Find a Therapist in Martinez, California.

My technique is based in psychodynamic relational-cultural psychotherapy. This means that I hold our relationship, the unconscious process between us, and your personal--experiences, identities, struggles, successes and strengths--in the context of your social-culutral-familiar locations in society. I pay close attention to your unconscious process (the part of your mind you are not aware of but that is affecting your emotions and behaviors) to better understand what your needing to express, feel and work through, in order for healing to take place inside of you and between us.   

I'm a licensed psychotherapist in San Francisco focused on helping young to middle aged professionals get the most from their personal and professional lives. If you're looking for a therapist, I imagine that on some level you are in distress. Our work can focus on solving immediate issues while undertaking the deeper process of addressing underlying causes so that unwanted patterns don't repeat.

Finding a therapist that you connect with can be a daunting task. Making connections is one of my strengths. I have the utmost respect for each person seeking therapy and for the therapeutic process itself. Whether you are struggling, going through a transition, or looking to better understand your inner world our work can help you achieve new levels of awareness. My style is warm and non-judgmental. We can work together to uncover and understand how your unique individual life experiences shape how you feel and live. Together we can strive to make meaning, increase awareness, and minimize suffering.

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.

As a psychotherapist, my goal is to support my clients in their process of personal discovery. My intention is to create a safe environment in which to support and facilitate my clients’ personal growth. I encourage my clients to learn and practice the kinds of behaviors that provide them with feelings of clarity and personal satisfaction. I help clients identify concerns, problems or situations in their lives that interfere with their ability to feel happy and function successfully. In the course of exploring the nature and cause of their unhappiness or frustration they are better able to effect changes in their attitudes and behaviors, thereby making their lives more fulfilling.

I offer psychotherapy for people who have a specific issue they want to address or if there is no clear-cut understanding of the problem but life doesn't feel quite right. I collaborate with my clients to understand what they most would like their lives to feel like. Next, we identify the past and current experiences that may be interfering with living this kind of life. Most importantly we identify the constricting beliefs developed from these experiences and empower them to question these assumptions. Over time, they are able to adopt newer - more self-enhancing - beliefs about life and the world so that a satisfying and meaningful life becomes their reality.

You will gain more self awareness and practical skills to manage your life better. Whatever your concern, it becomes a vehicle for you to understand and transform outdated thinking and ways of being that may no longer serve you . We will explore the opportunities inherent in your life's circumstances and look for ways for you to be happier, healthier, more confident, and connected. You will discover and learn about yourself, and develop new skills that will help you in all areas of your life.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, most people are helped by sitting down with someone who respects them and understands them, and devotes time to listening to them. I practice depth psychotherapy, but I often use very practical approached like cognitive-behavioral therapy, to help my clients get past life obstacles and moving forward in their lives.

The best therapists are genuine, compassionate and insightful. As I listen, interact and guide, these are the values I hold most highly. I take an empathic, common-sense approach to exploring relationships with family, work and community. Trust, respect, and mutual understanding are hallmarks of a successful therapy relationship, allowing lasting change with safety and support. The goals: to challenge self-defeating patterns, deepen self-understanding, and participate in relationships with integrity, courage and an open heart. I work exclusively with adults and couples, using research-based methods to improve relationship skills and self confidence. Visit KinseyLeaseCounseling.com.

My style of psychotherapy is to help clients increase their Emotional Intelligence, which means developing greater self awareness and ability to manage one's own feelings and reactions. I combine Gestalt Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Body Awareness Practices, Family Systems, (EMDR) for trauma, and Mindfulness Practices. When people can have greater intimacy with themselves, they can have greater intimacy with others.

I help clients find strengths and ways to manage difficult or challenging situations. I also help clients with histories of trauma and abuse come to terms with difficult memories, turning ghosts into ancestors. Ghosts scare us. Ancestors we remember, but they don't have the power to terrify us. Life provides many challenges that anyone can struggle with, whether it is a traumatic experience or a life long struggle to overcome anxieties, worries and depression. We all live in relationships and can learn so much about our strengths, challenges and possibilities. I would be happy to help you with understanding your relationships from a positive and strength based perspective.

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.

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!