Expressive Arts Therapists in Atherton, CA

I believe in meeting the client where they are, facing the issues presented with an open mind, and to always establish healthy boundaries. My approach is to help manage life's transitions together in a way that provides a nurturing & empathetic experience.

Our aspiration for a wholesome and fulfilling life often leads us towards the path of healing and growth. Psychotherapy is a powerful medium for this transformation. In my practice, I strive to create a safe and confidential environment for deep reflection on the self and on relationships. This serves as a catalyst for changes including alleviation of stress, anxiety and depression as well as bettered connections with others. Collaborating with you, I customize and teach a tool box of techniques for you to use at home, work and play.

I am here to tell you, you are not broken, even if your mind may tell you so. When we are anxious or in despair, we can’t think straight or engage our usual survival strategies. It can impact our health, body, emotions, relationships, perception of self and reality. We can't make sense of the distorted thoughts alone. We need a therapist to help guide us. I often help young women who are feeling shy, anxious, obsessive, depressed, struggling with perfectionism or life transitions. I enjoy helping girls and women achieve developmentally appropriate social-emotional, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Your challenges aren’t in vain – they can be springboards into the life you dream of. Maybe you have felt overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious, sorrowful, or despairing. These difficult emotions can indicate that transformation, power, and aliveness are at hand. You just need the right guide to help you move through them to that fulfilling, happier life that you long for. I’m skilled at helping you explore your own depths – even the scary places – to find your hidden treasures. Your relationships, work, and sense of self can become more authentic and fulfilling – even when imperfect. And you’ll discover your inner resilience, too.

I'm Theresa Soltzberg, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). I am a humanistic and holistic therapist and I work with adult couples and individuals on issues including complex (relational) trauma, life transitions, anxiety, and relationship issues. I typically work with adult clients experiencing relationship challenges and life transitions, as well as career and life changes. I am a humanistic, client-focused therapist, trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (level 2), holistic Expressive Arts therapy (somatic, Jungian, and Transpersonal), as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and couples modalities.

I integrate all my training in helping clients heal and transform their lives in the direction which honors living one's full potential/purpose. I work with individuals and offer women's expressive arts groups. The areas I have worked with include: mild - moderate anxiety, mild - moderate depression, stress reduction, communication skills, codependency, low self- esteem, relational issues, grief, social skill building, marital/divorce/relationship issues, women's issues, racial/ethnic/cultural concerns, meaning of life, life transitions, life purpose, identity questions, BIPOC issues, spiritual issues, and eco-related issues.

I believe every person and family is unique and there are many ways to raise a healthy child. I want to honor the strengths within you and your family and offer the tools and support to help your child and family thrive. Through a trauma-informed lens, I work extensively with youth, parents, and families on life transitions, healthy communication, and processing/ healing from grief or abuse.

You don’t have to suffer alone. Sitting with difficult emotions, pain, and discomfort can be challenging. Allow the parts of you that have been rejected, repressed, hidden, or forgotten to surface. Allow these parts of you to be seen, to be heard, to be held, to be loved. It takes great courage to face ourselves, our truths, and our pain. But walking through the darkness is the only way we can remember how much strength and light we hold within. Through presence and acceptance of ourselves, we rediscover new depths of ease, peace, love, and joy. The journey inwards is the only true path towards authenticity, wholeness, and freedom.

Many of the clients I work with have either lost or struggled to develop a sense of control in their lives and relationships– having fallen into destructive patterns of substance abuse/addiction and impulsive and/or self-harming behaviors. Others may be struggling with an excess of self-imposed control– leading to a sense of isolation and fear of taking healthy risks. Some are confronting a major life-transition, loss of identity, divorce, death of a loved one or faced with a pervading sense of meaninglessness. All are, in one way or another, seeking to increase their sense of personal agency and effectiveness in daily life.

So many people wonder what happened to their life. They struggle with navigating relationships, question their gender identity, or are pressured at school or work, unsure of how to make it through the day. Moments like these can be overwhelming, but with guidance and support, many can not only survive but flourish.

Are you looking for some support? Wanting to feel more grounded? Have a fresh perspective? Looking to gain more tools for navigating life? You might be in the right place. I specialize in working with women in the "helping" fields - medicine, education, and even business and tech. I have successfully worked with women in grief, transition, working through relationship issues, codependency, alcoholic family systems, and more. I am an excellent anxiety and depression therapist. I also work with professionals struggling with relationship challenges in the workplace (e.g., communication, empathy, etc.).