Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #48023
2443 Fillmore Street, #545, San Francisco, CA 94115
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
Psychotherapy
Areas of focus in my practice include: anxiety; depression; eating disorders; chronic illness/cancer/chronic pain; ADHD; job stress; relationship coaching/dating; executive coaching; divorce coaching; parent consultation; bipolar; pregnancy/infertility/pre & post natal/postpartum.
My goal is to provide practical support and insight that develops a sensible model for people to resolve future issues on their own, outside of therapy. Together, we’ll work to discover what really matters to you and how you can live your life more fully and make the changes you want.
I believe collaboration is important in thinking about your concerns and symptoms. I take into account a developmental perspective and all the varying milestones we all reach at different times in our life. I work closely with doctors, schools, nutritionists, and other practitioners to ensure the most comprehensive treatment. I also stay abreast of current research and stay active in my community to ensure my work is up to date and informed. I believe my work is mindful, warm, and based on my optimism about our capacity to learn and change.
Many people I have worked with describe feeling more confident and genuine in how they approach and relate to not only other people in their lives but to themselves. This sense of confidence helps us navigate our problems, concerns, and lifestyle changes with greater ease.
This manner in which we narrate our lives is a critical issue for us all no matter how old or young we are. I hope to facilitate the therapeutic possibility of what might have been to what could come to be.
Adults
For many people starting therapy it is difficult to know where to start or how something will end. Throughout this process, my hope is to help people listen more closely to themselves and develop a greater sense of who they are and what they want in their lives. I also aim to provide practical support and insight that builds a sustainable model for people to resolve future issues on their own outside of therapy.
The foundation of my work is psychodynamic, which is based on the belief that we are not transparent to ourselves and that what we do not know or understand about ourselves may contribute to our difficulties. My goal is to provide practical support and insight that develops a sensible model for people to resolve future issues on their own, outside of therapy. Together, we’ll work to discover what really matters to you and how you can live your life more fully and make the changes you want. It incorporates curiosity and exploration into your current situation that often brings about new insights leading to healthier ways of functioning.
Couples
For those seeking couple’s therapy, my approach is similar in how I work with individuals with the idea that the couple is the client. I work hard to provide practical support and inside that will help two people develop healthier ways of relating and solving issues between them.
Together, we will look at what brought you into therapy as well as the dynamics between you and your partner (or child/friend/boss) that keep you from hearing each other and finding resolutions or making change happen. I am an active couple’s therapist and hope to motivate people to work more collaboratively together developing more understanding and empathy within the relationship.
I work with all types of couples – young, old, distressed, happy, married, engaged, divorced, straight, or gay – but all wanting to discover what it means to love or be loved in ways that resonate with both parties. I believe we all have the basic need for connection and by focusing on emotional needs we can begin to make useful changes in behavior and communication which can help people feel more connected.
Adolescents & Children
Many times parents look into therapy after having worked very hard on their own to make things work. They’ve done everything they know how to do, and now are seeking professional help.
Therapy with a teenager, child, or family can sometimes begin during difficult transitions. Beginning high school, identity development, loss or divorce can introduce new concerns for parents and teens alike. I focus on anxiety, depression, eating disorders, ADHD, and social issues – which can all be an issue during such an important time of identity development. Therapy may also be recommended when a school, pediatrician, or family member suggests that a child/teen may need additional support around behavioral or emotional issues that are causing struggles socially, at school, or at home. Sometimes reactions tend to be short-lived, however, occasionally a child or teen’s response to life’s pressures may become severe, and the parents’ attempts to help their child may be unsuccessful. At times such as these, professional support may be warranted.
In my work with families, teenagers, and children (6-12) I aim to be insightful, thoughtful, and goal-oriented. I work from a developmental model and combine play therapy for younger children, along with cognitive-behavioral strategies to alter patterns that promote success and resilience. A large portion of my work will be to translate these behaviors so parents and teens/children have a greater understanding of each other and how to resolve future problems after therapy ends.
Parent Support
Parents may need consultation regarding developmental questions, parenting concerns, transitions in the family such as the birth of a second child, adoption, loss, divorce, remarriage, and the emergence of adolescence. Sometimes consultation evolves into therapy depending on one’s needs.
My philosophy regarding parenting stems from the importance of synthesizing how you understand and empathize with your child or teenager’s thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors. Learning how to empathize, regulate, predict, and become more flexible with thoughts and emotions between you and your child is a powerful way to parent. It provides containment within a dynamic that may be fraught with old patterns and ways of relating. I hope to help you understand yourself better so you can, in turn, understand your child or teenager better and establish appropriate limits.
Single Parenthood
Over the past few decades being a single parent has become very common. Whether by choice, loss, or divorce shouldering most of the daily responsibilities and caring for your child or children on your own can be challenging and stressful. With no one to share in the decision making and day to day chores, as well as potential other issues such as financial pressures, many single parents feel alone. In addition, many single parents think their homes should run as smoothly as having a two-parent home and may believe something is wrong when it does not.
To add to this stress, if there is a former partner involved, tension may be escalated creating other challenges to manage which could affect you and your child(ren) negatively.
It’s important to remain flexible while creating a structure and routine for the kids and home that makes sense and is doable. Receiving support by talking with someone to generate ideas, and problem-solve with curiosity and creativity may reduce stress and generate more confidence in one’s parenting.