Psychoanalytic Therapists in San Francisco, CA

My approach to therapy is integral; I work from an attachment and trauma informed lens with a deep grounding in relational psychoanalytic theory. I have experience with treating depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, questions of gender and sexuality, complex family dynamics, relationship issues, chronic pain, and grief work. My wish it to foster a therapeutic space that feels both challenging as well as safe so that we can work together to meet your treatment goals. In our work together I may bring in mindfulness techniques, parts work, attachment theory, dream work, movement, and myth.

I provide contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy, focusing on individuals grappling with anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges, and with an emphasis on queer, trans and non-binary experiences. My approach integrates a keen understanding of queer and gender issues, recognizing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in these contexts. I believe that our psychological symptoms are deeply connected to our early experiences, family histories, and the broader societal systems we inhabit, including those related to race and gender identity, class, and sexual orientation. I also offer EMDR for trauma and phobias.

Bianca Aarons is a San Francisco based Couples Therapist and Individual Therapist who works in an integrative way, incorporating a psychoanalytic, relational, and somatic styles of working. Bianca treats couples who struggle with communication, survivors of sexual abuse, and others to help people find their voice, to feel empowered, and to access healthy anger and boundaries. Bianca also works with people who struggle within relationships because of anxiety and past family issues which may have let to lower self esteem and perfectionism. She works in a direct and honest way while also being very compassionate and empathetic.

I bring 40 plus years of assorted, diverse and complex Clinical Experience to the care of my patients. I offer Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy providing Individual, Couple & Family Treatments. MFT License 17611 - May 1982; Certified as a Psychoanalyst by The International Psychoanalytical Association. Working in conjunction with each person that comes to me, I strive to formulate a treatment which is responsive and that creates the conditions to most deeply address their personal concerns.

I am a psychotherapist with offices in SF and Oakland, and I treat both adults and couples. I take a relational and collaborative approach to psychotherapy. We are all unique, consciously and unconsciously influenced by the relationships and life-events that leave a lasting impact on how we address our current situation. Difficulties can sometimes arise when the habitual thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that once served us now have us feeling stuck, depressed, and powerless. Fear, ambivalence, compulsivity and patterned thinking can hamper our ability to address the inevitable twists and turns of daily life.

It's never too late to understand yourself. If you can synchronize your heart and mind, you can harmonize your life. The therapeutic space I create is to help you learn about who you are as an individual and see your blind spots. Regardless if you're coming on your own or as a couple, the therapeutic work that we will be done is not just about solving problems. It’s primarily to help you figure out what's behind these issues and increase your self-worth along the way. Therapy is challenging, but can be fulfilling. The goal is to facilitate you in witnessing your life in the healthiest of ways as you become closer to your true self.

I am a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. My approach to psychotherapy is referred to as psychoanalytic or insight-oriented therapy. This type of therapy stresses that each person and their difficulties are unique. And that our difficulties are often rooted in factors outside of our awareness. People seek therapy for a situation that requires attention, and in my experience this generally concerns multiple and interacting problems rather than isolated symptoms. As therapy progresses the immediate feelings of distress typically diminish in severity. It then becomes possible to focus on understanding the factors that contributed to

Navigating life's complexities can often feel overwhelming, especially when you're balancing personal aspirations with societal expectations. Psychotherapy provides a unique space where you can confront and understand these feelings, and address what is holding you back. Together we will explore the unique narrative shaping your experiences, unravel the knots of unconscious conflicts, and relieve emotional burdens. Your creativity and independent spirit are assets; let's use them to foster resilience and self-assuredness, empowering you on your journey towards self-discovery and genuine transformation, not just quick fixes.

Drawing from my background as editor of an arts magazine and a contemporary artist, I offer tailored psychoanalytic consulting services aimed at helping artists and other individuals tap into their imagination, surmount creative blocks, and unearth fresh inspiration. My practice is rooted in the belief that engaging with existential and metaphysical concepts, as well as understanding one's vocational essence, can pave the way for transformative growth and the realization of personal aspirations.

We work with a diverse population of adult individuals, couples, and special interest groups who may be struggling with any number of mental health challenges related to anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, relationship issues, and substance abuse, among others. We are committed to providing culturally competent care across the spectrum of age, race, gender, sexuality, religion, and background.

I am a psychoanalyst in private practice in San Francisco. In addition to my clinical work with patients, I also offer consultation for other clinicians and teach and supervise with various psychoanalytic sites in the Bay Area. My writing about the intersection between Buddhism and psychoanalysis has received awards from NCSPP, a local psychoanalytic organization, and APsaA, a national one. I can help guide you in the process of more clearly seeing and navigating your emotional landscape - why you might be prone to anger or worry, why accomplishments feel fleeting, or why things aren't working as you'd like interpersonally.

I work with adults, adolescents, and couples. Most of the adults in my practice are ambitious professionals who want to grow in their careers and/or romantic lives. As a psychoanalytic therapist, I'm trained to provide intensive therapy that leads to long-term change. As a psychodynamic coach, I help professionals tap social and psychological resources that enable them to grow into demanding leadership roles. My style is curious and playful, direct and deep.

If your child has experienced trauma & dissociation, they may have trouble managing their feelings, communicating their needs, or be using challenging behaviors. The world can feel scary to the traumatized child, so it's hard for them to communicate. They often cope in ways that were the best solution during the trauma, but no longer fit current circumstances, and which seem confusing or destructive. I see it as my job to help your child explore their inner world, so, through the language of play, they can learn how to express emotions, solve problems, & get needs met in healthy ways that fit the present!

As a licensed psychoanalytic psychotherapist and relational psychoanalyst, I believe in the collaborative process of assisting clients in uncovering their emotional and personal truths. I attempt to create a safe place for the client to more fully understand and transform their challenging lived experiences, in order to identify and work through the obstacles that inhibit their growth. I see my therapeutic role as being a thought partner in helping clients create meaningful change and identify and strengthen one’s inherent resilience.

Do you feel you have it all/have enough, but do not feel satisfied, content, happy, or at peace? Do you want to find meaning and purpose in your life? Do you want to examine the root causes of your emotional suffering instead of putting a bandaid on your symptoms? If so, I invite you to schedule a 20-minute consultation with me to begin exploring your transformation. I can help you to learn to trust yourself, discern what you have and don't have control/responsibility over, and find your center/ true north, which you can utilize to make decisions more effectively and flow through life's ups and downs with more ease.

I help individuals who are feeling anxious, lost, disconnected, overwhelmed, unstable, or alone. These feelings may be related to a specific season of life or could be ways that you’ve felt for a long time. My areas of focus include anxiety, depression, developmental trauma, identity exploration, survivors of intimate partner abuse, life transitions, and relationship issues. My approach is compassionate, engaged, and warm.

I view psychotherapy as a joint venture in which we work collaboratively to reach your goals. My style is direct, transparent and positive, warm, interactive and nonjudgemental. I create the safety needed within our relationship to allow us to explore the issues that underlie depression, anxiety, loneliness, lack of fulfillment and other concerns. As a therapist I follow your lead. With over two decades of experience I work diligently to understand each individual, employing elements of psychoanalytic, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral theories to create an approach that best suits the unique individual with whom I am working.

People often find themselves stuck repeating patterns of relating to others, thinking, feeling, or behaving. These habitual ways of responding feel like the self. And yet, when patterns—typically formed in childhood—are loosened, what feels very much more like the self can emerge with new freedom. Through my psychoanalytic style of practice, I engage people's curiosity about who they are currently, bringing my own interest in life history and impasses that may fall outside of conscious awareness. Often, the impulse to try therapy comes from a feeling that one has been stuck being oneself for some time and it is not fully working.

My style of working is thoughtful and direct. I am committed to helping people discover and enhance their emotional capacity in order to create more satisfying lives. Through the transformative experience of being deeply understood by another in an authentic, safe and honest relationship, people can transform destructive patterns into more satisfying expressions of self.