Therapists in San Francisco, CA

Do you long to be free from the traps of perfectionism, self-criticism, and unhelpful overcontrol? Do your go-to strategies to "get rid" of your emotions feel unsustainable? I will help you clarify your deepest values, even in the midst of challenge and uncertainty. Whether you want to set boundaries, use your voice in relationships, or develop a more flexible and compassionate perspective, you will be empowered to take action, with a sense of purpose and agency. You will learn to view your emotions as wise communication from the body, without letting them overrun your life, and embrace your full, evolving identity.

You are a complex being. You've had painful life experiences that continue to impact you even though you don't want them to. You may find yourself feeling stuck, reacting in ways that don't make sense, and reliving past experiences over and over in your thoughts or even in your dreams. Fear comes out of nowhere, and it is exhausting being on guard all the time. It may feel like you can't trust anyone, sometimes not even yourself. But healing is possible. You deserve joy, peace, and deep healing. When you heal, you heal the generations before and after you.

I am passionate about providing trauma-informed and dynamic treatment to folx who may feel unwelcome in their communities due to both internal and external perceptions of their identity. My passion is working with queer folx of color to foster a healing and reparative experience to discover and be empowered in your authentic self. Whether you're looking for a space of your own, for you and your partner(s) or chosen family, our work together can allow for deeper understanding, openness and communication.

Are you struggling to find peace, happiness, greater satisfaction, and healthier relationships? Do you continue to feel empty, angry, sad, or anxious? Do you feel as if you have limited ability to change? Self-knowledge is the key to understanding why you continue to struggle and how you can change the continuous negative cycle into a positive one. Through the process of psychotherapy, you will discover how your internal world interprets and affects your external world and how these mechanisms were developed. I can help you gain the insight and self-knowledge necessary for positive, lasting change.

I work with a wide range of clients, each facing their own set of challenges. Whether it's dealing with issues related to eating or embracing neurodiversity like autism and ADHD, I strive to create a warm and inviting environment for self-discovery. I have a wealth of experience working with kids, teens, and the LGBTQ+ community. As someone who identifies as queer, my goal is to create a supportive and empowering space for fellow LGBTQ+ individuals.

Openings available this week with my team of therapists at Thrive SLO. I work with college students and adults feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and/or anxious. Need balance in your life? Facing grief, past trauma, or coping with difficult family situations? Or maybe you are thinking about coming out to your family and friends? I offer expertise, guidance and support for you to navigate these challenges. I'm passionate about the personal transformation that comes through therapy. I love working with curious individuals who want to better understand themselves, their emotions, & their relationships.

I consider myself to be a neurodivergent therapist, who is authentic and direct. My style is anchored in cognitive science, attachment theory, mindfulness, social justice, parts work, and somatic psychology. I value science equally with the domain of intuition and art, and I consider myself an especially huge nerd with evolutionary psychology. I'm queer and LGBTQIA+ aligned, and I'm fluent in polyamory and kink relationship dynamics.

Hey there! My name is Macala ("muh-kae-luh"; pronouns: she/they) and I strive to make therapy accessible and relevant for Black and queer communities of color. As an EMDR trained yoga psychotherapist, I integrate mindfulness and neuroscience to support your mental health. My practice is rooted in considering you as a whole person - mind, body, spirit, culture, and in relationship to community. Together we will collaborate on a goal, learn practical techniques to improve your wellbeing, and progress at your pace towards growth.

Welcome! I am a queer psychotherapist working from a social justice and anti-oppression framework. This means that we will work together to understand how the systems of the world and your environment contribute to your life. I strongly believe in the ability we each have to better understand ourselves and heal with the support we need - I am here to guide you in that process.

Your lifetime is precious and you refuse to sleep walk through it. You want to do better, feel better and live life intentionally, authentically, and consciously. Maybe you're focused on enhancing your relationships with intimate partners, thriving and loving midlife, getting fulfillment in your career, getting relief from depression or anxiety; or simply want to understand yourself better and build emotional intelligence. If you want to partner on your journey with an (30+ years) experienced, mature therapist I welcome you to contact me.

I believe the key to change lies in cultivating a safe, strong therapeutic relationship. Through a developmental lens, I aim to understand each person’s history and how their unique story informs current challenges. I feel passionate about working with clients from diverse backgrounds and utilize a culturally-informed approach when understanding life experiences and associated thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In conjunction with this psychodynamic, relationally-driven approach, I help clients identify a clear presenting concern, develop goals, and integrate the appropriate evidence-based practice tailored to their specific needs.

In session, I will provide you with a safe and supportive environment focused on your healing. I incorporate different techniques and approaches, based on your needs as well as my assessment of what can be of true help to you. I believe it is important that I hold the space for you to incorporate your own healing practices if that is what you desire.

We provide neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy for adults. Common concerns for our clients include: Autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, post-concussion syndrome, TBI, aging, and cognition. Specialty areas of competency include: neuropsychological assessment, gender diversity, gender affirming evaluations for medical care, veterans, and longstanding medical care.

In life, we can experience very difficult challenges that require change. Some of those challenging events may be difficult to move on from, leave you feeling stuck and unsure of how to proceed. Therapy can be a helpful way of helping you explore events, process emotions, and grow within new perspectives. I can help provide a warm, compassionate environment to do just that. It is important to me that you feel heard and understood. I find that in this type of therapeutic space, individuals are much more open to taking steps towards flexibility, developing insight, and finding a self-compassion they may not have discovered before.

Based in the heart of Los Angeles, my mission is to provide affirmative and specialized therapy for LGBTQIA+ individuals and relationships, sex workers, non-monogamous relationships, and people exploring kink/BDSM dynamics. I believe in the transformative power of therapy to promote self-advocacy, autonomy, and meaningful connections.

I believe that the greatest gift I can offer as a therapist is to hold a safe space for clients to explore any and all of their feelings, beliefs, and ideas without judgement. I am passionate about connecting with clients through an integrative and holistic approach that equally values their thoughts, emotions, spirituality, bodies, cultures, identities, and diverse experiences. In addressing these various parts of individuals I aspire to help them validate and explore their experiences as opportunities for growth and healing.

My Goal is to support clients in exploring their past and present to uncover unhealthy patterns that may cause distress and stops them from creating the changes they seek. We will collaborate together to create strategies and solutions based on a holistic, cognitive, and psychodynamic approach that supports you in meeting your personal and professional goals, as well as creating lasting change in your life.

I have a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Clinical and Health Psychology. I work with an array of individuals and specialize in concerns related to LGBTQ, POC and allies on a variety of concerns. I pay special attention to cultural factors related to wellness. If you have a specific concern like difficulties in relationships or a more general interest in improving your well-being by learning how to better deal with strong emotions, I will provide a warm and supportive space to foster your personal growth.

I am licensed from the Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Marriage Family Therapist.  I graduated from Notre Dame de Namur with a Master's in Science Clinical Psychology MFT.  I was born in Greece and moved to the United States as a child, and have been a California Bay Area native ever since.  Growing up in a Greek household, I am able to speak Greek fluently and I am proficient in Spanish.  In my spare time, I am also learning Mandarin Chinese as languages are a passion of mine.