Find a Therapist in El Cerrito, California.

Healthy relationships make healthy people. Unfortunately, about 50% of our society, while their parents may have loved them dearly, didn't get enough attachment and connection. When this happens, the normal / natural response is depression, anger, excess perfectionism, feeling uncomfortable in your skin, etc. While I may use several modalities, I am always being present and attuning to you in a way that gives you permission to be who you are. My experience is this creates a re-wiring of the "attachment / connecting" neuropathways in your brain. My clients, usually between 6 months and 2 years experience significant emotional shifts that allow them to feel comfortable in their own skin.

My approach to psychotherapy is mostly relational. I take a family systems approach that addresses relationships in my clients' lives and improves their functioning for better health and happiness. Clients under my care learn how to unilaterally improve the functioning of a relationship through boundaries and self-confrontation. The result is individuals and relationships that thrive.

Michael Ceely, LMFT, offers cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and California. CBT, considered the gold standard for treating various issues, changes ingrained behavior and thinking patterns. It examines the automatic thoughts influencing our emotions and actions. Aa a CBT therapist, Michael helps you understand your "belief filter" for interpreting events, enabling you to address negativity early and focus on realistic scenarios. CBT equips you with skills to cultivate positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The aim is to establish a new, positive foundation for your thoughts and feelings, leading to improved outcomes.

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.

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.

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'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.

Therapy is hard! But it can also be nice. Sure, it starts out strange enough; sitting with a stranger and talking about personal issues is not what most people want to do, but give it time. Soon enough, that therapist won't be a stranger, he'll be a trusted confidant. Once you're at that point, you'll know the difference it makes to spend an hour each week reflecting on your life with someone who has experience working through all sorts of issues! That hour can be life-changing.