Psychotherapy for Individual Adults
What Are Your Needs?
Individual adults see me for help with many different needs, including doing better in relationships; encountering mid-life crisis, divorce, separation or other life transitions; overcoming minor depression (mild depression without suicidal ideation); coping with grief and loss; reducing stress and worry; 12-step members staying clean and sober from addictions and substance abuse or wanting personal growth beyond sobriety; students, artists and professionals getting help with writer's or creative block; and achieving personal or spiritual fulfillment. This list isn't complete, because each person is unique. For that reason, I've included a more complete list below, to help you identify whether your issue is one I'm likely to address.
Often people come to me because there's some problem that's really bothering them, so they want brief, solution-focused therapy. Once we start exploring the issue, they may find there are other issues they want to address. Some of these may not be problems, for example, getting to know themselves better or revisiting an unfulfilled desire that's been postponed for too long. Sometimes, people who have seen me before return because of some new situation, or, they may want to figure out a puzzling dream.
I offer brief psychotherapy to help people address problems that can be quickly resolved. Sometimes, we may need to meet for more than a few sessions because the problem may be complex, it may involve several relationships with other people, old family wounds may need healing, they may be trying to overcome long-time habitual behaviors, and so on. I adjust my method for each person's situation, working together to efficiently create solutions and exploring in depth when that's called for.
In all cases, I keep you informed about your treatment plan. I respect your time and budget and am committed to doing the best for you, for instance, referring you to a specialist where I don't have strong qualifications to address your issue.
If your area of concern isn't listed below, and you think this may be an area I treat, feel free to call me at 415.271.2350. There's no charge for your initial phone inquiry or an initial consultation if we decide to meet. I welcome people of any race, religion, or sexual preference.
Life Situations
- Life Transitions
- Personal Contributions to Relationship Problems (for more, please also see my page on Couples Therapy)
- Grief and Loss
- Difficulties in Achieving Life Goals
- Aging or Illness
- Psychotherapy Required by a Third Party
Symptom Resolution
- Coaching and Therapy for Writer's Block or Creative Block
- Support and Counseling for Psychological Aspects of Depression. Click the following link to access a free online depression screening test.
- Anxiety
Self-Discovery and Personal Growth
- Exploring Identity Issues
- Spiritual and Religious Concerns (for more, please see my page on Spiritual Psychology)
- Individuation (achieving personal fulfillment by becoming more fully oneself). My approach includes Jungian dreamwork, psychodynamic psychotherapy and collaborative discussion of your life goals.
- Consolidating psychological well-being for people in recovery from addictions and substance abuse — for instance, finding meaning or addressing issues beyond those required to maintain sobriety (for people in stable recovery)
Psychotherapy as Collaborative Relationship
Each person has a unique personal history and temperament. For this reason, I believe that it's essential to adjust my approach to your particular needs. My methods include cognitive and solution-focused brief therapy, Jungian dreamwork, transpersonal therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and psychoeducation. But what I do is not the most important factor in making our work effective. The healing power of relationship is essential for psychotherapy success.
If you call or meet me, please notice whether or not you feel comfortable with me. That comfort level is often reflected in feelings, questions, concerns, fantasies or dreams. Only you can decide if our personal chemistry will make it easier to speak about difficult issues.
Getting Started
Initial appointments are arranged through a brief phone call (my phone is 415.271.2350). During that call, I try to get a general sense of the issues you're addressing. I also ask questions to make sure that your needs are likely to fit within my scope of practice (areas of training and expertise). If your needs fall outside that scope of practice, instead of meeting, I try to offer appropriate referrals to a therapist or clinic more suitable to your needs and wants.
During our first meeting, I ask in more detail about the concerns that bring you to therapy. We discuss many aspects of your life to develop a fuller understanding who you are. This is because I want to approach your needs as a whole person and not a list of symptoms. Then I recommend an initial treatment plan, so you know what to expect. I do not charge a fee for the initial meeting. This gives you the opportunity to get to know me and have an idea of what therapy may involve before you make any commitment. If you want to know more about my fees and third-party payment policies, select this link.