Couples Counseling Therapists in San Rafael, CA

With over 30 years experience, my approach is holistic integrating the connection between mind, body, heart and spirit. Certified in EMDR therapy by the EMDR International Association, I find EMDR to be a powerful tool that I use along with other treatment modalities to facilitate healing. I specialize in working with trauma, eating disorders, addiction recovery, grief, depression, anxiety and relationship issues. I especially work with clients who have trust and abandonment issues due to childhood trauma, neglect or abusive parents. Early dysfunctional family patterns and lack of nurturing can affect self-esteem, intimate relationships and work performance.

We all need help sometimes. Clients come to me with a variety of problems, depression, anxiety, parenting, relationship issues and substance abuse. I work with my clients, identifying the strengths they already have and teaching new skills to address the problems that are causing them pain.

Perhaps you are going through a life transition and need support sorting things out. Maybe you are feeling anxious or depressed and this is bogging you down. Are you having difficulty visualizing a better life for yourself? Is your sense of self worth suffering? Maybe you are experiencing strained relationships with family or friends; or you may have a nagging feeling that major changes are needed. Let's talk; you don't have to go through this alone.

The heart and emphasis of my work is to help you know and trust your deepest feelings and to live an emotionally authentic life. When you become more intimate and present with yourself you become more intimate and authentic with others. As you know yourself better, you'll discover how certain emotions, behaviors and beliefs have shaped your life and relationships and you'll become empowered to make many important changes. For over 20 years, I've helped couples and individuals develop increased self-trust and self-awareness, greater life purpose and more conscious, loving and intimate relationships.

I provide therapy to teens, adults, and couples who struggle with depression, anxiety, relationships, women's health, substance use, eating disorders, and circumstantial stress to name a few of the difficulties that come our way. Progress often depends on the nature of the problems, your level of motivation, and your relationships. Life often presents challenges to us that make it difficult to cope and live the life we truly want. Whether these challenges feel mild and variable or feel monumental and interfere with how you want to relate to yourself and others, therapy can be an opportunity for meaningful change.

What I bring to my work in over 25 years of working with people is clarity, competence, personal warmth and an ability to draw from a wide range of effective approaches. I have had particular success with couples , teenage girls and individuals in recovery. My approach is both personable and effective.

I work with children, teens, and adults. I help clients become resilient, aware of what truly matters to them, live in the present moment, and effective in managing stress and difficult emotions. Sometimes past disappointments, fear and shame, loss, or trauma keep us stuck. Often my clients do not know how to cope with difficult situations and intense emotions, which causes them to be emotionally vulnerable and reactive. Things can easily get out of control when you lack effective coping or experience instability in life. I would like to help you develop new ways of thinking, relating to others and oneself, and managing stress.

Therapy is not something I "do" to you; it is a collaboration and conversation we have together. I look forward to walking beside you as you access a place within that feels more like home. There is no one way to move toward healing. I use an emotionally-focused (EFT), humanistic and somatic understanding while keeping the very human need for attachment and relationship at the heart of our work together. Many clients feel and notice a shift toward increased authenticity, flow, ease and joy in their lives after working together. (Now accepting COUPLES ).

I work with my clients to deeply discover and access new resources and potentials of "self at best" both for growth and as ways beyond obstacles. I believe the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client is essential for change. I have over 17 years of spiritual practice which I incorporate using mindfulness, inquiry and dream work.

The work of being human is hard. It takes many forms for all of us, but no one escapes pain, loneliness, confusion, and chaos. There are seasons of these experiences, as well as fulfilling and joyful ones for us all. I am interested in bringing fierce curiosity to your experience and what these moments look like and mean. After a decade of leading a company as CEO I am very aligned with other leaders and undoing the loneliness experienced by these roles. I have training in couples therapy that I also bring into cofounder and co-worker dynamics. Pressure, anxiety, performance "impostor's syndrome" are my specialties.

In my practice I bring compassion, humor, insight, and a sincere dedication to my clients. My practice is grounded in attachment theory, play therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention (E/RP), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). With my warm and welcoming nature, I strive to create a safe space for children, teens and adults to explore their concerns. In collaboration with you, I will support you in taking steps toward an improved sense of well-being and a life path that aligns with your deepest values. I work with individuals of all ages, families, and provide parent coaching.

Do you want to better understand and love yourself? I can help you clarify your values, desires and goals, improve assertiveness and effectiveness in communication and gain skills and confidence to handle life’s stressors. This work can lead to improvement in symptoms of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, codependency and trauma/complex PTSD.

Choosing to see a therapist is about you wanting to make some changes in yourself or in your life. The most important job I have as your therapist is to provide you with a non-judgmental space to explore your issues, your feelings and to help you find a solution that will ultimately make you feel better.

My clients are leaders, emerging professionals, clinical providers, young adults, and pain patients. I serve on the Council of Therapists for my prescribing partners at Journey Clinical and offer psychiatric evaluation, psychotherapy, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), and integration. The work is solution-focused and experiential, with a "whole person" perspective. After 25 years in the field, a pragmatic blend of approaches have become core to my practice. These include Internal Family Systems, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, CBT, ACT, Habits of Mind, and attachment-based and somatic modes.

Are you or your child unhappy, anxious, angry, or grieving? Has your life been upended by COVID19? Perhaps you are adjusting to a bipolar diagnosis, recovering from trauma, struggling in relationships, seeking personal growth, or discovering your identity. Adults, couples , and children are all welcome in my practice! Together, we will consider the complexity of who and how you are—your unique combination of life experiences, temperament, culture, relationships, and more. In exploring formative experiences and present-day struggles and strengths, we will discover and address what is interfering with you having the life you desire.

For the past 15 years as a senior staff psychologist at Kaiser Permanente, I have helped hundreds of people to heal their emotional wounds and recover peace of mind. If you're finding that your daily mood and quality of life are being diminished by mental or physical symptoms related to anxiety, depression, trauma, work stress or relationship challenges, please give yourself the gift of a free phone consultation. My expertise includes health psychology, having pioneered PoZitive Strides - an approach to healing, health and happiness based on the clinical science of positive psychology. I offer individual as well as group therapy and educational programs.

I help clients of all ages process and heal from traumatic experiences; these are things that happened earlier in life that may have been overwhelming and created false, negative core beliefs about oneself, others, and the world. Beliefs such as “I’m not good enough, I can’t trust people; I'm not safe” can significantly impact how a person feels, thinks and reacts to the world, and lead to issues such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. I help clients process those experiences, transforming the negative beliefs into positive, helpful ones. This allows clients to experience more joy and ease in their life and relationships.