Therapist for Individuals & Couples
Individuals
Over time it can feel deeply healing, and a great relief, to be able to express those parts of yourself that you experience as unacceptable, confusing or overwhelming. I will meet these aspects with skill, playfulness, curiosity and heartfelt attention so that we can look together at the roots of what is causing your distress. I hope that our therapy sessions become a place where your life experiences can be looked at from many different angles, creating the possibility for positive change, and new ways of moving through the world.
How I practice individual therapy
Within the safety and care of the therapy session, we get interested in your fullest self so you can choose which parts you want to grow and nurture, and which parts need to be transformed because they no longer serve you in healthy ways. My approach to individual therapy is to work together to help you make healthy choices about who you want to be in the world and how you want to interact with others.
Therapy can help you get relief for your specific challenges
As a therapist I work with people on many issues including:
Depression, low self-esteem and self-worth
Anxiety and stress management
Career transitions and finding fulfilling work
Spiritual development and personal growth
Couples Therapy
Receive skillful, compassionate couples therapy in San Francisco
Some of the most challenging times in life are when we are not getting along with our partner. When our intimate relationship is charged with anger and hurt we can feel devastated and scared that we may lose our connection to the person we love. You and your partner may be afraid that your relationship cannot survive the disagreements and miscommunications. Your relationship may feel like an emotional rollercoaster ride, one moment the two of you feel close to each other and in the next moment you feel offended and exasperated. Both of you may feel there is no way out of the fighting and tension.
We can also feel vulnerable out in the world when our connection to our partner feels rocky. It can be hard to concentrate at work and be engaged with family and friends because we feel emotionally drained. We can hide that there is friction with our partner and find ourselves alone in our frustrations and hurts.
How I practice couples therapy
Intimate relationships rewards us with love and joy, and evoke our deepest vulnerabilities and insecurities. As a therapist I help couples nurture their intimate connection while tolerating and moving through the more difficult aspects of their relationship. My approach to couples therapy is to help you and your partner grow more trust and honesty with each other.
It is important in couples therapy to establish trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship so that both partners feel safe and respected while sharing thoughts and feelings. Couples therapy can be a vulnerable experience because we do not know what might come out in session. Because of this, I am deeply committed to creating a safe and compassionate space where both partners can experience psychological healing at a pace that feels comfortable and nurturing.
Often couples feel tensions ease as soon as the first session because they are each able to share their distress within the safety and care of the therapy session. Getting help in therapy to diffuse disagreements gives hope that overtime you and your partner can learn to stop arguments on your own and that there is a concrete way forward in the relationship. Even the initial act of deciding to be in therapy together can be the first step towards making decisions as a couple that feels good to both of you, and that brings you closer.
Therapy helps build relationship skills
As a therapist I help couples build a variety of skills including:
Couples communication
Authentic emotional and sexual intimacy
Collaborative parenting
Healthy ways to nurture self and partner
When is the right time for couples therapy?
I work with couples in couples therapy at all stages of relationship. Some of the couples I work with come to therapy because they are in a crisis period. Other couples come to therapy because they are considering making a deeper commitment to each other such as sharing a home together, going into business together, getting married or having a child. Couples therapy can help at any point in a relationship including helping people transition out of a relationship in a caring and connected way.
I can be reached at 415.721.3355 or by email to discuss how we can work together on your specific therapy needs. To learn more about my thoughts and approach to psychotherapy, you can read the articles on my psychotherapy blog.