Therapists in Menlo Park, CA

My professional experience involves providing bilingual psychotherapy to youth and adults impacted by complex trauma, domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, gang-related trauma, immigration experiences, and acute mental disorders. I utilize an integrative method to assist clients in gaining insight into their defenses and assist them to make changes to improve their quality of life.

For years, I have served as a supportive psychologist, teacher, and artist. I specialize in trauma and developed a Recovery Model to heal emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The Model also addresses healthier adult sexuality and intimacy. In 1998, the APA gave me an honorary award for my research. My art work is featured in: Transformation of the Psyche: by Drs. Joseph Henderson and Dyane Sherwood. I provide in-depth adult psychotherapy using creative, cognitive, and transpersonal methods. I encourage patient healing through visualization, body/mind/spiritual connection, transpersonal psychology, and dream work.

I believe that everyone will experience some level of psychological/emotional difficulty at one time or another in this life.

Our aspiration for a wholesome and fulfilling life often leads us towards the path of healing and growth. Psychotherapy is a powerful medium for this transformation. In my practice, I strive to create a safe and confidential environment for deep reflection on the self and on relationships. This serves as a catalyst for changes including alleviation of stress, anxiety and depression as well as bettered connections with others. Collaborating with you, I customize and teach a tool box of techniques for you to use at home, work and play.

Do you feel like your relationships are suffering? Are you or a loved one looking for help with depression, anxiety, or stress? Therapy is a great way to get your life unstuck and moving forward again. I encourage you to call me for a free initial phone consultation so that I can offer you some ideas about how therapy can be helpful to you, what it involves, and how long it might last. At the very least, you'll come away with lots of answers to your questions about therapy and how it works.

Whether you are struggling with important people in your life, depression, anxiety, troublesome feelings or moods, life changes, losses, or the impact of traumatic events, I can help. I offer time-limited, open-ended, or intermittent psychotherapy to enhance your life experiences and ameliorate your distress. I tailor my approach according to you as an individual and your unique circumstances,particular needs, and goals in life. Feel free to contact me for a consultation about working together to enrich your overall sense of well being.

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.

As a clinical psychologist, I help both individuals and couples create more connected and fulfilling lives through personalized, supportive psychotherapy. My clients are looking to make specific changes and want an interactive clinician to provide perspective, as well as tools and strategies for coping with painful emotions and life stressors. I assist clients with relationship concerns, break-ups, anxiety, OCD, physical health conditions, trauma, social anxiety, parenting, and major life, academic, and career transitions. I also provide performance and executive coaching services across Silicon Valley.

I have worked with children, families, individuals and couples in many different capacities before finding my calling as a therapist. I have specialized training in couples and marriage counseling, family counseling, PTSD/trauma, adoption and foster care, anxiety and depression, and other mental illness, life changes, grief and loss. I also work with adolescents who are struggling in school or with behavior problems, defiance, and depression and anxiety. **Some evening, as well as Facetime (great for teens), Zoom or phone appts available.

Maybe you have come to a place in life where "figuring it out" on your own is not working. Maybe you want to develop new skills, a new perspective from someone with experience, non-bias, and without judgement. I am committed to assist individuals, couples, and families navigate life. It can be hard to make that first step to reach out for help, but I will meet you right where you are at!

Welcome to my practice! Are you feeling anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated? Unhappy with your relationships? Challenges at work or school? Feeling like something needs to change? You've come to the right place. Find your inner strength and discover your true potential through therapy. It takes courage to reach out when you need help. Call me for a 15-minute complimentary consultation to determine your options.

Richard is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 45 years of experience specializing in individual and marriage and family counseling, adolescent psychotherapy, job and management counseling. He has been trained in multiple approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Collaborative Problem Solving, and significant Family Therapy strategies for resolving couple as well as parent child conflict. He has taught many parenting workshops throughout the Bay area. He is a Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).

My practice provides caring and sensitive treatment for mental, emotional and behavioral problems. My approach draws upon many years of extensive experience. It builds upon each patient's strengths, while improving interpersonal and emotional skills. My therapy is personalized, recognizing that each patient is a unique individual with his or her own very personal history and issues. My goal is to help my patients in achieving an awareness and understanding of the sources of their psychological problems, and then help them work through those problems so they can feel better about themselves and lead healthier and happier lives.

Trauma and many of its related challenges can cause emotional reactions and physical responses causing you to wonder, will this ever get better? You may wonder, how long can I tolerate this bravery? I welcome supporting you. If complicated life themes tend to show up unexpectedly in behaviors that cause you to second guess yourself, I can help. Let’s collaborate and explore this knotted chain, which is really a portal into what blocks self confidence and connection. We'll find new solutions, reduce or resolve triggers that affect your everyday life in a way that is paced.

While some individuals enter therapy with acute distress and specific problems that need to be addressed; others have a more vague feeling of discontent. In either case, the self-exploration of analytic work is meant to expand the way one thinks and feels. Learning to think creatively is one way to describe the goal of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. WIth guidance, an individual learns to hold the tension of multiple perspectives/emotions resulting in a flexibility of thinking that involves both analytic and imaginative parts of the mind. This "full thinking" can be applied to personal life issues, relationships and creative pursuits.

As my client, you will receive my utmost attention, care, and guidance. Each session will be focused on your current problem and what you want help with. We will move to a dynamic inquiry of this problem and move towards solving the difficulties in your life. My goal is to help you have the best life you can have, with all the peace and happiness you can find. We collaborate on measuring progress and success utilizing regular assessment measures including rating scales. I use evidence-based practices to assist you in uncovering the blocks to your full potential by focusing on the brain and body for the most efficient healing.

Do you find yourself struggling? Hurting? I can help you feel better! You have the ability to THRIVE regardless of your circumstances armed with my support & many new tools in your arsenal. I can help you tap into your own resilience & ability to heal. Wherever you are at in life, whether satisfied but looking to improve, struggling daily & feeling as if the floor is about to fall out, in crisis-mode, on a journey of self-discovery, or simply looking for support from a fully present empathetic skilled partner in your personal, interpersonal & professional goals. I AM HERE FOR YOU!

Wouldn't it be nice to become clear about how you want to live your life? The dynamic process of a patient and therapist working together so that troubling thoughts and feelings, unrealized dreams and hidden fears can emerge in the therapy session strengthens the ability to grow in meaningful ways, and in intimate relationships. Working with the concept of how individuals balance both the need for autonomy and the need for connection, I will help you sort out how to relate and hold on to yourself.

When coping styles or life experiences challenge our ability to navigate the world, we often need a guide to help get a different perspective and learn new skills. Chronic distressful emotions/stress, burnout, negative inner dialogue, communication and relationship problems, problematic conflict styles, unmet needs/desires, trauma symptoms, and other difficulties lead to emotional distress and disease. Decode your emotions, manage stress/anxiety, cultivate wisdom, move from depression to finding your passion, resolve grief/trauma and help reclaim your joy, transform unhealthy habits, improve relationships while focusing on what's meaningful for a lifetime of self-awareness and acceptance.