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, life transitions, self-doubt, relationship challenges, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, therapy can offer a space to slow down, listen inwardly, and reconnect with your own wisdom.
I see each person as creative, resourceful, and whole. My role is not to tell you who to be, but to help you uncover the strengths, insights, and inner resources that may have become obscured by past experiences, limiting beliefs, or difficult circumstances.
I work with teens and adults who are seeking greater authenticity, self-understanding, and ease in their lives. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, life transitions, self-doubt, relationship challenges, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, therapy can offer a space to slow down, listen inwardly, and reconnect with your own wisdom.
I see each person as creative, resourceful, and whole. My role is not to tell you who to be, but to help you uncover the strengths, insights, and inner resources that may have become obscured by past experiences, limiting beliefs, or difficult circumstances.
I am a second-generation child of immigrants, a Cuban-American Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California. I specialize in holding space for children and adults to heal from trauma, transform their relationship to themselves, and navigate unexpected life transitions. My approach to therapy is relational and grounded in the belief that healing happens through connection. I strive to create a safe, collaborative space where we can explore your story, name your strengths, and work toward the goals that matter most to you at your own pace.
I am a second-generation child of immigrants, a Cuban-American Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California. I specialize in holding space for children and adults to heal from trauma, transform their relationship to themselves, and navigate unexpected life transitions. My approach to therapy is relational and grounded in the belief that healing happens through connection. I strive to create a safe, collaborative space where we can explore your story, name your strengths, and work toward the goals that matter most to you at your own pace.
Are you feeling burned out in your career, caught between the desire for change and the need to maintain performance? It's possible to achieve balance by embracing both productivity and self-care. I'm here to support you as you navigate life's complexities, helping you sharpen your communication skills and build the confidence needed to achieve your goals. With practical tools based on innovative approaches, you can live mindfully and maximize your potential.
Are you feeling burned out in your career, caught between the desire for change and the need to maintain performance? It's possible to achieve balance by embracing both productivity and self-care. I'm here to support you as you navigate life's complexities, helping you sharpen your communication skills and build the confidence needed to achieve your goals. With practical tools based on innovative approaches, you can live mindfully and maximize your potential.
Congratulations on taking the first step to putting you first. This is my motto and approach in therapy - putting you first so you can create a life worth living. I have over a decade of experience supporting children youth and families.
Congratulations on taking the first step to putting you first. This is my motto and approach in therapy - putting you first so you can create a life worth living. I have over a decade of experience supporting children youth and families.
I serve people looking for long-term explorative therapy, couple's counseling, trauma interventions and substance use recovery support. I specialize in person-centered, introspective therapy with an emphasis on using the genuine and professional relationship developed in therapy to help people understand themselves while they find their motivations and focus for change. I emphasize each client as the center of the therapeutic process and try not to push an agenda on anyone who chooses me for their support.
I also cofacilitate an in-person green space substance use recovery group for any clients who are interested.
I serve people looking for long-term explorative therapy, couple's counseling, trauma interventions and substance use recovery support. I specialize in person-centered, introspective therapy with an emphasis on using the genuine and professional relationship developed in therapy to help people understand themselves while they find their motivations and focus for change. I emphasize each client as the center of the therapeutic process and try not to push an agenda on anyone who chooses me for their support.
I also cofacilitate an in-person green space substance use recovery group for any clients who are interested.
We at the Bay Area Center for Children love helping families and children of all ages through difficult times. Whether your child is struggling with acting out behaviors such as defiance or hyperactivity, or internalizing problems like depression or anxiety, we can help.
We at the Bay Area Center for Children love helping families and children of all ages through difficult times. Whether your child is struggling with acting out behaviors such as defiance or hyperactivity, or internalizing problems like depression or anxiety, we can help.
I am an experienced clinician and gage our work by the progress you are making towards your treatment goals. I have extensive experience as a clinical consultant and provide consultation for clinicians. I have supervised clinicians in treatment settings ranging from the counselor's office to acute mental health facilities. I have a professional background in the arts and work with self defined meaning, identity and creative processes. My work specifically is in Lacanalysis and I am in ongoing formation as such with Dr. Jacques Siboni at Topologos Lutecium.
I am an experienced clinician and gage our work by the progress you are making towards your treatment goals. I have extensive experience as a clinical consultant and provide consultation for clinicians. I have supervised clinicians in treatment settings ranging from the counselor's office to acute mental health facilities. I have a professional background in the arts and work with self defined meaning, identity and creative processes. My work specifically is in Lacanalysis and I am in ongoing formation as such with Dr. Jacques Siboni at Topologos Lutecium.
Everybody has a story to tell, and I want to hear yours. I work with adults & teens struggling with a range of issues (anxiety, depression, trauma, neuroatypical related challenges, disordered eating, body image issues, substance use, and burnout/perfectionism). Whether you are experiencing a challenge or you are interested in finding more balance in your life, I am here to support you. My clients often to come from a variety of marginalized communities: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Latinx/e, bi/multi-racial/cultural, Fat, neurodivergent, kinky, poly/ENM, people who use alcohol/drugs, performers/creatives, black sheep, brujx and witchy folk.
Everybody has a story to tell, and I want to hear yours. I work with adults & teens struggling with a range of issues (anxiety, depression, trauma, neuroatypical related challenges, disordered eating, body image issues, substance use, and burnout/perfectionism). Whether you are experiencing a challenge or you are interested in finding more balance in your life, I am here to support you. My clients often to come from a variety of marginalized communities: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Latinx/e, bi/multi-racial/cultural, Fat, neurodivergent, kinky, poly/ENM, people who use alcohol/drugs, performers/creatives, black sheep, brujx and witchy folk.
Therapy can be a space to slow down and make sense of what you’re experiencing, whether you’re navigating anxiety, stress, relationships, trauma, a life transition, or simply wanting something to change. I’m here to create that space. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I offer a person-centered and collaborative approach grounded in curiosity. Together, we look at your experiences, relationships, emotions, and the patterns that shape how you move through life. I also draw from my training in Art Therapy and DBT Practices.
Therapy can be a space to slow down and make sense of what you’re experiencing, whether you’re navigating anxiety, stress, relationships, trauma, a life transition, or simply wanting something to change. I’m here to create that space. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I offer a person-centered and collaborative approach grounded in curiosity. Together, we look at your experiences, relationships, emotions, and the patterns that shape how you move through life. I also draw from my training in Art Therapy and DBT Practices.
Coming to therapy can be a confusing and vulnerable endeavor. Even those who appear functional can carry loneliness, anxiety, and shame. Many of us long for closer connection and a way of living that feels more authentic, yet feel stuck in ways that are hard to understand or change on our own. I see these struggles not simply as symptoms to be fixed, but as meaningful expressions of your inner world and your history. My work centers on creating a warm, grounded space where you can slow down and explore your relationships to yourself and others, your feelings, and your biggest struggles.
Coming to therapy can be a confusing and vulnerable endeavor. Even those who appear functional can carry loneliness, anxiety, and shame. Many of us long for closer connection and a way of living that feels more authentic, yet feel stuck in ways that are hard to understand or change on our own. I see these struggles not simply as symptoms to be fixed, but as meaningful expressions of your inner world and your history. My work centers on creating a warm, grounded space where you can slow down and explore your relationships to yourself and others, your feelings, and your biggest struggles.
I believe that coming to therapy is about making a home in ourselves: a home where we feel at ease, where all the different parts of us are okay and we don't feel that something is wrong with who we are. When life gets hard we can feel isolated and cutoff - from the people around us, and also from ourselves. When we most need to feel compassion towards ourselves it can be hardest to find. My work is to help you find that compassion for yourself and to support you in strengthening your capacity to meet whatever life brings with courage and confidence.
I believe that coming to therapy is about making a home in ourselves: a home where we feel at ease, where all the different parts of us are okay and we don't feel that something is wrong with who we are. When life gets hard we can feel isolated and cutoff - from the people around us, and also from ourselves. When we most need to feel compassion towards ourselves it can be hardest to find. My work is to help you find that compassion for yourself and to support you in strengthening your capacity to meet whatever life brings with courage and confidence.
My clients might suffer from PTSD, depression and/or anxiety that often feels overwhelming.. - "Dr. J"
I have 30+ years of experience in Social Work. Specifically, with folks who suffer from anxiety, depression, and/or "racial and/or carceral trauma." I hold multiple identities: of working class, BIPOC-female-presenting, and a mother of a 12+-year-old adopted child with special needs and a dog-mom.
My clients might suffer from PTSD, depression and/or anxiety that often feels overwhelming.. - "Dr. J"
I have 30+ years of experience in Social Work. Specifically, with folks who suffer from anxiety, depression, and/or "racial and/or carceral trauma." I hold multiple identities: of working class, BIPOC-female-presenting, and a mother of a 12+-year-old adopted child with special needs and a dog-mom.
I offer play and talk therapy with children from the ages of 8 to 18.
I offer short and long term treatment of distressing psychological symptoms. Common symptoms include attentional difficulties, debilitating anxiety, lack of energy/motivation, overwhelming sadness and anger, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and psychosomatic symptoms. These symptoms often emerge in response to life transitions, intergenerational family dynamics, identity crisis, difficult or traumatic past events, racial trauma, or the loss of a relationship. An additional focus of my practice centers around issues of racial and ethnic identity, navigating interracial relationships, and immigration related issues.
I offer play and talk therapy with children from the ages of 8 to 18.
I offer short and long term treatment of distressing psychological symptoms. Common symptoms include attentional difficulties, debilitating anxiety, lack of energy/motivation, overwhelming sadness and anger, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and psychosomatic symptoms. These symptoms often emerge in response to life transitions, intergenerational family dynamics, identity crisis, difficult or traumatic past events, racial trauma, or the loss of a relationship. An additional focus of my practice centers around issues of racial and ethnic identity, navigating interracial relationships, and immigration related issues.
I engage with each person as an individual that requires a unique set of skills specifically altered to address your personal sources of distress. I offer a safe, non-judgmental, compassionate and supportive environment so that you can create the change you are seeking. There are times in our lives when we struggle with the most valuable relationships in our lives. It helps to be able to reflect together, problem-solve toward solutions and ways of coping with someone who can remain objective and supportive. I believe a strong therapeutic relationship is important in order to grow in therapy.
I engage with each person as an individual that requires a unique set of skills specifically altered to address your personal sources of distress. I offer a safe, non-judgmental, compassionate and supportive environment so that you can create the change you are seeking. There are times in our lives when we struggle with the most valuable relationships in our lives. It helps to be able to reflect together, problem-solve toward solutions and ways of coping with someone who can remain objective and supportive. I believe a strong therapeutic relationship is important in order to grow in therapy.
I welcome you exactly as you are—whether you are seeking support for yourself as an adult, navigating parenting hurdles with your child or teen, or looking for a space for your couple, multi partner relationship, or family. If you are ready to drop outside expectations and stop performing, you belong here. You might be navigating trauma, chronic illness, and anxiety, or simply looking for a room that deeply affirms LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and sex worker communities. Together, we work as a team to look at your whole picture, dismantle societal taboos, and quiet outside noise as you safely evolve.
I welcome you exactly as you are—whether you are seeking support for yourself as an adult, navigating parenting hurdles with your child or teen, or looking for a space for your couple, multi partner relationship, or family. If you are ready to drop outside expectations and stop performing, you belong here. You might be navigating trauma, chronic illness, and anxiety, or simply looking for a room that deeply affirms LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and sex worker communities. Together, we work as a team to look at your whole picture, dismantle societal taboos, and quiet outside noise as you safely evolve.
With children, I use art and play based therapy methods, and keep a whole child framework at the center.
I specialize in attachment, ADHD, anger, anxiety, depression, divorce/separation, educational needs & learning differences, grief & loss, immigration issues, complex trauma & life transitions. I use a variety of therapeutic methods including art, DBT, CPP, EMDR, mindfulness & play therapy. I sculpt my treatment approach to the needs & goals of each client.
With children, I use art and play based therapy methods, and keep a whole child framework at the center.
I specialize in attachment, ADHD, anger, anxiety, depression, divorce/separation, educational needs & learning differences, grief & loss, immigration issues, complex trauma & life transitions. I use a variety of therapeutic methods including art, DBT, CPP, EMDR, mindfulness & play therapy. I sculpt my treatment approach to the needs & goals of each client.
You know your child is bright and you love them deeply. You also sense that something isn't quite working. Maybe the school has reached out. Maybe your child holds it together all day and unravels the moment they get home.
This is exactly the work I do, and I would love to help.
I have spent over 20 years inside independent and parochial school communities in San Francisco and Marin. I already know your child's world. That means I can sit with their teacher or learning specialist, speak their language, and help everyone come together around what your child truly needs.
You know your child is bright and you love them deeply. You also sense that something isn't quite working. Maybe the school has reached out. Maybe your child holds it together all day and unravels the moment they get home.
This is exactly the work I do, and I would love to help.
I have spent over 20 years inside independent and parochial school communities in San Francisco and Marin. I already know your child's world. That means I can sit with their teacher or learning specialist, speak their language, and help everyone come together around what your child truly needs.
See more therapy options for San Francisco
Nearby Play Therapy Searches for San Francisco
- Alameda
- Albany
- Berkeley
- Daly City
- Emeryville
- Mill Valley
- Oakland
- Piedmont
- San Bruno
- Sausalito
- South San Francisco
- Tiburon
Play Therapy
Who is play therapy for?
Play therapy is generally targeted to children between the ages of 3 and 11 who have social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties. Play therapy has also been found helpful for children who have experienced physical or emotional abuse or witnessed atrocities. Play therapy is also often recommended for children who are undergoing major medical procedures or who are suffering from chronic illness; many children’s hospitals are equipped to offer play therapy on-site. Play therapy is also sometimes used for adults; creative writing, music, and art are expressive forms that can all be adapted for therapeutic purposes.
Why do people need play therapy?
Children often do not have the language skills or words to know or to express what is troubling them. Yet they often spontaneously draw or use playthings to depict scenarios that reflect problems in their everyday life. Play therapy provides children with an array of objects and play situations to act out their feelings or experiences so that therapists can get a clear picture of what children might be struggling with and help them find solutions. In addition, play therapists are skilled at helping children understand their inner experience and find words for them, necessary steps toward helping children learn to control their own behavior and come up with solutions to problems they encounter.
What happens in play therapy?
A child enters a comfortable playroom where they are free to choose the objects they want to play with. The play therapist will typically observe how they play with the toys—whether a sandbox, puppets, dolls and action figures, trucks, costumes, drawing and painting materials, or more—because such play provides clues to a child’s family and social relationships, difficulties they are encountering in the world, and what going on inside themselves. Sometimes the therapist may ask the child to use the play objects to tell a story about their family. Using the same instruments of play, therapists can help children discover more advantageous ways of thinking and behaving.
What kinds of problems do play therapists treat?
Play therapy can help children who display destructive or self-destructive impulses; children who seem angry, sad, or fearful; children who experience frequent social, emotional, family, or school difficulty. Play therapy is often of value to children who have experienced a loss or distressing family experience, who are regularly exposed to family conflict, or who have been physically or emotionally abused. Play therapy can help children who are perpetrators of bullying as well as those who are targets of bullying. It helps children learn to identify their feelings, to express them in constructive ways, and to regulate them so they can get on with the business of development.
How long does play therapy last?
Play therapy sessions may last for 30 to 45 minutes, and they usually occur weekly for about 20 sessions. Each session is tailored to the individual child and the kinds of problems they are struggling with. Play that is highly repetitive often indicates a problem requiring further exploration. Therapists typically measure progress through session-to-session changes in play behavior.