Play Therapy in San Mateo, CA

It's more than rapport. Some call it a gut-feeling; it's the sensation you have when you find yourself working with the right, highly skilled therapist for you. It's when everything about therapy becomes possible. In a dual relationship rooted in trust, you will receive a higher caliber of personalized care from a therapist committed to helping you make the changes you want in your life. Denise specializes in working with children, young adults, and parents. Denise dedicates her private practice to a small number of patients and their families, ensuring that each individual receives her full energy and focus.

Having trouble communicating with your kids? Is social anxiety, depression, isolation, hyperactive, or behavioral issues holding them back from their full potential? Do they experiences challenges like making friends, truancy, bullying, drugs, fighting, getting in trouble at school or the law? I am here to help build the relationship and communication you and your family deserve.

Life can get difficult sometimes as we try to juggle the demands of the external world while finding internal balance and harmony. We can carry the pain inflicted on us due to circumstances, or by others. And sometimes it is just a feeling of wanting something more from life than what seems feasible. These experiences can leave us feeling isolated and disconnected from our sense of aliveness, joy and creativity. I like to support my clients on their journey towards creating a more satisfying life, a life that feels wholesome both internally and externally.

We all experience life’s challenges as part of the human condition, yet sometimes our symptoms of stress, worry, or self-criticism stand in the way of living the life that we want. Working with a clinician can help you reconnect with yourself and your strengths. Therapy often helps us to make useful connections between our actions, our thinking, our emotional reality, and patterns in relationships that we have developed over years. When we understand ourselves better, we can put into practice useful tools and coping skills to tackle problems that once defeated us.

Welcome, I'm glad you are here. It is not easy to seek therapy for yourself or your child. I am here to provide support and guidance with the challenges you are facing at this time. I have over 20 years experience working with children, teens and parents who are struggling with challenges including depression, anxiety, trauma, sexual and physical abuse. I offer parent coaching to help parents improve their relationships with their children. I also provide therapy with Latinx people including first generation and bicultural individuals who need support in navigating multiple social and cultural identities.

We can all have periods of loneliness in our lives where the path forward appears hidden and our relationships create feelings of uncertainty or confusion. You might find yourself in more arguments, or becoming more critical of yourself, while you are unsure as to why the arguments began or why the self-criticism continues. For some: patience, tolerance and forgiveness are gifts easily shared with others but are nearly unthinkable when engaging with yourself. Maybe, you are simply wishing things “Could just go back to the way they were before” or “Just be easier”.

I am a nonbinary, queer, neuroqueer, white, ashkenazi jewish healer. I support queer creatives and nonconformists honor authenticity beyond harmful binaries. My practice offers a somatic, creative, relational, and liberatory justice approach to caregiver recovery/codependencey, developmental trauma, post traumatic stress, and anxiety. I hold an anti-opressive stance, encouraging a sense of agency, QT joy, and alignment in healing. I have a passion for supporting LGBTQQIP2SAA+ community with life transitions, resisting systems, attachment/relationship challenges, & all who had to "grow up too quickly" in childhood.

Loss of self and self-doubt can manifest in young people as anxiety, depression, burn out, anger, and more. Highly sensitive children and teenagers are especially vulnerable right now to struggles with these symptoms and may need guidance to (re)discover their purposes and passions. I help adolescents and adults become congruent with their best selves. This in turn leads to increased knowledge of self which can lead to increased self-esteem and a satisfaction with the world around them.

Are you ready to rediscover inner peace, perhaps for the first time? Do you crave the confidence to embrace and express your authentic self? I'm here to guide you on this healing Journey. Hi, I'm Dr. Rachael Rosenberg, a dedicated therapist serving the Bay Area since 2009. My passion lies in helping girls and women reignite their path to becoming the person they aspire to be. Life often throws emotional curveballs, doubts, and challenges our way. I'm your steadfast companion in navigating the unknown, guiding you towards a place where you can feel truly grounded within yourself.

Welcome! My name is Nicholas Malenka. I am an experienced Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Therapist. If you have difficulty with anxiety, sadness, interpersonal relationships, and life changes, my practice is here to help. My goal is to provide clients with the insight and tools they need to move to improve their overall mental health. I utilize an eclectic approach that may include one or more therapeutic modalities based on each client's needs, goals, and challenges. I often employ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Strength-Based Therapy modalities.

Hi. My name is Ruth Cano and I am Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I believe in meeting my clients where they are at in their therapeutic journey. I aspire to create a nonjudgmental and welcoming environment to walk together in therapeutic goal progress. I have 8 years working experience with children, adolescents and their families who come from challenging parenting backgrounds and are exposed to many stressors within the home and school settings. I have many years treating clients at risk of suicidal ideation and extensive work in safety planning with clients and their families that are at risk.

If you are experiencing a lack of momentum and motivation in creating change we can work together to examine deeper meaning of current challenges you face. Clients seek therapy to explore and process past traumas, life transitions, feelings of anxiety, anger, grief, and isolation. If you are seeking skills to increase connection within relationships, and would like to foster a better work/life balance, therapy can offer a safe and secure environment to explore what’s meaningful in your life. We can collaborate on setting attainable goals that move you towards healthy choices, initiate personal insight, and enable well-being.

Jackie has been practicing since 2019 and has focused her work on attachment, trauma-informed care, and identity. Jackie has experience working with the Latinx, LGBTQIA+ communities and mainly works with adults and has experience with children and adolescents. Additionally, Jackie has been trained and is certified in writing psychosocial evaluations for immigration purposes and is focused on Hardship Waivers, Asylum, T-Visa, U-Visa, and VAWA. Jackie’s work has been primarily focused on building the connection with the client and meeting the client where they are.

Has your teen felt lost or hopeless? Does your child suffer from excessive worry that interferes with social and academic life? Children and teens are particularly susceptible to the pressure handed out by society and often need help developing the tools to cope with intense symptoms of anxiety and depression. Working as a team, I will help you, your child, and any other providers create and plan ways to achieve goals of decreasing symptoms such as intense worry, insomnia, mood swings, panic attacks, school problems, and suicidal thoughts. I also run two teen groups focused on symptom management and building self confidence.

Hello and welcome. My name is Dr. Fukiko Shibahara and I'm a licensed clinical psychologist. I offer relational and compassionate attachment-based psychotherapy and insights for individuals of all ages both in person and online, including infants, children and families. Have you experienced trauma, difficult life events, loss, or conflicts and wanted to process them safely with someone professional? Are you concerned about your own or family's mental and behavioral health or relationships with others? Are you feeling like you might need some comfort and support right now as you navigate new roles or transitions in your life?

If you have been struggling with a difficult life situation, managing your role as a parent or helping your child through a traumatic experience, I understand how lost you can feel. I made it my mission to help people get the healing they need – kids and adults alike – to let their best self shine.

I am a bilingual (English/Mandarin) therapist based in SF Bay area. Client comes to see me for more fulfillment in life including depression, anxiety, insomnia, trauma, relationship issues etc,. I have holistic trainings on Gestalt Therapy, Hakomi (somatic) therapy and Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT). I want to hold a safe space for my clients that they feel supported, cared for, resourced but also challenged, so that they can unfold their own way toward healing. As a person with the eastern and western bicultural experience, I also identity myself as a cultural sensitive therapist.

With 17+ years of experience working as a School Psychologist (NCSP) and Special Education/Student Services Director, I know the complexities of determining if/what specialized educational support is needed. Over the years I've worked with students in public, charter and private schools. I've also taught assessment to school psych graduate students at CSUS. I've provided staff and parent trainings on topics of 2nd language acquisition, specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and mental health issues such as anxiety. As an educational psychologist, I work with learners pre-k to college to support their educational journey.

I specialize in working with children, teens, and young adults with trauma histories, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, body and self-esteem issues, life and family transitions. I also work with clients who are dealing with immigration and acculturation issues and support them with exploring and resolving intergenerational conflicts and cultural differences within their families and communities. I strive to create a safe space that includes collaboration, reflective curiosity, opportunities for change, creativity and humor.