Psychodynamic Therapists in San Francisco, CA
I model a foundation of trust, compassion, and respect for yourself one another and use an eclectic mix of Gottman, emotionally-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing and psychodynamic theory.
As we change and grow, and get caught up in the daily grind, we forget to tend to our relationships and they can begin to feel burdensome. Part of what I do is normalize that relationships are work. Over time they disappoint us, trigger us, and often serve as mirrors for parts of ourselves we like the least. We start to forget that they bring us joy and purpose and get wrapped up in toxic thought patterns. The neglect breeds contempt and then we feel more disconnected than ever. My passion lies in helping you reconnect with yourself and your loved ones.
I model a foundation of trust, compassion, and respect for yourself one another and use an eclectic mix of Gottman, emotionally-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing and psychodynamic theory.
As we change and grow, and get caught up in the daily grind, we forget to tend to our relationships and they can begin to feel burdensome. Part of what I do is normalize that relationships are work. Over time they disappoint us, trigger us, and often serve as mirrors for parts of ourselves we like the least. We start to forget that they bring us joy and purpose and get wrapped up in toxic thought patterns. The neglect breeds contempt and then we feel more disconnected than ever. My passion lies in helping you reconnect with yourself and your loved ones.
You may feel stuck in your recurring patterns, whether in relationships, anxiety, depression, or life transitions> Many of the people I work with are thoughtful and self-aware but sense something deeper beneath the surface, shaping their lives. My approach is grounded in depth psychology, exploring unconscious patterns and early relational experiences that influence how we live and connect today. Together we work toward greater self-understanding, emotional freedom, and more authentic relationships.
You may feel stuck in your recurring patterns, whether in relationships, anxiety, depression, or life transitions> Many of the people I work with are thoughtful and self-aware but sense something deeper beneath the surface, shaping their lives. My approach is grounded in depth psychology, exploring unconscious patterns and early relational experiences that influence how we live and connect today. Together we work toward greater self-understanding, emotional freedom, and more authentic relationships.
My work is relationally based. I believe that development throughout our lives is formed through our relationships. The therapeutic relationship we share will be an important factor in understanding, improving, establishing, and responding to those relationships. Even when things are particularly tough or uncomfortable, creating and tolerating change can be daunting. It’s easy for individuals and families to get stuck in old patterns that no longer meet their needs. We’ll look at those patterns: how they developed, how they affect you, and how to take steps toward freeing you and your family.
My work is relationally based. I believe that development throughout our lives is formed through our relationships. The therapeutic relationship we share will be an important factor in understanding, improving, establishing, and responding to those relationships. Even when things are particularly tough or uncomfortable, creating and tolerating change can be daunting. It’s easy for individuals and families to get stuck in old patterns that no longer meet their needs. We’ll look at those patterns: how they developed, how they affect you, and how to take steps toward freeing you and your family.
It can seem impossible to figure things out, to feel loved, secure, less lonely, frightened or sad. Work, family and social demands can cause stress and/or burn-out. People get caught in cycles of porn/sexual addiction, video games or online surfing that derails them. I'm seasoned and adept at providing safety to think things through. I see many types of people from widely diverse cultural backgrounds and with different sexual orientations. My approach is engaging, warm and exploratory. I provide help at times of crisis, or when life feels unsatisfying, frozen, boring, numb or sad.
It can seem impossible to figure things out, to feel loved, secure, less lonely, frightened or sad. Work, family and social demands can cause stress and/or burn-out. People get caught in cycles of porn/sexual addiction, video games or online surfing that derails them. I'm seasoned and adept at providing safety to think things through. I see many types of people from widely diverse cultural backgrounds and with different sexual orientations. My approach is engaging, warm and exploratory. I provide help at times of crisis, or when life feels unsatisfying, frozen, boring, numb or sad.
Are you seeking a therapist who understands the unique challenges of navigating today’s world as an LGBTQ+ individual? Do you find yourself grappling with anxiety or depression, or struggling to manage the complexities of your marriage or relationship? Are you yearning for a deeper spiritual connection, but unsure of how to align your daily life with your values?
If you resonate with any of these challenges, I encourage you to reach out. As a San Francisco Bay Area therapist, I offer compassionate, evidence-based, and LGBTQ+-affirming counseling for individuals and couples.
Are you seeking a therapist who understands the unique challenges of navigating today’s world as an LGBTQ+ individual? Do you find yourself grappling with anxiety or depression, or struggling to manage the complexities of your marriage or relationship? Are you yearning for a deeper spiritual connection, but unsure of how to align your daily life with your values?
If you resonate with any of these challenges, I encourage you to reach out. As a San Francisco Bay Area therapist, I offer compassionate, evidence-based, and LGBTQ+-affirming counseling for individuals and couples.
I work with passionate people who deeply want to feel connected and loved, but find themselves hurting in relationships. My clients come from backgrounds where they weren’t taught healthy relationship skills, and they realize they're stuck in patterns they want to change, such as self-judgment or blame, self-sabotage, avoidance, relational anxiety, codependence, or abuse. My mindset is everyone is doing the best they can with what they know. With a curious mind and multicultural lens, I help make meaning of your experiences, shed light on what exists outside your awareness, and help you learn new ways of feeling connected and loved.
I work with passionate people who deeply want to feel connected and loved, but find themselves hurting in relationships. My clients come from backgrounds where they weren’t taught healthy relationship skills, and they realize they're stuck in patterns they want to change, such as self-judgment or blame, self-sabotage, avoidance, relational anxiety, codependence, or abuse. My mindset is everyone is doing the best they can with what they know. With a curious mind and multicultural lens, I help make meaning of your experiences, shed light on what exists outside your awareness, and help you learn new ways of feeling connected and loved.
My approach is rooted in contemporary psychodynamic practices, in which we address current difficulties while acknowledging early experiences and their traces.
Navigating our internal and external realities - work, family and relationships - can be challenging. At times, engaging with another person who listens carefully can help with exploration, acceptance and change. I work with people from a range of different backgrounds, including artists facing creative blocks, immigrants wishing to find greater freedom in the in-between spaces they inhabit, and people who have gone through adversity and seek relief from distress.
My approach is rooted in contemporary psychodynamic practices, in which we address current difficulties while acknowledging early experiences and their traces.
Navigating our internal and external realities - work, family and relationships - can be challenging. At times, engaging with another person who listens carefully can help with exploration, acceptance and change. I work with people from a range of different backgrounds, including artists facing creative blocks, immigrants wishing to find greater freedom in the in-between spaces they inhabit, and people who have gone through adversity and seek relief from distress.
Building on Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Client-Centered and other Western approaches, I specialize in Morita Therapy, a naturalistic, innovative, and effective modality practiced in Japan for 100 years.
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.
Building on Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Client-Centered and other Western approaches, I specialize in Morita Therapy, a naturalistic, innovative, and effective modality practiced in Japan for 100 years.
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.
My approach is empathetic, compassionate, analytical and straightforward. I have a decade of experience in working with various specialties but the principal of my work has been to go deep and connect the conscious to the unconscious. With kindness, warmth and humor I provide a safe and supportive environment in therapy.
My approach is empathetic, compassionate, analytical and straightforward. I have a decade of experience in working with various specialties but the principal of my work has been to go deep and connect the conscious to the unconscious. With kindness, warmth and humor I provide a safe and supportive environment in therapy.
Finding balance and living a fulfilling life is easier said than done. The concepts may seem simple, but the reality is that it takes patience and bravery to ride out the waves. As a therapist, I encourage you to find confidence, purpose, and meaning to live authentically in the present. I have experience and passion working with those experiencing multigenerational trauma and transitions, as well as a special emphasis on creative/artistic lifestyles, and cultural competency. Prior to becoming a therapist, I was a music journalist. My roots reside in the Bay Area. I currently also serve on the Board for Donaldina Cameron House.
Finding balance and living a fulfilling life is easier said than done. The concepts may seem simple, but the reality is that it takes patience and bravery to ride out the waves. As a therapist, I encourage you to find confidence, purpose, and meaning to live authentically in the present. I have experience and passion working with those experiencing multigenerational trauma and transitions, as well as a special emphasis on creative/artistic lifestyles, and cultural competency. Prior to becoming a therapist, I was a music journalist. My roots reside in the Bay Area. I currently also serve on the Board for Donaldina Cameron House.
I use an integrative, relational approach that draws from psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches, mindfulness-based work, as well as humanistic, interpersonal, feminist, and transpersonal perspectives.
I understand the therapy process as a practice of paying close attention to what is actually happening in our present-moment experience. While this may sound simple, it is often a profoundly challenging and transformative stance to maintain in daily life.
In therapy, we bring thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relational patterns into clearer awareness. Aspects of experience that may once have been outside of conscious awareness become more visible, allowing us to relate to them with greater understanding and perspective. From this place of awareness, new possibilities for choice and change often begin to emerge.
I use an integrative, relational approach that draws from psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches, mindfulness-based work, as well as humanistic, interpersonal, feminist, and transpersonal perspectives.
I understand the therapy process as a practice of paying close attention to what is actually happening in our present-moment experience. While this may sound simple, it is often a profoundly challenging and transformative stance to maintain in daily life.
In therapy, we bring thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relational patterns into clearer awareness. Aspects of experience that may once have been outside of conscious awareness become more visible, allowing us to relate to them with greater understanding and perspective. From this place of awareness, new possibilities for choice and change often begin to emerge.
Child & Adult Trauma Therapy with Kylie Svenson
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW
3 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94115
If you or your child struggle with trauma or dissociation, you might feel like things are falling apart. You get flooded with intense emotion, feel suddenly numb or helpless, feel like you are floating outside of yourself, or lose time. Your child melts down, acts out, suddenly acts much younger, or spaces out. You struggle with relationships that feel like they repeat the past. Part of trauma therapy is about making sense of these confusing symptoms, learning to connect with yourself, finding words for your experience, and learning to regulate your emotions, so you don't feel so overwhelmed, and can develop new, healthier patterns.
If you or your child struggle with trauma or dissociation, you might feel like things are falling apart. You get flooded with intense emotion, feel suddenly numb or helpless, feel like you are floating outside of yourself, or lose time. Your child melts down, acts out, suddenly acts much younger, or spaces out. You struggle with relationships that feel like they repeat the past. Part of trauma therapy is about making sense of these confusing symptoms, learning to connect with yourself, finding words for your experience, and learning to regulate your emotions, so you don't feel so overwhelmed, and can develop new, healthier patterns.
The psychodynamic tradition is a living engagement with the maturational wealth of so many dyads.
To help understand and navigate the healing process, I draw upon psychodynamic/analytic, existential-humanistic, Jungian, experiential, ego-state, cognitive-behavioral, transpersonal, and trauma-informed orientations, including IFS. I am currently licensed as a clinical psychologist in California and Vermont, as well as an LPA (TX), LPC-S (TX), and LPC (CO).
The psychodynamic tradition is a living engagement with the maturational wealth of so many dyads.
To help understand and navigate the healing process, I draw upon psychodynamic/analytic, existential-humanistic, Jungian, experiential, ego-state, cognitive-behavioral, transpersonal, and trauma-informed orientations, including IFS. I am currently licensed as a clinical psychologist in California and Vermont, as well as an LPA (TX), LPC-S (TX), and LPC (CO).
Maybe you are feeling isolated, burnt out, or anxious, and have tried 'everything' by now, only to be left feeling more disappointed. Trying again to get help can be very hard, but this is the one right decision you can make for yourself. Reach out now- yes, actually now- to schedule a free intro call. We can think together about such questions as: 'Why did this happen to me?', 'Why does it keep happening to me?', and more importantly, 'How can I change something?'
Maybe you are feeling isolated, burnt out, or anxious, and have tried 'everything' by now, only to be left feeling more disappointed. Trying again to get help can be very hard, but this is the one right decision you can make for yourself. Reach out now- yes, actually now- to schedule a free intro call. We can think together about such questions as: 'Why did this happen to me?', 'Why does it keep happening to me?', and more importantly, 'How can I change something?'
Searching for new meaning and exploring life’s possibilities often stems from painful experiences from our past or current situations. I aspire to cultivate a safe environment with my clients so that they may explore new possibilities and develop an enriching curiosity about themselves. Reaching out for help takes strength and courage. I believe that helping my clients identify and sort through their issues while fostering their strengths is the catalyst that brings about the regenerative change they seek.
Searching for new meaning and exploring life’s possibilities often stems from painful experiences from our past or current situations. I aspire to cultivate a safe environment with my clients so that they may explore new possibilities and develop an enriching curiosity about themselves. Reaching out for help takes strength and courage. I believe that helping my clients identify and sort through their issues while fostering their strengths is the catalyst that brings about the regenerative change they seek.
I use an eclectic, trauma-informed approach blending CBT, mindfulness, person-centered work, solution-focused strategies, and psychodynamic insight.
I am a bilingual therapist who supports adults navigating anxiety, stress, depression, identity exploration, and relationship challenges. As a Latinx immigrant, I bring a culturally informed, compassionate lens to therapy and am especially supportive of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ clients, offering a safe, collaborative space for meaningful growth.
I use an eclectic, trauma-informed approach blending CBT, mindfulness, person-centered work, solution-focused strategies, and psychodynamic insight.
I am a bilingual therapist who supports adults navigating anxiety, stress, depression, identity exploration, and relationship challenges. As a Latinx immigrant, I bring a culturally informed, compassionate lens to therapy and am especially supportive of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ clients, offering a safe, collaborative space for meaningful growth.
Going into psychotherapy or coaching should be like putting the finishing touches on your life. My goal in working with clients is to assist them in discovering their strengths so they can use them to create the life they most desire. I believe clients move towards growth when time is right. Most clients enter therapy or coaching when they have reached a critical life transition. In our work, we will explore how your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions are all connected. As a result of our meetings, you will gain tools to feel better, more confident, and satisfied with your life.
Going into psychotherapy or coaching should be like putting the finishing touches on your life. My goal in working with clients is to assist them in discovering their strengths so they can use them to create the life they most desire. I believe clients move towards growth when time is right. Most clients enter therapy or coaching when they have reached a critical life transition. In our work, we will explore how your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions are all connected. As a result of our meetings, you will gain tools to feel better, more confident, and satisfied with your life.
My approach is psychodynamic and integrates mindfulness, attachment theory, somatic practices, and trauma-informed and anti-oppressive frameworks.
Being a person in this world can be exciting, painful, scary, and awe-inspiring (sometimes all at once!) and I’m here to hold space for the paradoxes and messiness of life. My intention is to help you reclaim and accept the parts of yourself that you’ve learned to disown — and we all have those parts. I believe that with the right support, everyone has the ability to move toward more ease and connection.
My approach is psychodynamic and integrates mindfulness, attachment theory, somatic practices, and trauma-informed and anti-oppressive frameworks.
Being a person in this world can be exciting, painful, scary, and awe-inspiring (sometimes all at once!) and I’m here to hold space for the paradoxes and messiness of life. My intention is to help you reclaim and accept the parts of yourself that you’ve learned to disown — and we all have those parts. I believe that with the right support, everyone has the ability to move toward more ease and connection.
Psychodynamic, psychosomatic, Jungian psychology, Brain Spotting,
I help many adults and couples address the underlying causes of their conflict, pain, distress, and angst. We will employ different techniques that assist in understanding what lies beneath the surface. I draw from many psychological approaches and world traditions. Also, by thinking about the human experience and acknowledging what happens between us, in the therapy space, as valuable insights for our understanding of you; and by looking at your inner world view.
Psychodynamic, psychosomatic, Jungian psychology, Brain Spotting,
I help many adults and couples address the underlying causes of their conflict, pain, distress, and angst. We will employ different techniques that assist in understanding what lies beneath the surface. I draw from many psychological approaches and world traditions. Also, by thinking about the human experience and acknowledging what happens between us, in the therapy space, as valuable insights for our understanding of you; and by looking at your inner world view.
Are you wondering if your family will ever feel more connected—or if you’ll always be the one holding it all together? You deserve therapy that sees all of you. The clients I work best with are often the ones who’ve had to explain themselves too many times—queer folks, gender-expansive teens, co-parents navigating healing, separation, and adult children still unpacking family dynamics. If you're feeling stuck in your relationships, or like you’re carrying too much, you’ll likely feel at home here.
Are you wondering if your family will ever feel more connected—or if you’ll always be the one holding it all together? You deserve therapy that sees all of you. The clients I work best with are often the ones who’ve had to explain themselves too many times—queer folks, gender-expansive teens, co-parents navigating healing, separation, and adult children still unpacking family dynamics. If you're feeling stuck in your relationships, or like you’re carrying too much, you’ll likely feel at home here.
See more therapy options for San Francisco
Nearby Psychodynamic Therapists Searches for San Francisco
- Alameda
- Albany
- Belvedere Tiburon
- Brisbane
- Colma
- Daly City
- Emeryville
- Oakland
- San Bruno
- Sausalito
- South San Francisco
- Tiburon
Psychodynamic Therapists
Is psychodynamic therapy evidence-based?
Studies have found psychodynamic therapy to be effective in treating conditions like social anxiety, eating disorders, chronic pain, some personality disorders, and depression; indeed, some studies have found it to be just as effective as CBT or medication. What’s more, several studies have found that the benefits of psychodynamic therapy tend to endure—even grow—long after treatment has ended.
How long does psychodynamic therapy last?
Unlike CBT and other more structured forms of therapy, psychodynamic therapy tends to be open-ended and may not be limited to a set number of sessions. It is common for clients to be in therapy for a year or longer and to see their therapist one to three times a week, though the exact schedule and timeline may vary depending on a client’s challenges and progress. However, brief psychodynamic therapy is available, which tends to be more goal-oriented and typically unfolds over 16 to 30 sessions.
Does psychodynamic therapy work?
Research finds that psychodynamic therapy can help someone manage or reduce symptoms of diagnosable mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. The modality may also offer a range of benefits that are harder to measure but just as valuable—such as increased self-worth or healthier relationships. While no therapy type will work for everyone, research and anecdotal evidence suggest that psychodynamic therapy can be highly effective.
What are the limitations of psychodynamic therapy?
Some meta-analyses have concluded that there is little evidence to suggest that psychodynamic therapy can effectively treat certain mental health conditions such as PTSD, OCD, or psychosis, though it is sometimes used to do so. More broadly, the open-ended, free-association structure of psychodynamic therapy may be frustrating for clients who prefer a more structured, time-limited, or goal-oriented approach.