Find a Therapist in El Cerrito, California.

I help men and teens who are struggling with emotional pain, transform their lives. More than a decade's worth of focus on men's issues has taught me that men can experience and express emotion differently than women. In addition to my role as a psychotherapist, I am also Research Director at the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, where I study the processes that lead to effective psychotherapy. My combined clinical and research background means that I am very aware of the most current and effective methods in psychotherapy, allowing me to utilize a warm, compassionate, and scientifically-informed approach to help my clients achieve the maximum benefits possible.

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.

Most of us want to take better care of ourselves, we just do not know where to start. Coming to therapy is the first step you can take to learn how to cope with stress, recover from tough situations, and live a meaningful life. I approach therapy with an integrative cognitive behavioral style and can help you identify and change the troubling thoughts, habits and behaviors that are holding you back from feeling like your best self.

FRUSTRATED AND STRESSED OUT? Not happy in a relationship? Suffering from anxiety or depression? Unsure where to go from here? Looking for some solution to a complicated issue? I can help! In therapy, you can work through your inner conflicts, feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, and move on to clarity, decisiveness, peace and empowerment. I am interested in your journey to a better life. Call me for a free telephone consultation session.

I firmly believe that attaining a sense of engagement in life, fostering personal growth, feeling supported, and experiencing improved mental well-being is within your reach. I employ empirically validated approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to address concerns you are having. Collaborating with my clients, we delve into motivations and nurture hope. Together, we devise strategies to tackle concerns, reshaping internal dialogues into more supportive ones. I provide clients with practical tools for navigating challenges and promoting a more composed and focused life. I also track our progress using state of the art algorithms and assessments to insure steady progress.

Often in our lives we can benefit from having a safe compassionate listener outside of our family or friends circle. A neutral party that can be both direct and empathetic can help you examine troubling emotions and life issues that are contributing to a less than satisfying life. You will feel heard and understood as we explore and move through obstacles that may be interfering with your stability. I will help you access your personal strengths and resources to develop strategies to change what is not working and learn new ways to be healthier / happier in your world. Life will never be perfect however our ability to manage life can make a world of difference in our well being.

Psychotherapy is a longer-term approach to change utilizing a growth and insight-focused orientation. Through the process connections between past and present are made and with greater awareness of what has led to where we are now we can begin to make conscious choices rather than react when old stuff is triggered and react in ways that don't feel good later. Often EMDR, somatic work, Internal Family Systems and compassion-focused therapies are utilized combined with process-based psychotherapy to address all aspects of the Self.

You don't need to do it all alone. And turns out, as more and more brain research is showing us, you're not meant to. Many of our original wounds, with echoes in our current lives, come from past and often early relationships. And while there are many valuable paths to healing, psychotherapy provides a special safe relationship in which these past experiences can be rewired and new aspects of yourself can be discovered or rediscovered. With compassionate reflection, encouragement, and challenge, transformation can happen!

I provide a safe, calm, friendly, empathetic & down to earth environment for you in session. Making changes or gaining a better understanding about your life can be challenging. I will lend support to you whether you are experiencing a crisis, going through a transition in life or are interested in learning more about yourself & relationships. Maybe you have sought therapy before or this is the first time, I am here to assist you with all of your therapy goals. No matter who you are and what you have experienced, we all can benefit from psychotherapy. Together we can work on achieving your therapy goals.

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.

I have 20 years of diverse professional experiences and extensive training. I am a published writer, lecturer and passionate about my field. I specialize working with Individual Adults and Teens. My style is conversational, and I strive for a collaborative and compassionate practice with my clients. Though, I am trained in a variety of therapies, I primarily work in narrative and psychodynamic theory. Additionally, I may draw upon other similar or complimentary theoretical approaches to create a highly personalized treatment plan based on your needs and goals.