Therapists in Civic Center, San Francisco, CA

I'm curious about people: how our unique histories have shaped us, how we relate to each other & what motivates our behavior in relationships. I specialize in processing relationships with couples & individuals struggling with codependency, communication, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem & identity. We often get stuck in repetitive behavioral/thinking patterns that block us from living the lives we yearn for. We may feel misunderstood or disconnected in our relationships. We may avoid intimacy because we don’t want to get hurt again. We may have a harsh inner critic & lack self-love. Do you experience this in your life?

You work really hard and take care of a lot of people. But sometimes giving so much of yourself depletes and exhausts you. You’re ready to clarify and prioritize your own needs. You’re looking for a safe place to share your story and discuss what might be getting in the way of living the life you truly want. I’m here to help.

I specialize in helping adults overcome anxiety and depression. As a Certified EMDR Therapist, I focus on helping clients recover from the effects of trauma. I also enjoy working with couples to develop effective communication skills and reduce destructive conflict. I strive to provide clients with a warm, secure environment in which they feel safe to explore painful experiences from the past that need healing. My approach combines the perspective of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy with more practical cognitive-behavioral methods, as well as using the latest research from neuroscience about how our minds develop and change.

Do you find yourself ruminating about certain things? Are you unable to fall asleep at night because your mind keeps racing? Are there things you want to get off your chest but feel like nobody will understand? One way or another, you’re here because you want to feel better. You want to live your life to the fullest yet can’t quite seem to figure out how. This is where our work comes in.

Do you feel isolated, overwhelmed, or interested in making a life transition without knowing where to begin? Are you experiencing conflict in relationship or struggling with intimacy? I am passionate about helping individuals and couples forge new pathways for personal growth and nurture authentic connection. Through our work together, you can expect to feel a closer bond with your partner, experience greater sexual satisfaction, and develop more effective communication strategies. Whether seen as an individual client or as part of a couple, you will begin to live in closer alignment with your deepest values.

I work with unique individuals who are seemingly successful and happy but deep inside feel lost, alone, even if they are in a relationship, and often feel like they don't belong or struggle to be present in life. With expertise gathered from years of experience across borders, time zones and cultures, I dive alongside men and women into the deep ocean of darkness— including all types of diversity, in-between/intersecting identities, worldwide travelers, high-achieving/performing and creative people. I am Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) certified and was formerly a clinical supervisor and psychologist at Johns Hopkins University.

I view psychotherapy as a joint venture in which we work collaboratively to reach your goals. My style is direct, transparent and positive, warm, interactive and nonjudgemental. I create the safety needed to allow us to explore the issues that underlie depression, anxiety, loneliness, lack of fulfillment and other concerns. As a therapist I follow your lead. With over two decades of experience I work diligently to understand each individual, employing elements of psychoanalytic, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral theories to create an approach that best suits the unique individuals and relationships with whom I am working.

I create a therapeutic space for adults who are overcoming challenging pasts to build fulfilling lives. Maybe you were raised in an invalidating environment, had stifled self-expression and creativity, felt pressured to conform to societal expectations, or had limited opportunities. These conditions can lead to immense anxiety, sadness, and loneliness. It’s also normal to struggle with low self-esteem and feeling out of place in the world. And perhaps these ghosts from the past hold you back from leading your best life today, whether that’s choosing a childfree lifestyle or coming out as LGBTQ+.

Perhaps you reached the top of the mountain only to ask, now what? An adamant voice says there is no life worth leading unless you are exceptional. Or you manage things on the surface seamlessly only to feel overwhelmed behind closed doors. It would make so much sense. Our environment has demanded more in recent times—be more, do more, have more—all at once. It is not by chance we exist in the age of superheroes and social media. There are bigger shoes for us and our children to grow into yet not enough room to play or tend to the inner person. Perhaps we learned ways to survive that no longer serve us.

We often come to therapy because something in our life has emerged in a way we find challenging to navigate on our own. I approach our work together with this in mind, and as an honored participant in your journey toward growth and deepened insight. My therapeutic style is rooted in relational psychodynamic, IFS, and ACT interventions and centered in values of patience, humility, empathy, and humor. I strive to see you through the lens of your unique life experiences and to work collaboratively so we can effectively address your concerns. My hope is that, together, we can help you live a life that feels authentic and empowered.

People come to see me when they feel challenged by life circumstances, by depression, anxiety, or because they know that life holds more for them than they are currently experiencing. We can come to understand the roots of these experiences and to see where the blocks are to either living a life that feels like your own, or being more of yourself in the life that you have. I have found there to be a wide range of people who feel comfortable working with me, quite varied with regard to gender, age, stage of life, cultural background and sexual orientation.

Meaningful relationships are an essential part of fulfillment and happiness. I believe in the unique power of the relationship that develops between therapist and client. Through an exploration of this interaction, we can more wholly understand your past and current relationships and help shape future experiences. I work with people who are struggling in a variety of ways and are ready to dig in and do some difficult and deeply powerful work that will lead to greater choice and freedom. I view my opportunity to join individuals in their journey toward self-understanding as a great privilege and find the work exciting and gratifying.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it." Helen Keller. Those words have been a source of inspiration to me for years as a person and a psychotherapist. I have worked with many people who have been brave enough to try to understand and make changes to what they struggle with in life, and also to live life more fully, creatively, and lovingly.

I am a psychotherapist providing services for individuals, teens, and young adults who often come to me with experiences of sadness, anxiety, grief, anger, depression, low self-esteem, and/or self-harming behaviors. Others seek support in navigating relationship challenges, including their relationship with themselves or substances, traumatic experiences, or a longing to understand themselves more fully. The human experience can be painful, taking various forms that impact how we navigate the world, relate to others, and relate to ourselves. Together, we embark on a journey to understand your pain and discover pathways through it.

I provide psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families. My aim is to help you identify and understand past experiences and to assist you in making decisions to cultivate a life of satisfaction, meaning and peace.

Choosing a therapist can be a daunting process. I am inspired by anyone who is willing to reach out to a complete stranger, in order to challenge and heal themselves. I believe safety and non-judgment are among the most important aspects of the therapeutic relationship. I am committed to supporting you as we explore your thoughts and feelings, looking closely at barriers that until now have limited your insights and clarity. Your power to feel better comes from looking inward, instead of out, and I want to help you do the work to get to that healing place.

I strive to facilitate a reflective and explorative environment where the unbearable can be held and truth can be spoken. Multicultural and bilingual elements of my identity, and a history of enduring ethnic discrimination and immigration, significantly inform how I listen to my clients, think through trauma and fragmentation with them. Unconscious repetitions of aversion, clinging, and reenactments of familiar/familial ways of being bind us in suffering. Through psychotherapy, rigid frames of being can be deconstructed and psychological space can be reclaimed for creativity, desire and becoming.

Nicole Danielle Watts, LCSW is an intuitive creative, public servant, and compassionate visionary possessing over 30 years of Clinical Social Work experience. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The University of Maryland at College Park and her Master of Social Work Degree from Howard University in Washington, DC. She was credentialed as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the year 2000. Nicole has provided mental health treatment services in a myriad of settings. Her clinical work with youth, adults, couples, and families has spanned over three decades.

Welcome! I'm always struck by how therapy helps us unstick. It's worth it. We just weren't meant to solve all our problems alone. In our work, I'll meet you where you're at, at your pace. Together, we'll create the space where you feel safe to share, solutions can emerge, and you can know yourself better. The skills I bring help things shift over time, combining present listening with eliciting and sharing insights. And while I'll bring my own perspectives, I also welcome pushback. This is a collaborative project. I work with people 1-3x/week.