Women's Issues Therapists in San Rafael, CA

There is a solution to the suffering! I am directional and empathic in my approach to working with clients. People come to me because they are wanting to make some personal changes in their lives and I facilitate this process. A safe and trusting environment is vital for this work and I create this early on with warmth and unconditional acceptance of all that is arising.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and PhD with 15 years experience working with adults, children and youth. My goal is to help you in your path towards feeling better, and experiencing an improved sense of confidence, self-esteem and functioning in your life. My approach is one of respect, warmth, and attention to the dignity of every person. I utilize a humanistic and person-centered perspective, and maintain a psychodynamic framework for understanding my clients' emotional and therapeutic needs, to help you learn coping skills, and help you explore your options towards recovering a stronger sense of self, identity, spirituality, and balance.

Many of us are experiencing increased anxiety and depression due to the current pandemic, climate changes and other stressors. Perhaps you are feeling disconnected from yourself and life. Let me help you reconnect and come home to yourself and your inner resources. My work is an integrative, holistic and collaborative exploration of my clients experiences and issues. I have found that profound growth and transformation can occur within a safe and nurturing environment. I work with women who are experiencing depression, grief and loss, anxiety, life transitions and relational issues. I also work with children ages 3 to 12.

I am highly interactive and collaborative and depend on a strong relationship with clients that builds trust and encourages individuality and personal development. I believe in the power of change and also the strength within each of us to make those changes. I want people to feel empowered to live life to its fullest and to find happiness through purpose and connection. I hold hope while you find your way.

My approach is warm, collaborative and thoughtful. I aim to help you make the changes you want in your life: better relationships, improved mood, new tools for stress management, increased coping skills, more ability to process past hurts, feeling less stuck, and reduced substance use. The foundation of therapeutic work is your sense of feeling safe, listened to, and cared about during sessions. I genuinely want to understand your experiences, and provide insights into how you interact with yourself, others and the world at large. I work with people of all colors, ethnicities, religions, gender and sexual orientations.

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 offer a space where all parts of you are welcomed and deeply listened to. You or your child may be struggling to feel calm, safe and centered or you may feel a deep desire to live more authentically and feel more connected to yourself and others. I have the tools to support you in doing your inner work. You may want to develop your capacities for creative expression and feel more empowered in areas of your life. I can help you resource yourself in meeting the challenges life presents. Together we can discover the sources of imbalance and address their root causes while building new skills and tools.

When you are ready to embark on your healing path, I will meet you with compassion, fair witness, and the skilled guidance of 20 years as a psychotherapist. Together, we will follow the path of the present moment, journeying to your true Self. The blocks to our own potentials developed for good reason from damaging events in our lives. They have served as protections but have also kept us encaged. Our soul, our spirit, longs toward a fuller Self.

Do the “shoulds” dictate your every move? Are you a “people pleaser” putting the needs and wants of others before your own? Do you constantly take care of others at the expense of yourself? Do you frequently second guess or doubt yourself? Doing these things means you ignore your own wants, needs and values. Living out of alignment with yourself leads to feeling lost, discontent, anxious, low self-esteem, disconnected, unfulfilled, regret, resentment, or grief. Let's find ways for you to live more in alignment with who you truly are so you can experience relief and feel more confident, grounded and fulfilled.

I have helped hundreds of people over the past 25 years heal their emotional wounds and recover peace of mind, including fifteen years working as a senior staff psychologist at Kaiser Permanente. 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 an approach to healing, health and happiness based on the clinical science of positive psychology.

Something is no longer working. You sense you have the capacity to experience greater ease and joy in your life. Through the therapeutic relationship, I provide a safe and nurturing environment, where we can address emotional blocks and patterns of behavior that are no longer serving. Through body awareness, mindfulness, and deep listening I will support your unfolding, bringing strength and clarity to your relationships and decision making. Whether you are struggling with a phase of life change, anxiety, depression, or unresolved trauma, I offer a warm and non judgmental space for the process of healing to occur.

I find that what brings people to psychotherapy is a personal struggle, feeling stuck or a sense that something is missing, though what specifically is missing may not be known. As a psychologist I work with feelings of frustration or disappointment that may be related to anxiety, fear or prior messages that keep us from achieving personal goals. I am experienced in working with lifes transitions, such as a change in career, becoming a parent, diagnosis of a chronic illness or retirement. I believe bringing these challenges into therapy can be both illuminating and helpful.

I enjoy working with individuals and couples who are motivated to understand and change some of the challenging patterns they have learned. My style, combined with excellent education, clinical training and life experience, gives me the ability to successfully help people find their way to happier lives and to unravel the mystery of how they ended up with grief, depression, anxiety or marital stress. I can help guide parents through the challenge of the teen years or with conflict that comes with being part of an extended family. I specialize in issues around divorce, coparenting and restructuring life after a divorce.

There are many reasons that people seek out the support of a psychotherapist. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed, alone, anxious, or disconnected from life, those around you, and yourself. You may be struggling with a particular issue, or find yourself in a chapter of life that has you longing for more. You may be at a point where life feels ok, and yet, there’s a sense that more connection, growth, expression and fulfillment may be possible for you. Whatever it is that has brought you here, welcome. You've taken the first step along the path of healing and moving toward the life that is calling you. Every part of you is welcome here.

I help singles over forty develop the capacity to find, create & maintain the best romantic relationship of their life. I work with people who want the self-awareness and skills for satisfying long-term intimacy, want to understand past patterns, heal old wounds, quickly assess who's a good match, & create a foundation for new relationship that's healthy and supports their deepest needs. I've taught graduate level Human Sexuality, & offer expertise w/ all elements of relationship satisfaction. As a writer I also help re: online profiles, to attract the best match. You'll get weekly tasks to accelerate progress toward your goals.

The roadblocks and challenges we all long to avoid often contain hidden gold. We can find this valuable treasure when we learn to relate to our pain differently. In my work I help my clients learn to release unnecessary suffering and meet the difficulties they cannot change. This brings an increased capacity for happiness. I help my clients release the need for perfection and move instead towards wholeness and completeness - holding both the joy and sorrow of life. When we learn to hold our 'broken' places with compassion, we feel more whole.

In my experience, therapy can bring about real and lasting change. The therapeutic relationship is the key to that growth and change. The more you get to know and trust yourself, the better your relationships will be with others. I value listening carefully and working collaboratively with clients in a down-to-earth, gentle, and direct way. We look at how the past can influence the present and how current behaviors and feelings may interfere with having fulfilling, intimate relationships at home or at work.

Helping women through life transitions is my passion. As women, we are the helpers, the nurturers, the givers and the teachers. But let's be honest, sometimes we find ourselves facing challenges that feel overwhelming and we feel alone, anxious and depressed. I want to assure you that you are not alone and that it is okay to ask for help.

I see therapy as a powerful process of discovery and transformation. People begin therapy for many reasons. Maybe you currently feel stuck in negative beliefs, patterns, or behaviors. Or maybe you are looking for meaningful ways to change. Therapy can teach you to be more compassionate towards yourself. I feel that therapy does not need to be a long term process and encourage clients to take an active part in their journey. Mindfullness is at the center of my work and I love to share mindfulness concepts with clients.