Existential Therapists in Palo Alto, CA

Expert care for cancer, chronic illness, sleep, & health goals. Therapy that welcomes your cultural & racial identity and heals trauma. As a South Asian cis-het woman, unwavering ally, and health psychologist, I recognize the challenges faced by diverse individuals & families in medical and mental health care. Having an advocate matters, whether you're managing a life transition, living with cancer, or trying to fix your sleep. As your advocate, I see you and support you as a whole person. I support aspects of your emotional, physical, social, cultural, and existential health that go well beyond "symptoms."

Trudy is a compassionate and dedicated therapist with over a decade experience in the field of mental health and family counseling. Her unwavering commitment to helping individuals, couples, and families navigate life's challenges has made her a respected professional within the therapeutic community. With a deep understanding of the human experience, Trudy specializes in working with diverse populations dealing with a range of issues.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin. Liberation and transcendence —getting your power back, finding your spark; these are at the core of my practice. My approach holds a reflective space to process stuck zones, and traces connections to draw insights that inform needs to meet with specific tools and strategies towards creating opportunities. It’s grounded on the existential, the arts, and sociocultural dynamics, while implementing research and assessment to guide unique, individualized treatments to align identity, purpose, and connection.

Currently accepting new clients! Depression. Anxiety. Anger. Numbness. These difficult symptoms (and others) color our experience, and make life difficult! And yet, they are merely the smoke from fires sourced far deeper within the caves of Self. Together, we will follow the various strands of symptoms and sensation to their source. Then we begin to untangle the knots that bind and restrict. Let's release you from those things that are inhibiting you from embracing all this life has to offer.

"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Allow me to be your guide and ally as we work together to transform your wounds into strengths, your difficulties into rewards, and move into the rich and meaningful life that is your birthright. I have particular expertise in: (1) unresolved trauma; (2) depression, grief, anxiety, and other challenging emotional states; and (3) existential/spiritual issues and crisis - finding meaning/purpose, exploring identity and values, working with non-ordinary experiences and states of mind, and life transition.

Hello there. I help clients build safety in their lives so they can embrace all parts of their self. I support adults who are working through shame, guilt, low self-compassion, and generally struggling to accept themselves. I work well with clients who are curious about improving boundaries, who have experienced past harmful family dynamics, and who are coming to terms with new diagnoses or life transitions.

My name is Jacob Garel, I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist with a unique background in the military as a Pararescueman. With 20 years of experience serving and saving lives, I bring a deep understanding of crisis situations and a passion for helping individuals and families in need. Whether it's grief work, PTSD therapy, or accompanying you on your mental health journey, I am dedicated to walking beside you every step of the way. I am passionate about providing support to first responders, police, military personnel, and their families.

Do you find yourself at a crossroads, with recent events or longstanding issues to sort through and understand? Are you experiencing a challenged relationship, a sadness lingering from Covid isolation, anxieties, a shake up of self esteem, or a desire to re-calibrate life/career goals? What do you want to release and what to retain as learning? I offer compassionate, supportive, resourceful, pragmatic collaboration to help you balance these awarenesses. Together, we will set achievable goals and reclaim your resources within, so that you, and your relationships can move forward in a positive way.

Are you struggling to cope with getting through the day? Feeling burnt out, anxious, depressed, and isolated? If you are experiencing emotional difficulties, you do not have to go through it alone. I can support you through life's many challenges - Whether it's the mental health impacts from chronic pain, medical illnesses, social isolation, questioning your gender and/or sexuality, trauma, difficulties in relationships, existential issues, grief, or the hardships that come along with being in different stages of life - from teenagehood to older age.

You’ve always had a sense that something crucial is missing, like a song stuck on a note that never resolves. Sometimes you feel disconnected from your authentic self, unable to put words to feelings, lost in a fog of uncertainty. At other times it feels like you’re too much for others and don’t know how to let it out without feeling like a burden. This existential dread has been a constant companion, but you’re sure there’s more to life and that some piece of the puzzle is missing. You long to remove this familiar barrier from impacting your ability to relax, to focus, to show up more as yourself in relationships.

I love working with creative people. My passion is to bring healing to those who have often felt limited by the burdens of their anxiety, depression, or trauma. If your desire is to find new freedom in living without hesitation and being supported in living your life with fierce and unapologetic authenticity then you’ve come to the right place. I create welcoming and affirming environment and provide a safe space where you can feel appreciated for your individuality and your rebelling soul. I am not going to repeat cliché phrases that you’ve heard million times already, but I will challenge you to find your authentic Self.

Stress levels are skyrocketing, leaving many feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. Despite efforts to maintain composure, the inner critic amplifies feelings of insufficiency, making true balance seem out of reach. For too many, chronic stress has become debilitating, transforming exhaustion into a constant state. The pursuit of happiness feels futile as settling for discontent becomes the norm. If you're weary of neglecting your own needs for the sake of others, know this: you deserve better. It’s time to prioritize your well-being. Don’t let another day pass in the shadow of stress. It’s time for a change.

While some individuals enter therapy with acute distress and specific problems that need to be addressed; others have a more vague feeling of discontent. In either case, the self-exploration of analytic work is meant to expand the way one thinks and feels. Learning to think creatively is one way to describe the goal of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. WIth guidance, an individual learns to hold the tension of multiple perspectives/emotions resulting in a flexibility of thinking that involves both analytic and imaginative parts of the mind. This "full thinking" can be applied to personal life issues, relationships and creative pursuits.

Our lives—and the lives of our family and friends—are often challenged by issues such as anxiety, depression, addiction, anger, loss and grief. And we are often so pressured by the demands of everyday life that we struggle to simply get through each day. While our relationships with others can be sources of great love and support, they are often sources of our deepest pain. Through the process of therapy, we can come to better understand the roots of our suffering, heal emotional wounds and strengthen our relationships with ourselves and others.

To everyone around you, it looks like you've "got it together." But deep inside, you feel like an impostor. Even though your life looks great on the surface, you feel chronically anxious, as if it could all fall apart at any moment. You'd like to be more authentic, but you worry about what would happen if other people knew the "real" you. Sometimes, you wonder if you've spent so much time faking it that you've lost sight of your true self altogether.

It's a courageous step to seek therapy. And the second step is to find the right therapist. A therapist who is engaged with you in healing psychic wounds (that may cause anxiety, depression, health issues) as well as attuning to the unfolding of your potential. I have 30 years of clinical experience as a depth therapist, was Program Chair for six years and now core faculty, and Associate Professor in the Integral Counseling Program at CIIS in SF. I received my MA from Boston College in Massachusetts and PhD from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA.

Are you hindered by anxiety, depression, or trauma, preventing you from expressing your authentic self? Do you find yourself trapped in navigating challenging family and relationship situations? Every minor issue now feels incredibly overwhelming, reopening past wounds and creating new ones. Despite attempting to bury the pain, it persists, leaving you feeling isolated and tormented. The constant exhaustion, stress, and anger make you question your resilience. Unsure of where to seek assistance, you don't have to endure this painful journey by yourself. I aim to assist you in achieving a more integrated and balanced sense of self.

Throughout our lives, we all have experienced feelings of depression, anxiety, and anger. These emotions leave you feeling insecure, shameful, lonely, unworthy and stuck in unhealthy patterns of behavior. Trauma can have negative emotional and physical effects and can lead to family/relationship issues. I specialize in solution-focused brief therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and CBT. These approaches allow me to work with the client to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression and other health/behavioral issues.

Life presents us with many opportunities, moments of fulfillment, lack of fulfillment, trauma and/or terrible loss leading to difficulties in emotional intimacy, isolation, panic, resentment, depression - even despair. Our histories and fears mold our choices and can prevent us from achieving a more meaningful fulfilling life. Therapy involves, in part, a journey into the life of buried feelings/beliefs about self and others. Coaching involves emotionally intelligent problem solving. My clients typically consist of professional adults and couples who feel stuck in their lives/relationships. Some are in acute distress, others are unsure of the source/nature of their more chronic difficulties.