Therapists in Menlo Park, CA

Therapy offers an opportunity to move your life in more desired directions and to help you live with greater personal satisfaction and engagement. My therapeutic approach focuses on helping you more deeply understand possible causes of emotional distress. We work together to develop insights and strategies necessary for managing and potentially resolving both inner conflict as well as interpersonal dynamics. I tailor the type of therapy provided to suit your needs. Our work generally involves developing psychological perspectives necessary to reduce symptoms, manage stressors, and deepen and enrich your psychological life.

Whether you are having a hard time sorting things out for yourself or communicating with your partner, coworkers or family members, I believe I can help you feel better and improve your relationships. Extensive training and experience in Clinical Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy has given me the expertise to conduct psychotherapy both at an individual and at a relational level. Integrating the theoretical orientations most appropriate for solving particular issues, I generally achieve good results within a reasonably short time. I also specialize in issues of acculturation and cross-cultural interactions, both at work and in interpersonal relationships.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive training and experience helping people confronting challenges including anxiety, stress, depression, relationship issues, and life transitions. I work with adults, adolescents, couples, and families. As an integrative therapist, I draw on techniques from cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapies to help people lead more fulfilling, meaningful lives, sharpening coping skills and facilitating improved self-understanding. My style is relational, and I find that working collaboratively with my patients to identify treatment priorities and course helps make the experience most beneficial and rewarding. I believe that a strong therapeutic fit is paramount.

Greetings! I hope that finding my page is a helpful step in your journey of healing and growth. With 20 years experience in the field of psychology, 15 practicing psychotherapy, I consider myself a well rounded generalist. I work with individuals & couples from young adulthood and beyond. My clinical expertise includes: anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, spiritual abuse, relational distress, life transitions, and identity formation. My goal is to help you remove barriers, increase self-awareness, and develop tools to live out an authentic and flourishing life.

As an integrative therapist I combine tools from cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, interpersonal, and mood regulation therapies. I treat adults and older adolescents battling mood, anxiety, eating, interpersonal and life transition challenges. I consider treatment options as they relate to a patient's needs given the empirical support available. I find the psychotherapy process to be most effective when done collaboratively. For the past 22 years in addition to maintaining a private practice, I worked as a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford's Department of Psychiatry until July 2015. I was trained at UCLA (Ph.D) and at Oregon Health Sciences University (post-doctoral fellowship).

During these turbulent times, I am able to help with anxiety and depression with mindfulness based therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). If you are struggling with grief and loss, or have past history of trauma, I can help make this confusing time easier through my warm, and direct interpersonal style. During therapy I will provide evidence based CBT methods. I have 30 years of experience as a social worker working with medically and psychosocially complex patients, and am able to tailor our work together with a strength based approach.

Life experiences shape who we are and influence how we see the world and people around us. Certain experiences can get in the way of us fulfilling our deepest longings, hopes and dreams, and of being the authentic, confident and happy person we always wanted to be. I work with a culturally diverse population of individuals and couples who may be struggling with interpersonal conflict, anxiety, anger, depression, panic, low self-esteem, procrastination, unexplained somatic symptoms, trauma, grief or loss. I am here to help you resolve the challenges that keep you stuck and make your life so miserable.

We all have the need to be seen, heard and valued. I would like to provide you a safe space and, a strength based approach for your journey. I strive to form a therapeutic relationship through trust and genuineness. Together we can work towards gaining new perspectives about your unique journey. Struggling with anxiety, depression, guilt, shame, low self-esteem can be extremely challenging. I understand and validate your difficulties, and with a little help you can work through your struggles and manage the cycle of stress.

Are you feeling stuck? Are your problems interfering with your life, your health, and/or your work? Are you having relationship problems with your partner, family members, friends or colleagues? Are you dealing with loss? Do you want to explore your racial/cultural identities? I can help. I personalize treatment based on your individual needs and goals. I acknowledge your courage to invest in yourself and prioritize your wellness. In a supportive and safe environment, we will explore and address your issues and experiences. I will assist you in reaching your goals that align with your values.

I am passionate about helping couples craft deeply nourishing and caring relationships. In our meetings we learn the skills required for loving another person well: good communication, problem solving and repair. We explore what it means for each person to feel loved and cared for and work toward a dance that honors each members unique preferences. I also help couples have important conversations about crafting a mutually satisfying shared vision of what a meaningful life is as romantic partners, parents and community members. We work on healing from painful past ruptures such as infidelity, substance use and frequent fighting.

For over 24 years, I've collaborated with people to resolve their psychological trauma, phobias, anxiety & stress as well as maximize responses to their medical diagnoses, treatments & conditions. This clinical focus stems from both a personal medical challenge since age 12 and research on treating women with breast cancer and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet Kaiser research (1998) finding 70% of primary care visits are driven by mental, emotional and relational issues highlights how mind and body are interwoven for each of us. This interplay provides leverage for preventive medicine, for responding to illness and for maximizing peak performance.

We are meant to heal, not suffer daily alone. My goal is to empower and support you in your life. Together we will explore and come up with an individualized plan that works best for you. I believe in being honest and straightforward about the steps required for your personal growth. My ultimate objective is to enable individuals to regain control of their lives and ultimately achieve genuine happiness.

Finding the right therapist for you can feel overwhelming, especially because this journey often begins at a time when we are feeling most vulnerable. Maybe you are experiencing depression, anxiety, or the loss of a loved one. Perhaps you could use support navigating a scary life transition, or understanding why you keep finding yourself repeating the same unhealthy relationship patterns. Maybe your inner critic is getting in the way of being able to live a fulfilling life, or perhaps you are just feeling stuck. Whatever brought you to this page today, know that you are already taking a brave step.

Do you feel stuck in your life? Do you often get told that you don't quite seem like your old self? Do you sometimes feel like you could be living a different life if you could overcome some of the things you are carrying with you? I am passionate about working with adolescents and adults who are looking for a shift in their lives - whether in relationships, career, school or how they view themselves.

IN-OFFICE & video sessions offered in Menlo Park... Have you found yourself at a crossroads in life? Perhaps you are experiencing strain in a relationship or grieving a significant loss. Is your quality of life less than satisfactory? Psychotherapy can help you work through difficult life issues, discover positive solutions, develop meaningful relationships, and live a more fulfilling, authentic life. I provide psychotherapy and counseling to individuals who are ready, motivated and committed to achieving well-being, personal growth and transformation by engaging in the therapeutic process.

I'm a Psychologist with an Integrative perspective, comfortable working with a variety of types of people and problems from a variety of perspectives. It is as important to be able to work towards change in the present, as it is to revisit and understand how one's developmental history may be influencing present issues or repeating patterns. I have found truths in many theoretical approaches, and as much from studies outside of Psychology as within it.

The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. -C.C. Scott. We all go through challenges in life, and at times they can seem bigger than our ability to manage. In therapy, we can work together to cultivate the life you want through reducing the grip of depression, anxiety, and stress; healing from grief, loss, past abuse or trauma; regulating your nervous system; developing effective coping skills; improving relationships and communication; and building on your personal strengths. I want to help you to engage with life more fully and to support you in pursuing what you value most.

Because I believe we are mind, body, and soul, I have a holistic approach in my practice. We are each unique individuals with different problems, needs and wants and therefore require a personalized and individualized treatment to resolve symptoms and conflicts. Emphasizing uniqueness, I utilize an integrative approach in your treatment through the use of various modalities while applying diverse techniques and interventions. This will help you become more in touch with your whole self and recover from any trauma or adverse life experiences and the psychological distress produced by it.

Helping clients facing grief or chronic illness is my passion. I work with clients experiencing many kinds of losses, including death of a parent, partner, or one's own health. For nearly a decade, I was a hospice grief counselor providing support to individuals and families. I help clients finding meaning after devastating challenges, while developing practical coping strategies. I am certified in Thanatology, the study of death, dying and bereavement, through the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC).