Codependency Therapists in San Rafael, CA

Choosing to start psychotherapy can appear daunting, but will offer an opportunity and unique space for change, healing and growth. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and have well over a decade of experience in supporting the therapeutic goals and emotional needs of my clients. My approach to therapy blends evidence based practices, my sense of curiosity, humor, as well as a person centered approach. I will work with you to develop therapeutic goals that support your growth, healing, and change. I provide a direct, warm, and humanistic approach to help you in reaching your goals.

I believe you are your own best healer, and I am here to compassionately walk you through a journey of self-empowerment. It is okay to be uncertain of where to begin and how to navigate your difficulties. Not only are we human-beings, but we are human-becoming. How? Together we will create a respectful, non-judgmental, and trusting relationship. This space will allow you to be your authentic self. Our conditioned patterns learned in childhood tend to disconnect us from our authentic self. Becoming aware and conscious of these practiced beliefs modeled by our parent figures and society at large is a stepping stone to finding you.

Welcome! I am so happy you're here. Are you feeling unsatisfied with how you respond in certain situations, or with certain people? Are you currently moving through a difficult transition, such as an identity shift (e.g. parenthood), a recent move, breakup or loss? Are you wanting support with forming different types of boundaries, finding your voice, or expressing your needs? Are you a couple or relationship needing support? These are just some of the areas that I frequently engage in, with my clients.

I am a California-licensed psychologist with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I have extensive experience treating stress, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, trauma, and somatic illness, and is an expert on bio-psycho-social functioning. I work with individuals and families struggling with chronic mental and physical conditions that challenge health, well-being, work-life balance, and daily functioning. I am adept at working within multiple cultures with great sensitivity.

Therapy is a collaborative relationship, as individual as the people in the room. Often the work involves slowing down and creating a secure space for being open, curious and able to revisit and make sense of thoughts, memories and feelings that give rise to present difficulties. I'm especially attentive to your higher powers of perception and positive self determination. Together we resolve present-day problems with roots in the past, changing patterns that produce familiar and unwanted results so you are freer to choose the life you want.

Welcome to CIP… We are here to help. Founded in 1977, CIP has provided quality, affordable mental health services to individuals, families, and couples for more than 40 years. We offer a full range of services designed to meet a variety of needs, including long-term depth psychology as well as short-term counseling, therapy groups, and psychological testing. We work with depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, co-occurring disorders, addictions, and in-depth work with clients with axis II disorders. CIP is a welcoming place, attentive to the needs of our diverse community.

Many challenges we experience in daily life relate to conflict between parts of ourselves. Each part reflects our body’s own loving attempts to care for us in the ways it knows. When we shift one part of the feedback loop, the whole system rearranges - in our bodies, & in our relationships. My approach to individual & couples therapy is holistic, somatic & client-centered. I start with creating a non-judgmental, inclusive space for you to come as you are. As we form & reach for your goals, our work may include movement, developmental psychology, trauma work, regulation practices, behavior/communication coaching, & creative guidance.

It is a human imperative to grow, and to keep growing. However, sometimes we get stuck in systems which are too rigid to allow for the growth we need to do. At other times, life presents a huge plot twist and we need to accelerate the pace to keep up and keep moving. Therapy can be a great resource to help with either of these dilemmas.

Do you have the feeling that something is missing in your life? Are you single & dissatisfied, or married but discontent? Is your social or work life not as fulfilling as it used to be, or difficult family relationships getting you down? Positive, solution-therapy can assist you to: *learn more about your unique personality type, and how you can work with it, instead of against it, to create more fulfillment in your relationships and life. *develop your ability to understand, empathize with and relate to others with ease & joy. *discover effective ways of dealing with your core issues, so you feel more fulfilled & alive.

I see adult individuals who would like to: feel empowered, self-compassionate and self-expressive, to know their heart's desires, and to overcome self-defeating thoughts, behaviors and anxiety. I see straight and queer couples who want to: learn new ways of relating to co-create secure and fulfilling attachment, to learn how to make effective repairs with each other, and to learn how to manage oneself and one's partner in the best way.

Are you facing difficult challenges in your life? In your relationships, your work, or life in general? Trying your best but tired of struggling with the pain and frustration on your own? Do you find yourself thinking it shouldn't be this hard? Longing for the freedom and joy to simply be yourself and live the life you were meant to live?

I invite you to collaborate with me in cultivating inner peace and greater life satisfaction. While stress and anxiety are all too common nowadays, my years of practicing a wide variety of therapeutic approaches allow me to offer you many possibilities for effective change. As a seasoned therapist, I'm skilled at creating a supportive environment for you to explore and transform your responses to life's challenges. I carefully tailor my approach to meet your individual needs, combining strategies that will best address your particular concerns.

In the first few sessions together, my goal is to understand what struggles you are currently experiencing that are causing you distress, and then provide you tools to help minimize those stressors to get to a more stabilized place. Once you are feeling more grounded and able to manage your current stressors, then I encourage the exploration of why these things are present in the first place, where they are coming from, and ultimately when they were initially learned and began. I believe that helping you uncover these important pieces of information are vital to your long-term success in becoming the best version of you possible!

I have extensive experience working with individuals families and couples impacted by trauma, co-dependency, addiction and co-occurring disorders. Having worked in residential drug and alcohol treatment for over 10 years I bring those years of resources and compassionate experience to my work. My focus on family systems and attachment allow me to treat the entire family, offering the best possible outcomes. I am a Certified Trauma Specialist, a Gottman trained couples therapist and I am one of the few therapists working with Internet and Gaming Addiction.

I am versatile in my clinical experience with clients of different ages and cultures. I have particular training in working with individuals struggling with trauma and the many symptoms related to trauma. I also have many years of experience working with those who struggle with addictions. I enjoy providing support groups for adults and teenagers. I have worked in schools, outpatient clinics, and private practice. I also have experience in suicide prevention work with teenagers and young adults.

Do you long for safe, intimate connections? Let me be your coach and guide. Your healing journey can begin today. I help women and couples clear hurts from the past that interfere with building safe, loving relationships. Through relationship counseling, EMDR, and IFS/Parts work therapy, I help both women and couples to heal from early relational trauma and painful intimacy experiences, and teach them how to develop loving and satisfying relationships today.

THERAPY IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE SELF... The person that is most dependent on you is your future self. We don't often think of ourselves in this way, but the decisions we make as we move through our lives affect everything that comes after. This is why it is crucial that we treat ourselves with the same kindness and generosity we would show to anyone we dearly love. Often, our decisions are informed by old patterns of which we are not aware, and which were formed when we were quite young and lacked capacity for perspective or reflection.

Over twenty-five years ago I walked out of my first session as a therapist in gratitude that I had found work I loved. Today I am equally fascinated by and grateful for this opportunity to connect with others and be a part of their growth toward emotional, relational, mental, and spiritual wholeness. I specialize in working with couples and other relationships, but also have significant experience in helping with depression, anxiety, grief, adjustment, military lifestyle, personal growth and life skills. Integrating my training, experience, skill and personality, I create an adaptable course of therapy for each client's unique circumstances.

As a psychologist, it is my goal to empower people to live fulfilled and happy lives. I work with individuals to help them become active participants in meeting their therapeutic goals. My experience includes treating individuals struggling with general psychiatric symptoms, life transitions and trauma.