Find a Therapist in Atherton, California.

In my practice I work with children, teens and their families to help them overcome what sometimes is debilitating emotional distress. Whether it's issues around ADHD, Adoption, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorders, or Depression, I work with a number of modalities like art, play and sand play therapy to help the children communicate and learn about the emotions behind their behavior. In a place and time that is only for them, they learn to trust as they learn tools that will eventually help them lead happy and capable lives. I also work with children in groups and with individual adults.

I work with an entire person--the mind, emotions, body, spirit, relationships. I offer an alternative approach to traditional psychotherapy because sometimes we are stuck beyond our thoughts. I believe we are often stuck beyond how we think about something, but by how our body holds and remembers the experiences. After all, we feel the anxiety in our chest, shoulders or stomach. When we are depressed, we struggle to move, sleep, concentrate etc. I work to remove the block from wherever it is stuck. My clients come to me after years of ineffective therapy. They are looking for more than talking about their struggles or identifying how they think about them in favor of a change in living.

In laymen's terms, psychotherapy is the opportunity to talk about and process your problems or challenges with a trained therapist. Sometimes, we don't need someone to try to fix our problems for us, which is what most of our friends try to do when we talk about them. Sometimes we need someone who will listen and be a sounding board so we can think through and process for ourselves. I want to support you with your goals and your needs and we can make a therapy plan (psychotherapy or other types) that you feel will best suit your needs. Most importantly, I provide that safe environment for you to be able to be vulnerable, talk about, and process whatever is on your heart and in your mind.

My clients often find me easy to talk to and say they feel comfortable with me, trusting quickly. This can make the psychotherapeutic process easier and more effective for my clients, especially if they are nervous or don’t know what to expect. Therapy with me can range from just talking casually with each other, leading to insights, increased self awareness, and processing through emotional issues, or it could be more intensive deeper therapy like EMDR.

I approach psychotherapy as a collaborative process between therapist and client in which you will gain insight into your inner truth and engage your own innate healing capacity. Together we will explore and honor the amazing inner landscape that makes you uniquely you. If past trauma or difficult childhood experiences are impacting your life today, I can help you transcend your past and engage more joyfully in your present life. I offer a safe, respectful, compassionate place to discover and resolve whatever is holding you back from the authentic life you so want and deserve.

My approach to therapy is grounded in the belief that by uncovering the source of our problems, we can work together to heal and find a sense of confidence and clarity. I provide unique and tailored psychoanalytic therapies to help my clients make sense of their lives and better understand the source of their issues. When the source is identified, a path to wellness can be established. My goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment, free of judgment and pressure, where my clients can look into their emotions, experiences, and behaviors to gain insight and clarity. I believe that understanding our emotions is the key to unlocking our potential and finding relief and healing.

Psychotherapy is known as 'talk' therapy, but in my practice it means a whole lot more than just talk. It is all about change. Whether you come to me as an individual, couple or family, I will help you with the changes you want in your life. Together, we will explore, talk about the ways to make these changes happen and actually put these changes into action.

Entering psychotherapy can provide and rich and healing journey of understanding of yourself and moving past stuck places right now and from times earlier in your life. I am delighted to be your guide in this powerful process that can get you through old trauma, gently move you forward from belefs and behaviors that feel toxic or unnatural to your mind and body, and bring your thoughts, emotions and physical self into a healthier place. Some individuals benefit from discovering origins of where their struggles came from, understanding and clearing that, and others get a lot out of adding ways of moving in new directions inside and outside right here and now. Relief can be enjoyed!

Psychotherapy provides a safe place for you to learn about yourself with another person who isn't related to you and who you don't have to protect from your fears, secrets or uncertainties. Some people use this time to work out problems from their childhood and to see how that may be effecting their lives and relationships today. Others focus on what they want to create for life now and in the future. We can work together to help you learn better skills to cope with uncertainty, striving, change, and success, or failure. I can be a sounding board for you to practice your communication skills in session and a witness and coach as you create new direction and focus for your life.

In psychotherapy, the therapist and the client build a unique relationship. Like most positive relationships, it is centered on caring and trust. Unlike other relationships, this one exists solely to meet the needs of the client. It can be very helpful to talk with friends and family when you’re struggling, but friends and family have a vested interest in the outcome of your struggles. They are familiar with who you are, so it is usually uncomfortable for them if you change, even when the change is positive and needed. As an unbiased professional, your therapist focuses on what is best for you, whether it is making big changes, small changes, or no changes.

Everyone will encounter situations in life that will cause them to struggle at some point, and to be uncertain of which direction to go in order to cope. Therapy can help one in discovering more about how they are responding to their struggles, gain insight into their belief systems about themselves and how they perceive the world around them too, and how these beliefs are contributing to their experience with their emotions and thoughts. You are capable of doing this work and I can support you. You are worth the support! Let me help you discover how you can lead a more fulfilled and satisfied life.

Sometimes we need a little help from a trained professional to get ourselves back on track and attain clarity of thought. This is not a sign of weakness of character, but a humble trait of humanity that most of us experience at one time or another. The most fulfilled people in life are those who consistently look for tools and skills to use in the face of life's day to day challenges. Its not about how heavy the burden is, but how you carry the load. I can help you focus your attention and intention so that you are leading a life which brings you joy and contentment.

In psychotherapy sessions with me, you will experience a safe place for your story to be heard, for your experience to be understood, and for your process to be respected. Initially, I will help you to contain any current crises in your life in order to create the conditions of safety that make way for deeper healing. By experiencing compassion and receiving effective feedback in sessions, you will be able to begin to process your pain more effectively so that you can let it go and move toward a stronger sense of self, more satisfying relationships, and freedom to live more fully. Call me with any questions or to schedule an initial appointment.