Find a Therapist near South San Francisco, CA

Are you struggling with depression, low self-confidence, or anxiety? Are you having difficulties in your relationships or at work? Are you finding it hard to cope with a loss, life transition, or illness? I have brought warmth, insight, and compassion to my work with individuals & couples for 25 years as a Psychologist. My approach to psychotherapy is to create a safe environment through listening and empathy that will enable you to talk about patterns in your life that are causing you distress. Together we explore your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships and dreams with the goal of helping you achieve greater life satisfaction, healthier relationships & new sources of self worth. I am a Psychologist, Couples Therapist, and Hypnotherapist working with adults and adolescents. In Individual therapy, I help my clients with depression, anxiety, low self-confidence, grief, trauma, and childhood issues. In Relationship & Marital Therapy, I help couples develop communication & conflict resolution skills, and improve physical & emotional intimacy and trust. Last, I treat individuals experiencing stress and various health conditions, and I use Hypnotherapy to help reduce distressing symptoms and habits.

We can all benefit from therapy and seeking therapy takes courage, bravery and the ability to be vulnerable. I offer a calm, safe, down-to-earth, and empathetic space. Together we'll explore who you are and where you've been so that you can gain insight into how to become who you want to be. With sufficient motivation, you really can change. I will support you as you abandon unwanted behaviors. Together we can work on achieving your therapy goals whether you are wanting to understand yourself and relationships better, are adjusting to a life transition, or have experienced a crisis and need support.

I am passionate about facilitating a therapy process through which my clients can feel deeply seen, heard, appreciated, and supported in their journey to connect with their own authenticity, clarity and aliveness. I have over 20 years of experience working full time as a licensed mental health professional. I care deeply about my clients' well-being and growth, and tailor the therapy process to the unique concerns and needs of each client in a holistic and person-centered way. In addition to my professional experience, my therapeutic work is influenced by my own self-development practices including mindfulness, study and contemplation of eastern philosophies, and movement art including Taiji, Qi Gong, Aikido, and yoga. I base my therapeutic work on several optimistic and humanistic assumptions. First, we all have the innate capacity to experience unconditional happiness, compassion, and wisdom. Second, no matter how destructive and negative our behaviors may be, we are all doing the best we can at the present moment, and these behaviors arise from our attempts to cope with distress. As we build and apply more adaptive coping skills, our negative coping behaviors subside. Third, we all have the need to feel love, acceptance, validation, and a sense of belonging. Finally, in most cases I have encountered, suffering originates from internalized self rejection, alienation, and judgment. Therefore, the cultivation of kindness, acceptance, compassion, and love toward oneself is the path to positive transformation.

My primary goal as a psychologist is to provide guidance and resources for people who are struggling. Someone can be having trouble with a small part of their life, or a specific problem, or they can be having a hard time dealing with life in general. Getting help can be the first step in making sense of life, and the first step towards living a healthier life. As a clinician, I want to help people develop practical skills to deal with life and problems, skills that are in line with the values that they want to live. There is no perfect solution, and no one-size-fits all treatment, so I borrow from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Existential-Humanistic Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Gestalt therapy to help clients along that path, based on what they need. I find it important to look past pathology, and labels, to treat the person who is suffering. If I can understand the source of a person's pain, or multiple sources, whether it be childhood trauma, a struggle to find meaning in life, or even difficulty making friends, I can help potential clients find solutions Therapy is an exploratory process. I have a number of roadmaps, and my goal is to help folks find the one that works best for them to make sense of the world they are living in. If you want to feel better, if you want to live a healthier life, my goal is to help you reach those destinations.

If you've come to a crisis point in your life, it can make such a difference to talk with someone who can help you not only with your immediate concern, but with understanding what it can tell you about yourself. I have an exploratory approach -- listening for what you say but haven't yet heard and speaking up for what you allude to but haven't yet articulated. This process requires privacy, safety, curiosity, and attention. Over the 20 years of my practice, I've found this approach to be especially helpful to people who are struggling with depression, relationship issues, anxieties, shame, inhibitions, self-esteem, identity questions, and life transitions. I am an avid listener and have a deep interest in language and the subtle, multi-layered ways that meaning is conveyed and received when two people are talking. At its best I think therapy is a collaborative, creative endeavor.

I think of therapy as like sanctuary - a place where there aren't distractions, where there is an opportunity to pay attention to what is important, in a spirit of kindness. Because of this, many individuals and couples find it to be enjoyable, and very relieving. Of course, since people do therapy to work on painful things, therapy itself isn't always easy. But at least things can be approached thoughtfully and skillfully, in a safe context, and this itself brings great benefits. I work to help you to settle in with yourself, so that you can relate to your life from the deepest, most genuine place possible. Together, we can consider how you relate to yourself and to others - after all, our relationships with ourselves and with others are central to the quality of our lives. I find that from this kind of conversation skillful responses to inner concerns and relationship difficulties arise. I am very experienced at helping people with relationship problems or lack of relationships, anxiety, sadness and depression, with patterns of self-criticism and difficulty relaxing, history of trauma, grief and loss.

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.

Embody your truth. Embrace your passion. Follow your path. Working together to support your healing process and bring forward your own unique resiliency and self-expression. I use an experiential approach in counseling, where we follow the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations that are occurring in the present moment as the window to explore deeper-held beliefs. Together, we find what is at the core of these beliefs and create new ways of understanding to bring forward an updated perspective that leads from your most authentic, empowered self. Through feeling ourselves, we can know ourselves, and through knowing ourselves, we have a greater capacity for self-acceptance and the empowerment to choose the life we want to live. Drawing from my training in the Hakomi Method of Mindful and Somatic Psychotherapy as well as psychodynamic theory, attachment theory, person-centered psychotherapy, and depth psychology, I use mindfulness, body-awareness, touch, movement, and dreamwork to help facilitate my client's process.

You're often fighting or feeling distant from your romantic partner. Small issues can become a big deal and conflict remains unrepaired. Perhaps you've tried many strategies to stop these difficult dynamics. You feel frustrated and need to find new ways to connect, resolve, and find each other again. Maybe you notice after fighting, that distance between you feels lonely and doubts about the relationship start to increase. It's like the fights get out of control and one or both of you say things you regret later. Deep down, you know what's been happening isn't healthy, and that you both need help and perspective. It might feel far away right now, but you know you need to try something radically different if you're going to change the relationship that means so much to you both. I can help you develop new tools so you can finally feel reconnected and nourished instead of depleted and disconnected. Whether you begin therapy individually or together, change is possible. As your guide, I commit to supporting you in healing the past and building a strong foundation to support the well-being and happy future you seek. My approach is supportive of developing a connection to your inner self so that you can communicate from your heart. Practicing an attitude of curiosity and acceptance, my goal is to build trust with you and to understand your unique experience. When working together, I aim to help you feel respected and understood. I truly believe in the healing powers of self-discovery, self-acceptance and offering these to others in close relationship. I strive to help you cultivate nourishing relationships with yourself, others and connect more to the world around you.

What is Integral Recovery for Addictions? As human beings, we are creatures of habit. This can be a good thing. Good habits provide stability, consistency, and the stamina to achieve certain goals. But too often, habits become addictions. Our behaviors no longer serve us, and we get locked into a destructive pattern that harms ourselves and others. We are stuck, enslaved in chains of our own making, stifled from finding our true selves, from achieving our innate potentials, and manifesting our gifts to the world. Integral Recovery is much more than just the abstinence or reduction of addictive behaviors. In Re-covery, we Un-cover and Dis-cover who we really are in all our dimensions, and when freed from the unhealthy habits, we start to grow again. For almost 25 years, I have had success with people who have a variety of addictions, from the kinds that misuse chemicals from the outside (drugs and alcohol) to the ones that stem from the chemicals already inside the brain (sex and love addiction, abandonment patterns, sexual compulsions, gambling, internet, work, etc.). I have a passion for Recovery and love seeing the light in people's eyes brighten as they leave destructive patterns behind and embrace an enriching and fulfilling life that has always been theirs. We may also traverse issues of anxiety, depression, and experiences of trauma as a natural part of healing from addiction. We unhook from parts of the past and addictive pain tapes that also prevent us from moving forward and being happy in our present and our future. We can work from abstinence-based or harm reductionist strategies, depending upon your aim. I am a South Bronx native who has collaborated with a diverse range of people without shame or judgement, from teens to elders, traditional to alternative sexualities, socio-economic levels "from jail to Yale," spiritualities, and many cultures and sub-cultures. It would be an honor to connect with you and make your new life a reality.

Do you want life to be better? I was trained at Yale and Columbia University. Currently, I am a clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (affiliate), as well as a professor at the California School of Professional Psychology. I'm licensed as a clinical psychologist in New York and California. While in New York, I served as an assistant professor at Columbia University. I bring more than 15 years of experience to my work as a psychologist. I focus on your strengths, not your failings, and work with you to achieve a happier and more meaningful life that draws upon your unique abilities.

I offer clear communication in a down-to-earth environment. My goal is to secure your strengths while identifying and reducing patterns that are holding you back. I've helped people address loneliness, grief, self-limiting beliefs, and a desire to get past the feeling of being stuck in their lives. Individuals, couples, and friendships have found fresh perspectives on relationships with themselves and one another. My orientation has grown out of somatic work and attachment theory. I am trained in Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) and Hakomi, in addition to psychodynamic therapy and CBT. If your best efforts to address your situation aren't working for you, let's look at some new approaches. Call for a free 15-30 minute phone consultation. We'll talk about your concern, and discuss how working together can point you in a direction best suited for you. I'm happy to answer your questions about my style of work, what sets me apart from other psychotherapists, or about therapy in general.