Therapists in San Francisco, CA

I want to assist you in examining why you feel like your life is not where you think or sense it should be. Why you have a nagging feeling that perhaps you're wasting time and not living your life in a more deep and fulfilling manner. You may think you're “not good enough,” or “if only this would have/not have happened," life would be different. The activities you do feel banal, going to work/school is dreadful, relationships and family are difficult, and the values and beliefs that once held you have lost their ground. You feel lonely, depressed, anxious, and perhaps substance use is worsening. You’re wondering about doing therapy.

Though I work with most issues, I specialize in helping people recover from complex trauma. People with narcissistic, abusive, or neglectful parents or partners sometimes develop issues with trusting themselves, have difficulty maintaining close relationships, struggle with an inner critic, vacillate often between depression and anxiety, lack a solid sense of identity, or feel a sense of emptiness when their lives seem great on paper. Sometimes that trauma can even become part of one's identity - I work with clients to build insight, boundaries, self-compassion, and acceptance to free themselves from it & live more fulfilling lives.

Openings available this week with my team of therapists at Thrive SLO. I work with college students and adults feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and/or anxious. Need balance in your life? Facing grief, past trauma, or coping with difficult family situations? Or maybe you are thinking about coming out to your family and friends? I offer expertise, guidance and support for you to navigate these challenges. I'm passionate about the personal transformation that comes through therapy. I love working with curious individuals who want to better understand themselves, their emotions, & their relationships.

Finding and embracing an authentic sense of self is one of the core missions of adult life. What too often corrupts this search, though, is the phenomenon of shame - a destructive force if there ever was one. Shame can contribute to substance use, depression, anxiety, interpersonal struggles, poor health outcomes, maladaptive trauma responses, and, at extremes, psychosis and suicidal ideation. Such maladies, when approached in the context of a compassionate and trusting therapeutic relationship, can be transformed into signs pointing the way toward a meaningful and fulfilling sense of self.

Human connection is the catalyst needed to explore any underlining psychic distress. In my psychotherapy practice, I prioritize fostering a collaborative relationship to provide emotional and personal safety, allowing you to dive beneath the surface to better understand the underlying causes of your personal distress. The goal is, through exploration, to create opportunities for you to become more self-aware of your own thoughts and feelings, empowering you to re-create new ways of connecting to yourself and loved ones

We are Bay Area Gestalt Institute (BAGI), a non-profit collective of highly trained marriage and family therapists and associates, providing affordable psychotherapy throughout the Bay Area. We offer counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children. Our work is active, creative and holistic. Our therapists work with a variety of issues including: * Relationship Issues * Anxiety * Depression * LGBTQI Concerns * Trauma * Substance Use / Abuse * Eating Disorders * Spiritual * Personal Growth * Integration of Non-Ordinary States

My adult and couples clients seek me out for many reasons. Some want to make changes in their lives. Others feel weighed down by difficult emotions, relationships, or past experiences. Some just want to better understand themselves and how to find meaning. My work is a collaborative process, rooted in theory and research, that creates meaningful, lasting change. I've helped clients with professional stress, challenging relationships, mood difficulties (anxiety, depression), challenges adjusting to new life stages/change, medical illness, substance use, a desire to build mindfulness skills, or simply feeling “stuck” and uncreative.

Do you or a loved one want to change your relationship with substances? I work with individuals, couples and families who are struggling with addiction and substance use through a harm reduction framework. Through this framework I pay special attention to creating a non-judgmental relationship with clients along every part of their relationship with substance use, be that with the goal of moderation or abstinence.

There may be so many painful and powerful memories that brought you here, stringing along with them the thoughts and emotions that continue to have a negative toll on your daily life. You disconnect, you zone out, you freeze, you run. You may have asked yourself, “Why can’t I just let all of this go and move on?” People in your life may have asked you the same question. Maybe you already tried to take care of the issue yourself, you tried going down so many different avenues to heal and you worked doing so. I’d like to honor that. Now you’re here, trying a different path. So, let’s let's try something new. We'll travel together.

If you struggle to stop or reduce substance use or other addictive behaviors, I can help. I use a harm reduction approach to understanding and treating substance use and abuse. Instead of focusing only on one’s addiction, this approach explores other contributing factors, such as co-occurring mental illnesses, family relationships, and medical problems. It encourages the client to explore their unique needs and background, and to develop their own treatment goals, which may involve moderation management, in addition to abstinence. I also offer treatment for other impulse control disorders, such as sex addiction.

My approach to therapy begins with evidence-based treatment, addressing the immediate reasons you’re seeking support, followed by deeper work with the subconscious once your day to day becomes more stable. Together we can return agency to your life by collaborating on tangible solutions while uncovering the origin of limiting beliefs. I work with couples and individuals to recalibrate patterns of behavior that leave them struggling with depression, anxiety, co-dependency, or substance use.

Welcome, I bring a strong skill base working in LGBTQIA+, addiction and PTSD communitites. I love working with Couples and families, and I'm passionate about helping students navigate studying and self-care. I'm here to help you utilize your innate creativity, and I'm excited to aid you as you enact new patterns in your relationship with yourself and others. You will experience me as an affirming clinician who values and acknowledges your marginalized identity and the intersection of the many roles you embody. You can expect kindness from me and a treatment space that expands to allow your unique perspective to shine.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in providing psychotherapy to adults and their families. I have provided treatment and conducted evaluations for individuals in clinical settings from private practices, to hospitals, to community health centers. I have a true passion for working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and values cultural awareness in a therapeutic setting. I empower individuals to enhance their lives through the application of evidence-based therapeutic models and relational support.

I seek to provide a thoughtful and reflective setting where clients develop greater understanding of their problems and limitations through honest exploration of themselves, and to bolster strengths/foster growth. I provide a friendly and open atmosphere to invite sharing of whatever thought or feeling that comes up so that they can be explored, analyzed and ultimately changed if you want. I work in a collaborative way and do not necessarily see my role as an advice giver, but as a thoughtful companion in helping you find your own solutions and understanding. I use a flexible blend of clinical techniques and theories.

Do you feel unsatisfied and unhappy with where you are? Does your substance use stop you from realizing the life you deserve? Have you hit a point in your life where it’s getting harder and harder to hold it all together? Do you say “everything is fine” just to keep people away? Do you minimize or ignore the harm alcohol or other drugs do to you? Can you imagine what it would be like if the weight was lifted? It will take courage for you to decide that you need help. By doing so you will create a life that you feel is worth living. A life where you are confident, fulfill your needs, and gain control over your life.

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Have you experienced traumas that have left you feeling stressed? Or perhaps you're simply looking to understand yourself better and lead to a happier life. If these resonate with you, I can help. As a Taiwanese American who immigrated to America at a young age, I have firsthand experience of the challenges individuals from AAPI/immigrant communities face. I also understand the unique challenges the LGBTQ population faces, and I'm committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all of my clients.

Taking the first step towards personal growth can be incredibly difficult. It can feel overwhelming to acknowledge that you need help and take the necessary steps to seek it out. However, by reading this, you have already accomplished the hardest part of initiating treatment. It takes courage and strength to recognize that you need support, and I commend you for taking this step. One of the most important aspects of my work is creating a safe and supportive environment for my clients. I believe that therapy should be a collaborative process, where clients are active participants in their own healing.

Dr. Will Barone is a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive clinical and research experience focusing on anxiety, trauma, mood disorders, relationship issues, and substance use. He uses a Humanistic approach to therapy, which emphasizes warmth, authenticity, and appreciation for the uniqueness of every individual. His collaborative, integrative approach focuses on helping clients find an individualized course of treatment to best meet their goals. In addition to traditional psychotherapy, Dr. Barone also specializes in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, currently using Ketamine-assisted therapy for clients when appropriate.

Welcome! I’m glad you’re here and appreciate that it can take a lot to start the process of finding support. I believe we all have the capacity to experience satisfaction, fulfillment, and moments of joy in our lives by exploring the barriers to these things- both internally and externally, learning new ways of self understanding, and developing coping skills for the challenges we face. Life can be hard and we don’t always get to choose our circumstances but we can try to find ways to get through the best we can. I use a holistic approach with a backdrop of trauma focused, racial and social justice informed, compassionate care.