Psychodynamic Therapists in 94530

It's hard to go it alone with painful feelings of confusion, guilt, sadness, anxiety or despair. I help you access and unravel internal knots related to work or school performance, conflictual relationships, gender and sexuality, addictive behaviors, struggles with self-care and body image, or a family history troubled by dysfunction, divorce, addiction, mental illness, abuse, unresolved conflict or estrangement from loved ones.

By the time people start therapy, they've often tried nearly everything to solve their problems on their own. I respect the hard work you may have already done -- and your courage in seeking more support. Therapy can help you free up the "stuck" places in your life. My approach is warm, open-minded, active, and empathic. My goals are to help you find more satisfaction in your work and relationships, feel more self-confidence and vitality, and live a happy, meaningful life. My priority is always to respect the pace and direction that is right for you.

Welcome! Note: email is the best way reach me. Finding a therapist is daunting. The relationship tends to be the most consistent factor in whether therapy is successful, so I encourage you to trust your intuition. I work with adults (not couples) and adolescents over 14 on a variety of issues, including achieving greater mood stability, identity issues, improved relationships and sexuality, and recovery from trauma. I have experience working effectively with people who identify as trans, genderqueer, and those with diverse lifestyles. I also offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in collaboration w/Journey Clinical.

When we foster a space of compassion and curiosity we have more room to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, our boundaries and our desires. By creating this intentional space, we can increase opportunities for choice in our lives. Using a combination of relational, psychodynamic and mindfulness techniques I will help you to understand your own emotional landscape, so you can feel better equipped to manage stressful moments in life and have more capacity for joy and meaning. I specialize in working with the LGBTQI population and also with couples of all constellations.

I've been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1994. I work with adults who are facing a variety of challenges. As a therapist, I see my role as a helper in the process of exploring and expanding self awareness. This is necessary to increase one's range of choices in life that are more aligned with one's values and dreams. My work is informed by each client's personal history and culture; mindfulness techniques; and contemporary psychodynamic and relational theories. I work with adult individuals age 18 and older.

Do you find yourself at a crossroads, with recent events or longstanding issues to sort through and understand? Are you experiencing a challenged relationship, a sadness lingering from Covid isolation, anxieties, a shake up of self esteem, or a desire to re-calibrate life/career goals? What do you want to release and what to retain as learning? I offer compassionate, supportive, resourceful, pragmatic collaboration to help you balance these awarenesses. Together, we will set achievable goals and reclaim your resources within, so that you, and your relationships can move forward in a positive way.

If you’re struggling - feeling alone, anxious, lost, scared - want to make a change in your life but are unsure where to start or why life feels so difficult – please consider working with me to reduce your suffering. My therapeutic approach is meaningful and effective. My style is warm and relational, empathic and kind. I combine this with years of advanced scientific training and clinical experience. I understand how hard it can be to reach for a better life. To help you get there, I offer significant interpersonal support and valuable psychodynamic, neuroscience-based, trauma-informed tools.

I am a trauma-informed, somatic therapist passionate about supporting and empowering adults, teens, and children through therapy. I have a special interest in working with adults and teens on: complex & acute trauma, emotion regulation, anxiety, relationships, self-esteem, grief, and life transitions. With children, I treat: anger, traumatic events, adjusting to change, general/social/separation anxiety, friendship, bullying, frequent arguing, school-based issues, OCD, and PANS/PANDAS, and more. I am affirming of those who are queer, gender-nonconforming, kink, and in poly/ENM/non-traditional relationship structures.

Life is messy. As we all navigate it the best we can, a lot of us find survival strategies that make sense at the time but don’t serve us in the long run. If you or your child are having trouble in relationships, feeling consistently down or anxious, or finding yourself stuck in painful past experiences, therapy can help identify patterns that don’t serve you and build practices that enable you to thrive. ​

Do you find yourself having a difficult time coping with anxiety, depression, and trauma? Do you have a hard time communicating and setting boundaries with others? Life is full of obstacles and hardships that may be difficult to overcome without the right tools, resources, and, guidance leading to the manifestation of these symptoms. I specialize in working with adults, couples, and adolescents using a Psychodynamic approach to explore unconscious thoughts and behaviors. In doing this, we are able to collaboratively recognize old ineffective patterns and process unresolved feelings and trauma.

Experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma can be hard to navigate on one’s own. Through the use of integrative modalities, my goal is to help you find your way so that you can manage symptoms, feel your best, discover who you truly are, and move forward in the direction of your dreams whereby your past no longer holds you back. Using warmth and compassion, I also aim to provide trauma-informed care to discuss your struggles without judgment and safely process unresolved trauma and feelings.

As a psychodynamic therapist, I listen on many levels for what is troubling you and connect any potential patterns I am hearing to effect long-term change and healing. I may point to things that stand out to me, but might otherwise pass you by. You already have a keen sense of awareness—our work will help you further connect with yourself and dynamics and triggers that are more elusive. Through a trauma-informed lens, I will work with you to ground in your experience, identify what is happening for you in a difficult moment, and explore ways to create more space and comfort within yourself, and satisfaction in your relationships.

Are you experiencing challenges dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship/family issues, and trauma/PTSD? Due to these symptoms, we can be in too much emotional pain and feel too stuck to reframe our perceptions or to find solutions to our problems. Childhood or recent trauma can cause emotional distress that can be difficult to process. I am here to support you in working through unresolved trauma and guide you toward healing. Therefore, you can feel empowered, rejuvenated, and enthusiastic about life again.

Navigating life's challenges is never easy, but reaching out for help is a brave first step to living a more genuine and fulfilling life. I have expertise in working with individuals struggling with childhood trauma and trauma-related symptoms such as grief, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relational conflict. I believe every client is unique and deserves to be listened to and understood in an empathetic way. I am passionate about creating a safe, kind, collaborative and judgment-free space where clients can attain new insights, experience new feelings, and find a renewed sense of physical and mental well-being.

Do you feel as though your anxiety and depression are unmanageable? How about feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or helplessness like you’ve hit rock bottom and are struggling to find hope for tomorrow? Once we start to unravel the details of our past and trauma we give ourselves the ability to process feelings that we have long suppressed. I aim to collaborate with you and provide tools to decrease the challenging feelings you are currently facing and achieve a more integrated and balanced sense of self, leading to emotional healing and personal growth.

Dr. Tom Van Vleet is a licensed neuropsychologist with expertise in cognitive rehabilitation & enhancement, neuropsychological assessment, and integrative psychotherapy. His treatment approach targets the cognitive and psychological challenges experienced by healthy adults, as well as individuals with progressive or acquired brain dysfunction (e.g., learning disability, ADHD, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's). Dr. Van Vleet is a subject matter expert and inventor of novel cognitive interventions (U.S. patents: 9,601,026; 9,308,445; 9,302,179) with 45+ peer reviewed publications in leading medical journals.

What would it be like to feel at home in your body, in your mind, and in your heart? How would it feel to truly inhabit your life, with a greater sense of aliveness, ease, and connection? From my experience working with hundreds of clients from all walks of life, I know that difficult times can become a doorway to healing, change and greater connection with one's true self. I have a warm, collaborative approach and will support you in healing the wounds of the past and making inner and outer changes needed for a more fulfilling life.

You may have a goal of living a meaningful life in all of its richness - and are seeking help with mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and/or somatic concerns. Childhood or long ago emotional concerns may continue to impact present day relationships, and/or day to day life. Or, perhaps, more recent incident(s) of stress or significant strain? A collaborative person-centered approach can help with self-reflection and exploring your life experiences, while working towards your goals, and healing.

Our primary goal is to assist clients with learning the skills needed to reduce current symptom presentation and manage life's challenges as they arise. Our team of experienced mental health professionals is dedicated to providing our clients with the highest quality care.