Find a Therapist near South San Francisco, CA

I believe that every person who sits down for counseling with me deserves therapy that is as special and unique as they are. I know how important it is for you to feel like you are being heard and understood. There are no guarantees with therapy, but it should help you learn new things about yourself and others. I will give you the skills to feel better and handle emotions and problems so you can get on to leading a happier life.

I believe that it is important as a psychotherapist to approach the work from a place of groundedness in my perspective and orientation, while being flexible enough to understand where you as the client are coming from and what your individual needs are. I largely work from an analytically-based relational psychotherapy perspective, though believe it is useful and necessary to draw from different treatment models to come up with a plan together with my clients that feels constructive and valuable. I work hard to find a balance between meeting my clients where they are at emotionally, and listening closely for unconscious material that may be impacting their lives in counter-productive, emotionally painful, or even harmful ways. In addition, I come from a social justice and philosophy background which very much impacts my clinical perspective and approach with clients. I understand and have deep respect for the difficult and vulnerable place people can be in when they are searching for a therapist, and encourage people interested by my approach to call with any questions to see whether we'd be a good fit.

Welcome to your opportunity to make a real change in your life! I am here to help support and heal who you are now, while stimulating your growth toward who you are capable of being. Whether you know it or not, you arrive with all the resources you need to heal and thrive deep within you. It's my job to help you access those resources. While working through your challenges, we find and activate your strengths. We heal your hurt places, build your resilience, and expand your capacity. I honor your individuality and tailor my approach to meet you where you are now, and help you get to where you need to go. I work with people who are ready to go beyond willpower-based change; who are ready to do what it takes to genuinely heal and evolve. I am here to co-create a relationship with you that will activate your innate ability to transform and evolve. It is through this kind of deep, foundational work that we are able to help you heal and evolve, and ultimately... relax! Willpower-based change works only as long as you can hold it. When stressors arise in life, most of us fall back into our most familiar patterns in order to try to survive the storm. This is not failure, it is simple, human neurobiology. My supportive, relational approach activates your brain's continuing ability to change (neuroplasticity) so that you can finally relax, knowing that the change you have realized will hold, even when life "hits the fan." While my education, training, and professional experiences are indispensable, what most qualifies me to guide from "the chair" has been forged from my experience healing on "the couch." I offer you the resources I have gained through my own extensive personal work. This means I will never presume to walk you through territory I have not traversed myself. I've developed a powerful compass, which has allowed me the honor of guiding many others through their processes of healing and evolution. What sets me apart from other therapists? First, I am very genuine, connective, active, and personable with my clients. I do not check my sense of humor at the door. Being authentic helps my clients to relax and be more fully themselves, which allows our work to be powerful and effective. Working with me leads to feeling solidly like you have someone who knows you, understands you, connects with you, and is dedicated to helping you create the experience you want to have in life. I have extensive education, experience, and training, as well as an unusually wide breadth of life experience, and am therefore able to have an in-depth understanding of many experiences you might think you could never share or relate with anyone about. Most importantly, I remain actively engaged in my own personal work in order to bring a level of deep, ongoing personal experience you won't find with all therapists. I cannot emphasize enough how vital this is to the effectiveness of a psychotherapist... we learn the most and become better able to help others heal through our own work and healing. Thus, the maxim, "healer, heal thyself."

You deserve to be met with presence, honesty and care. Many people come to therapy carrying pain they have learned to hide, questions they would like to explore or a quiet sense that something in their life needs to shift. Whatever brings you here, we can begin with that. My therapeutic approach integrates an understanding of how past experiences, internal parts such as protectors or inner critics, the mind-body connection, and relational dynamics (including early attachment) can all influence how we relate to ourselves and others today. Offering an opening to explore anxiety, work stress, life changes, and other dynamics. I listen closely, ask thoughtful questions and help you notice what might be happening beneath the surface. We can look at patterns together that may feel hard to break, emotions that are hard to name and parts of you that may have been pushed aside. I bring a warm and patient presence to our work, holding space for the natural rhythm of healing, understanding that growth unfolds at its own pace and often calls for compassionate patience. I also recognize that each person’s journey is unique. Whether you prefer to talk through challenges, try new ways of coping or explore deeper emotional experiences, I adapt to what feels most helpful for you. This process takes time and can also creates room for relief, for clarity and for a different kind of relationship with yourself. If you are looking for a space that allows you to be real, to be uncertain and to grow at your own pace, I invite you to reach out.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or depressed you are not alone. I use a gentle and effective approach to help clients overcome obstacles and create more resiliency in their lives. Some of the techniques I use include EMDR and Somatic Experiencing. Both are gentle and effective methods used to overcome trauma, anxiety and stress. We all have an inherent capacity to heal deep within. I would love to hear from you to learn about how I could be of help.

I help people who struggle with trauma, anxiety, grief, creative blocks, and relationship issues. An additional focus of my practice centers around issues such as race-related stress, acculturation challenges, and bicultural identity. In particular, I specialize in working with college and university students, highly sensitive people (HSPs), and creatives and artists. The process of finding the right match with a therapist isn't easy, and it's a brave choice to embark on the journey towards healing, insight, and growth. A relationship with an emotionally-attuned therapist can be life-changing. I believe that an empathic relationship between the therapist and patient is vital for lasting change, and that attention to the social, cultural, and political context in which you live is important for treatment. Together, we can understand the patterns that may underlie some of your distress, and shift to new ways of relating to yourself and others. It is courageous to take steps in your search for a therapist. Have a look here and on my website to learn more about me. If it feels like we may be a good match, please contact me to set up an initial consultation call.

I am here to support your journey back to yourself. Life offers no shortage of stress & challenge. Discovering the ways to tap into your intrinsic healing capacity, reclaim forgotten parts of yourself, and step into an empowered, meaningful life is at the core of our work. Together we dive into the depths of self-awareness, acceptance, and aligned action. The process of unpacking oppressive ideologies adopted beliefs, and barriers to knowing your authentic self is strengthened by embodiment. Thus we'll work holistically to create an ecosystem of resources that transform wounds into wisdom and make space for your enlivened self. My therapeutic approach brings over a decade of work in somatics and integrative healing as a yoga and meditation facilitator and Ayurveda counselor. Beneath the mind and body, the invitation awaits to connect to the transpersonal. I believe for therapy to be effective, our work must be collaborative, integrated, and tailored to the individual. Ultimately, I am here to be your ally, your guide, and your support in the process of knowing and loving yourself. I believe our healing doesn't happen alone and when we have a safe container of compassion & reflection, we make space for all parts of ourselves to be heard, seen, and cared for.

Ultimately, I’m passionate about supporting you. You choose what intrinsic and extrinsic life experiences you'd prefer to have. Tell me what's not working in your life, what emotions you wish to no longer feel, and what behaviors you'd like to no longer repeat. We'll target, identify & dismantle the cycles that create and maintain those unwanted patterns. We'll create the direction, motivation and progress that allows you to build the external outcomes you'd like to reach, as well as the emotions you want to consistently feel. I'm very assertive in my therapeutic process. I hold my clients accountable and point out patterns that create and maintain unwanted habits, thoughts, emotions, behaviors or outcomes. I have a very goal oriented approach to therapy, I place a higher value on creating measurable progress as opposed to spending extended time deeply developing insight around the past.

You want to reignite connection and passion with your partner. The distance between you seems vast and has been there for so long that you don't know how to bridge it anymore. The love between the two of you used to be strong but you don't know how to bring it back. You know you both played a role in creating the distance. You want to fix it but you aren't sure about your partner. You'd like to try therapy but you need someone sharp enough to keep up with you. I specialize in issues just like these. I know how to help you use this time to maximize positive relationship changes. I have an active style that focuses on stopping the hurt and helping you connect. Because I specialize in relationship *and* sexual issues, once the emotional connection is reestablished, I know how to help you reignite passion too. When you contact me today I will get back to you within 1 business day. We'll schedule a 15-20 minute phone call to make sure there is a good fit between your needs and my services. On the call I start by answering your questions, then I ask about what is bringing you to therapy and a few screening questions. Then, I'll share what you can expect in the first few sessions. If everything sounds like a good fit, we can discuss my fee and schedule an appointment. Don't wait any longer to reach out and begin making the changes to end arguments and jump-start the passion with your love. Call me today or click the link for my website and fill out my contact form.

Greetings! By seeking out a therapist, you've already taken a big step in addressing the challenges you're facing, rather than avoiding those challenges. I give you a lot of credit for doing that! Life can be complicated and difficult! What is the best way to deal with relationships & work challenges and conflicts? What is the best way to deal with anger, anxiety, stress, and depression? There are skills and approaches that have proven effective in psychological science for navigating life's challenges more affectively and also embracing life's opportunities with greater happiness and satisfaction. My approach to well-being is to help my clients develop the gain these psychological skills that have proven successful in reducing conflict and achieving happiness, life satisfaction, and positive relationships. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, Gratitude, Empathy, and Humility practices are among the more useful of those skills. From 20 years of experience counseling individuals and couples for relationship, career, anger, stress, and other challenges, I know that every individual can develop thes skills and gain the ability to have a happy life with relationships and work. I take a pragmatic, practical approach that usually takes only several months, at which point, the client achieves a skill set that provides independence. I also provide opportunities for booster sessions down the line as new life challenges emerge. I look forward to working with you and helping you facilitate your next positive life stage! Best wishes, Cheers, - Dr. Shani Robins

Throughout my career, I have worked as a therapist helping individuals, couples, families, and children in private practice, profit, and non-profit organizations for over 25 years. I have also worked with San Mateo County for 10 years with the Youth Mental Health department. There, I have helped youth and their families overcome depression, anxiety, trauma, and school-related issues. I developed a curriculum in mindfulness and compassion, coping skills, and ran a group for over 6 years. I have extensive experience supporting families with parenting challenges, women undergoing infertility, pre- and postpartum depression, depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, divorce, self-harm, and self-worth. I am certified in DBT, CBT, mindfulness, trauma, extensive training in EMDR, and ketamine assisted psychotherapy. I have supervised interns from a variety of schools, and I enjoy and value the process of mentoring them in their journeys. I am bi-cultural and bi-lingual in Spanish and have worked with many clients of different cultural backgrounds. In addition, I teach trauma-sensitive yoga and help people relate to their bodies in a healthier and kinder way.    In the process of serving clients, I allow the fullness of my heart and passion to enter the therapeutic relationship. In doing so, I have constantly been surprised that no matter how hard the challenges and situations are, the strengths and wisdom each client is able to draw from their own experience are incredible.

Compassionate, curious, creative therapist specializing in creating and nurturing meaningful, healthy relationships. I help people come home to themselves. Life's challenges can leave us questioning our intuition and values, and impact our self-worth, relationships, and well-being. Perhaps this is due to a difficult upbringing, perhaps due to trauma and loss, or it may be due to external stressors such as marginalization and oppression. I help clients to find their voice, re-discover self-trust, uncover inner wisdom, and cultivate strength and balance. Together we will explore your experiences, nurture inner resources, and identify and resolve destructive patterns that impact your relationships. My approach is genuine and collaborative, grounded in trust, compassion, and respect. I support individuals struggling with aspects of identity, family-of-origin issues, relationship challenges, overwhelming life transitions, marginalization, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief. I have a broad background with additional degrees in Music and Religious Studies, service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, West Africa, and experience teaching and counseling children ages 3-18. My background offers a unique openness to the varied dimensions of the human condition and expressions of personal identity.