Find a Therapist in Benicia, California.

Psychotherapy provides a confidential place where deeper feelings can be expressed, truths can be revealed, and new relationships with self and others can be created. Paul has been helping individuals and couples to have more authentic lives and relationships for many years. Whether you're depressed, anxious, suffering from low-self esteem or addictive behaviors, Paul can help you with the emotional pain that keeps you stuck in your life.

I'm a seasoned licensed individual therapist with a focus on how relationships shape our personalities and overall mental health. I use a comprehensive blend of therapeutic approaches including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, and Object-Relations Psychotherapy. Tailoring to the unique needs of individuals seeking personal growth, I empower clients to explore underlying patterns and emotional complexities. With an empathetic and goal-oriented perspective, clients find a path towards self-awareness, emotional balance, and confidence. My deep commitment to individual well-being positions me as an ideal guide for those seeking to transform and enhance their lives in therapy.

No two people are exactly the same, so my approach to each client depends on her particular needs and goals. I take a top-down/bottom-up approach in that we work on how our minds control the body and how the body controls the mind, so that ultimately you have control over both. We will look at patterns that are working and patterns that aren't in terms of emotions, relationships, and behaviors. We figure out how those patterns originated so that we know how to eliminate what's not working and find new, more functional patterns. Science shows us that talk therapy isn't just talk. Therapy literally changes the wiring of your brain to give you more choice, functionality, and joy.

Therapy is not a one size fits all experience. Though I extensively trained to understand specific theories of practice, I utilize a "prescriptive" approach. This means I will adapt to your needs in treatment. Therapy is co-created, it is relational, and it is in the therapeutic relationship where we seek personal growth to apply outside the therapy room. I work with adult individual clients who are grieving a significant loss, LGBTIQ+ adults, adults with creative blocks, neurodivergent adults, people pleasers, those recovering from trauma, and adults burnt out about their work.

I am a Holistic Psychotherapist meaning I work with my clients Mind-body-spirit complex. I have created a process that I call “from Mindfulness to Soulfulness" that combines Soul work/Inner child healing with cutting edge law of attraction techniques that allow you to heal at a deep level, harness your untapped potential, and create your desired reality. You learn how to get out of survivor mode and let your Higher Self lead. My process involves identifying your core wounds and negative stories and thought patterns, over writing the scripts and healing your inner child. I use somatic techniques for deep healing such as guided visualizations, and the EFT (tapping technique) for trauma release

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.

My approach to psychotherapy is holistic, incorporating body and mind, looking at various areas of life and finding the right balance. I help clients get to the root of psychological issues in order to heal from the ground up. The kind of therapy I do goes beyond talk therapy and is very experiential, exploring underlying emotions and deeply rooted patterns. I am deeply compassionate but not afraid to be honest and direct as well. I use a variety of tools such as mindfulness, self compassion, and modalities like EDMR, IFS, ACT and Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAP)

I work primarily around self-acceptance, learning how to achieve intimacy and breaking free of conditioning. My experience is that this work helps to heal trauma/ PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), depression, low self-esteem, addictions (alcohol/drugs/sex) and anxiety. I do this work with individuals, couples, families and adolescents. My approach is holistic, meaning that I work with the mind, body and spirit. I also welcome those who simply want the added flexibility good therapy can achieve, enabling them to live fuller, richer, happier lives.

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.

We are all born with the capacity for joy and love, but sometimes, as adults, we forget the wondrous sense of possibility or dreams we once had for our lives. Psychotherapy can help you reconnect with yourself and your hopes and aspirations for your life. It can also help you: (1) Develop more awareness about your needs (2) Express yourself more openly and authentically (3) Understand the ways your childhood impacts your experience of yourself as an adult (4) Cope with circumstances such as loss, illness, disability, anxiety, depression, parenting, marriage, aging, care-giving or conflicts in the workplace. If you would like to discuss your needs, please call me at 415-533-9724.

Psychotherapy is not anything to be scared of, or intimidated about. Seeking out a therapist or being in therapy isn't an admission of weakness or some kind of character flaw. Therapy is a collaborative process and a partnership with someone who is trained in and experienced with facilitating personal growth. And in this process, you are in the driver's seat. Our minds and emotions and relationships involve complicated machinery just like our bodies do and in the same way a medical doctor helps you stay physically healthy, Psychotherapy is designed to help you be and stay mentally and socially strong, and continually in a position to take on life's many challenges as your best self.

Feeling stuck in a cycle that is causing you pain or a lack of fulfillment leaves you open to increased stress, followed by more pain and lack of fulfillment. This puts a strain on your relationships and your sense of well-being. Maybe you feel stuck in addiction, depression, anxiety, a relationship you want to change, a job that doesn't satisfy you anymore. Maybe you have specific ways of interacting with people that you find doesn't serve you anymore- yelling, arguing, passivity, keeping your guard up. We explore your patterns, your symptoms and the reasons they were useful to you. I will teach you knew ways of managing your emotions and ways to diminish patterns that no longer serve you.

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!