Gestalt Therapists in Fillmore, San Francisco, CA

Feeling anxious, depressed, stuck in your life? I offer individual therapy to help you identify your strengths, work through your unresolved issues and find greater pleasure and success in everyday life. If you are struggling with romantic relationships, I can assist you in developing romantic intelligence skills. Dealing with communication problems and conflict in your relationship? I offer Psycho-biological Attachment Couples Therapy to expand your loving connection and build trust and safety.

My belief is everything is interconnected. When we hurt in one area of our lives, often times the other areas hurt with it. As simple as it may sound, sometimes feeling our feelings can be hard work. Truly understanding and being honest with authentic selves can be challenging and sometimes scary. No one should have to do this alone. Together, we can deeply listen and nurture your authentic self to help you heal and grow. We are not just talking together, we are experiencing. To learn more, visit my website at: nakaimatherapy.com

Coming from a holistic, mind-body, humanistic, compassionate perspective, I work with clients who desire to improve the quality of their lives, reducing stress and emotional pain. Clients may suffer from loneliness, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety or loss. They may need help with communication awareness, grounding methods, self-care, sexual fulfillment or life purpose. These conditions are more normal than abnormal, while sometimes feeling overwhelming. I invite clients to listen to and trust their innate wisdom, guiding them to identify and move through the obstacles preventing them from living their life to the fullest.

A great teacher at Esalen Institute once told me, "We are wounded in relationship and we heal in our relationships". I have come to believe this whole-heartedly as I see our relationships with others, ourselves, and even the earth break down and get off balance, lacking fulfillment or even becoming destructive. Most people who have suffered neglect, trauma or loss become discouraged, needing support and resources to heal and move forward with hope. However, I believe all people carry the seed of intuitive insight and courage that they need to make positive changes in their lives.

Hello, I'm Maria Welch, a licensed marriage and family therapist. I believe in creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces to heal. I have experience working with people on broken relationships with self and others and trauma. I am eclectic in my use of theoretical orientation and believe in meeting people where they are. I pull from a variety of approaches which include Dbt, Cbt, client-centered, and gestalt.

Do you ever feel disconnected from yourself or others? Although our country has made progress in raising mental health awareness, a great deal of stigma remains. In many communities, these issues are often shrouded by silence and shame, fostering mental health minimization. I have experience working with individuals and family relationships. I work with problems that arise in blended families, work, health, and career, trying to create better relationships and less conflict. Through role-plays, Gestalt techniques, and mindfulness, you can gain the power to reflect on your feelings, understand yourself and feel better.

I specialize in working with individuals, couples, and families going through major life changes, such as birth and death, and confronting challenges related to anxiety, trauma, grief, and addiction of all kinds. 

I support clients who are facing life’s challenges. Some of these issues include: life transitions, relationships, family dynamics, body image, infertility, work and school stressors, grief and loss, and experiences around sex and sexuality. I work with adult individuals and couples - supporting clients in developing a better relationship with themselves and the people that matter most to them in their lives. My style is warm and compassionate. Clients often share that they feel comfortable with me right away

What does it all mean? This is a scary question you might be asking yourself. As an existential therapist I can help you transform this question into a profound and powerful self/life exploration. When we find ourselves in an existential turning point or crisis we can feel anxious, depressed, and alone, as if no one might understand us. This is where I can come in. Together we can help ground and normalize this scary, painful experience and help “use” this opportunity as a way to let go of old patterns that don’t fit anymore so you can ultimately actualize and embody a new, more authentic and meaningful way of Being.

in my private practice I see individuals, couples, and families. I work with you to find what is most important for you; what is your best practice. Together we can heal the past and allow you to move forward. My years of life experience and gentle yet direct manner will help you get back on track and get the most from your life and relationships.

It is often during difficult times that people come to psychotherapy. These times may feel overwhelming. Either way, we come because we hope that feelings, motivations, relationships or circumstances can be different. My approach to therapy comes out of my training in Somatic Psychology, which is based on the premise that the mind and body are interconnected. Somatic Psychotherapy is experientially-focused, with the underlying assumption that you don’t need fixing, that you are already enough as you are. Note: I am licensed in Oregon and California.

Are you at a crossroads in your life or relationship(s)? I work with dynamic individuals, couples, and family pairs who feel lost and want to find their way back to clarity & connection. I'm an East-West combo, bringing a mix of soulful mindfulness practice + practicality + creative exploration to the therapy space. I support big thinkers and feelers, including creatives, artists, scientists, healers, dreamers, sensitive people, queer, and/or neurodivergent folks & anyone who doesn't fit the standard narrative to heal (& grow) from the trauma and drama of this world, and to create a life worth living and loving.

Often in life there are unexpected events or life transitions that challenge our abilities to cope or understand our sense of self or purpose. When what has been helpful to navigate life is no longer working, symptoms may show up in the form of sadness, depression, anxiety, stress, physical ailments, feelings of isolation, or an overwhelm of emotions that may be difficult to manage alone. I view therapy as a unique opportunity for honest observation and exploration in service of creating a deeper connection with your inherent nature as a way to discover how you can find support from yourself, as well as, feel supported by others.

My approach is behavioral and goal oriented. I focus on identifying new coping strategies and changing behavioral patterns that damage relationships. I assist clients in identifying deeply held values and taking behavioral steps towards getting closer to these values. I utilize Cognitive Behavioral techniques to help clients who struggle with relationship problems, depression, anxiety, OCD, and mood disorders. I help clients identify particular core beliefs that act as barriers to values-based behavior and explore alternative coping behaviors to utilize when one's schemas are triggered in relationships. Particular methods I incorporate in treatment include mindfulness, cognitive defusion, exposure, and Nonviolent communication.

As a Transpersonal Psychotherapist I offer mental, physical, social, emotional, and intellectual support. Transpersonal psychology emphasizes the importance of a healthy spirit in healing and wholeness. I utilize my empathic skills & intensive training to integrate all life experiences with modern psychology. My unique approach to healing focuses on how we achieve meaning & purpose through personal empowerment & expansion.

Whatever you have lived through--healing is possible. I provide therapy for people living outside of the mainstream, whether because of values and ideals or personal identity. Therapy with me doesn't require that you or I believe there is anything wrong with you. Instead it is a place where both of us work collaboratively and creatively to develop an environment where you can take more and more risks to be yourself. It is a place to keep growing. It is a place to get real about what matters to you and what challenges you. Keywords: radical, queer, artists, activists, social justice, progressive

Life is increasingly busy and complex. Compassionate Brain Life Coaching (CPLC), helps you to press the pause button, slow down and remember and or newly discover who you are. Science tells us that our brains at rest are actually programmed to be happy. But it sure doesn't always feel that way. CBLC equips you with the cognitive and mindfulness tools to counter the self-critic and manage difficult times. I will help you identify, name and validate the places you go under stress, with a view to exploring what works and creating newly, including moving from surviving to thriving.

Are you in the middle of a life transition such as a loss, career change, relationship breakup, or spiritual crisis? Are you noticing that you lack motivation? Are you afraid of feelings that seem to appear out of nowhere? I offer a safe, compassionate space to explore all of these questions and to support you in your difficult times. We will also explore ways to be resilient in the face of your struggles.

I care deeply about supporting people when they feel lonely, stuck and hopeless, and the usual things just aren't working. My clients tend to be high functioning adults who have reached a critical point where something has to give. Often this becomes evident while undergoing a major life transition such as a break up, divorce, the death of a loved one, or a career change. These low points can be scary and painful, but they can also be incredible opportunities for growth and healing. But growing is hard work and sometimes we can't do it on our own.