Dissociative Disorders (DID) Therapists in San Francisco, CA

Photo of Jennifer Morris, MA, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Jennifer Morris
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
7 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94109  (Online Only)
My passion is to work with individuals who have experienced trauma and abuse and who are suffering from anxiety, anger, depression or other symptoms of PTSD and Dissociative Disorders (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) as a result of that trauma. I have experience working with victims of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse. I love working with high functioning autistic clients and other neurodiverse populations. Lastly, I also enjoy working with Highly Sensitive people and work with spiritual concerns, spiritual exploration and religious trauma of any kind. Please see my website for more information about me.
My passion is to work with individuals who have experienced trauma and abuse and who are suffering from anxiety, anger, depression or other symptoms of PTSD and Dissociative Disorders (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) as a result of that trauma. I have experience working with victims of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse. I love working with high functioning autistic clients and other neurodiverse populations. Lastly, I also enjoy working with Highly Sensitive people and work with spiritual concerns, spiritual exploration and religious trauma of any kind. Please see my website for more information about me.
(949) 379-2748 View (949) 379-2748
Photo of Maria Holden, PsyD, Psychologist
Maria Holden
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94115  (Online Only)
Are you working through trauma or a difficult life transition? Are you in relationship with a toxic or narcissistic person? Are you facing painful loss? Do you want to use principles of spirituality to strengthen you and answer life's deepest questions? Do you suffer from DID or dissociative disorder? For 30 years, I have guided people toward authentic ways of living and relating. Through many types of treatment, I help people to understand how traumatic life events change us and how to transform thoughts, feelings, and relationships. We focus on real actions you can take to find the power to reverse the effects of pain and trauma.
Are you working through trauma or a difficult life transition? Are you in relationship with a toxic or narcissistic person? Are you facing painful loss? Do you want to use principles of spirituality to strengthen you and answer life's deepest questions? Do you suffer from DID or dissociative disorder? For 30 years, I have guided people toward authentic ways of living and relating. Through many types of treatment, I help people to understand how traumatic life events change us and how to transform thoughts, feelings, and relationships. We focus on real actions you can take to find the power to reverse the effects of pain and trauma.
(510) 216-1317 View (510) 216-1317
Photo of Ana Del Rosario Murray, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Ana Del Rosario Murray
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94112  (Online Only)
It is challenging to struggle alone but you don’t have to. Therapy can be a powerful tool that can aid in facilitating the changes you want to see in yourself and within your life. Utilizing video platforms you can access the support and tools you need from the comfort of your own home. I look to pursue and activate inner resilience and self-healing potentials that you have within you in order to obtain positive and long-lasting treatment outcomes. You are the expert of your own life and I would be honored to walk alongside you in your journey to healing.
It is challenging to struggle alone but you don’t have to. Therapy can be a powerful tool that can aid in facilitating the changes you want to see in yourself and within your life. Utilizing video platforms you can access the support and tools you need from the comfort of your own home. I look to pursue and activate inner resilience and self-healing potentials that you have within you in order to obtain positive and long-lasting treatment outcomes. You are the expert of your own life and I would be honored to walk alongside you in your journey to healing.
(628) 277-8008 View (628) 277-8008
Photo of CK Olivieri Blackmore, MFT, PhD, Marriage & Family Therapist
CK Olivieri Blackmore
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT, PhD
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94114  (Online Only)
CK Olivieri Blackmore is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who approaches life with warmth, compassion, and creativity. CK specializes in relationship dynamics, post-traumatic stress disorders, and developmental life transitions. She is particularly adept at issues pertaining to the queer community and their loved ones. CK utilizes eclectic modalities such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, EFT, Gottman, and IFS to navigate the nuanced needs of her diverse clientele and the associated sexual and gendered concerns that arise. Blending insight-oriented and behavioral change practices, CK works from a quirky and truly innovative lens.
CK Olivieri Blackmore is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who approaches life with warmth, compassion, and creativity. CK specializes in relationship dynamics, post-traumatic stress disorders, and developmental life transitions. She is particularly adept at issues pertaining to the queer community and their loved ones. CK utilizes eclectic modalities such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, EFT, Gottman, and IFS to navigate the nuanced needs of her diverse clientele and the associated sexual and gendered concerns that arise. Blending insight-oriented and behavioral change practices, CK works from a quirky and truly innovative lens.
(518) 269-5458 View (518) 269-5458
Photo of Kylie Svenson - Svenson Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Svenson Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW, LICSW
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94118
If your child has experienced trauma & dissociation, they may have trouble managing their feelings, communicating their needs, or be using challenging behaviors. The world can feel scary to the traumatized child, so it's hard for them to communicate. They often cope in ways that were the best solution during the trauma, but no longer fit current circumstances, and which seem confusing or destructive. I see it as my job to help your child explore their inner world, so, through the language of play, they can learn how to express emotions, solve problems, & get needs met in healthy ways that fit the present!
If your child has experienced trauma & dissociation, they may have trouble managing their feelings, communicating their needs, or be using challenging behaviors. The world can feel scary to the traumatized child, so it's hard for them to communicate. They often cope in ways that were the best solution during the trauma, but no longer fit current circumstances, and which seem confusing or destructive. I see it as my job to help your child explore their inner world, so, through the language of play, they can learn how to express emotions, solve problems, & get needs met in healthy ways that fit the present!
(628) 227-6135 View (628) 227-6135
Photo of Laura DeSantis, LPCC, Counselor
Laura DeSantis
Counselor, LPCC
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94118
As a therapist, my goal is to foster a space for you to explore what you want for yourself and your life through introspection, healing, and acceptance of self. I offer an interactive style that is engaged, compassionate, attuned to your strengths, and informed by modern neuroscience so we're getting to the root of things. This space is yours, a place where you can be heard without judgment, where vulnerability meets understanding, and where healing can truly happen.
As a therapist, my goal is to foster a space for you to explore what you want for yourself and your life through introspection, healing, and acceptance of self. I offer an interactive style that is engaged, compassionate, attuned to your strengths, and informed by modern neuroscience so we're getting to the root of things. This space is yours, a place where you can be heard without judgment, where vulnerability meets understanding, and where healing can truly happen.
(628) 241-7672 View (628) 241-7672
Photo of Janelle M Salah, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Janelle M Salah
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94108
Meaningful change requires us to ask new questions ... so that new meanings can be made. One of the hardest things is to change what doesn't work, while not knowing how to make it all different. For the past 24 years, I have worked with folks who are trying hard to build a life in spite of childhood abuse and neglect, or who just don't understand why life isn't working out the way they hoped.
Meaningful change requires us to ask new questions ... so that new meanings can be made. One of the hardest things is to change what doesn't work, while not knowing how to make it all different. For the past 24 years, I have worked with folks who are trying hard to build a life in spite of childhood abuse and neglect, or who just don't understand why life isn't working out the way they hoped.
(510) 540-5970 View (510) 540-5970
Photo of Dr. Thaen Saelee, PsyD, EMDR, Psychologist
Dr. Thaen Saelee
Psychologist, PsyD, EMDR
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94101  (Online Only)
I operate from a trauma-informed lens. I use evidence-based, holistic, and indigenous healing practices in working through trauma. We all deserve safety in our connection to others, the world and ourselves. As a third-culture psychologist, my empathy well runs deep. I am here to support anyone working on acceptance, belonging, compassion and safety. My method targets stuck places in your past that still interfere with your life today. I have been a counselor for over 15 years. I find meaning in the stability I’ve co-created with folx. I would love to hear from you if these are themes that resonate with you.
I operate from a trauma-informed lens. I use evidence-based, holistic, and indigenous healing practices in working through trauma. We all deserve safety in our connection to others, the world and ourselves. As a third-culture psychologist, my empathy well runs deep. I am here to support anyone working on acceptance, belonging, compassion and safety. My method targets stuck places in your past that still interfere with your life today. I have been a counselor for over 15 years. I find meaning in the stability I’ve co-created with folx. I would love to hear from you if these are themes that resonate with you.
(458) 237-4979 View (458) 237-4979
Photo of Erica M Folinsky (Theyshe), LCSW, CCTP, CCMHIMP, Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Erica M Folinsky (Theyshe)
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, CCTP, CCMHIMP
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94102  (Online Only)
We live in a hectic and chaotic world. Sometimes the tools we have just stop cutting it. Everything is suddenly a struggle. You may have been to a bunch of therapists and it didn't work. You may never have been to therapy and you just want to figure out how to feel better. You’re not alone, you’re not “crazy”. I can help. I'm a non binary, queer, AuDHD clinician who practices from a sex positive, trauma informed perspective and comes with an impressive list of trainings and certifications, but more importantly, I'm a regular human who's here to connect with you on a genuine and authentic level.
We live in a hectic and chaotic world. Sometimes the tools we have just stop cutting it. Everything is suddenly a struggle. You may have been to a bunch of therapists and it didn't work. You may never have been to therapy and you just want to figure out how to feel better. You’re not alone, you’re not “crazy”. I can help. I'm a non binary, queer, AuDHD clinician who practices from a sex positive, trauma informed perspective and comes with an impressive list of trainings and certifications, but more importantly, I'm a regular human who's here to connect with you on a genuine and authentic level.
(323) 210-3673 View (323) 210-3673
Photo of Celine M. Paganini, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Celine M. Paganini
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
7 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94104  (Online Only)
Whether struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, dissociation, relationships, reproduction or existential despair, I am here to help. By approaching your well-being from every angle, we will work together to facilitate a mindful exploration of your conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I will help you build a personalized self-care regimen aimed to help you learn about yourself in a kind, compassionate, and non-judgmental way. This may allow you to begin exploring how your mind and body process experiences; how your past may get activated in your present; and how your body instinctually responds.
Whether struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, dissociation, relationships, reproduction or existential despair, I am here to help. By approaching your well-being from every angle, we will work together to facilitate a mindful exploration of your conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I will help you build a personalized self-care regimen aimed to help you learn about yourself in a kind, compassionate, and non-judgmental way. This may allow you to begin exploring how your mind and body process experiences; how your past may get activated in your present; and how your body instinctually responds.
(323) 736-5732 View (323) 736-5732
Photo of Sandrah Susan Henry, MS, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Sandrah Susan Henry
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94114
I have over 40 years of experience helping people face challenges in their lives including loss, adoption related issues, addiction, relationships/couples, life threatening illness, chronic pain, anxiety, mood and bipolar disorder, PTSD, complex trauma, divorce, and other life transitions. I am a warm and caring therapist who is also able to be direct when needed. From the moment you enter my office I do all I can to provide a safe and comfortable environment for us to work collaboratively with whatever issues you are facing in your life today. You will always be treated with respect and compassion throughout our work together.
I have over 40 years of experience helping people face challenges in their lives including loss, adoption related issues, addiction, relationships/couples, life threatening illness, chronic pain, anxiety, mood and bipolar disorder, PTSD, complex trauma, divorce, and other life transitions. I am a warm and caring therapist who is also able to be direct when needed. From the moment you enter my office I do all I can to provide a safe and comfortable environment for us to work collaboratively with whatever issues you are facing in your life today. You will always be treated with respect and compassion throughout our work together.
(415) 687-0429 View (415) 687-0429
Photo of Smadar Salzman, MA, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Smadar Salzman
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
26 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94131  (Online Only)
Do you keep getting hurt in relationships? Keep repeating the same patterns that leave you anxious & depressed? You feel alone, numb, or spiral into intense overwhelming feelings out of nowhere. Early relationships are our blueprint for adult intimate relationships. They shape your perceptions & beliefs, often subconsciously. If you grew up with family conflict, abandonment, abuse, or trauma, adult relationships can be hard. You're tired of feeling stuck in the same painful patterns. You know something needs to change, you just aren't sure what, or how. You're ready to stop feeling broken & ready to do the work to heal past traumas.
Do you keep getting hurt in relationships? Keep repeating the same patterns that leave you anxious & depressed? You feel alone, numb, or spiral into intense overwhelming feelings out of nowhere. Early relationships are our blueprint for adult intimate relationships. They shape your perceptions & beliefs, often subconsciously. If you grew up with family conflict, abandonment, abuse, or trauma, adult relationships can be hard. You're tired of feeling stuck in the same painful patterns. You know something needs to change, you just aren't sure what, or how. You're ready to stop feeling broken & ready to do the work to heal past traumas.
(415) 702-0360 View (415) 702-0360
Photo of Howard Sugarman, MA, MFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Howard Sugarman
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94118
I bring 40 plus years of assorted, diverse and complex Clinical Experience to the care of my patients. I offer Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy providing Individual, Couple & Family Treatments. MFT License 17611 - May 1982; Certified as a Psychoanalyst by The International Psychoanalytical Association. Working in conjunction with each person that comes to me, I strive to formulate a treatment which is responsive and that creates the conditions to most deeply address their personal concerns.
I bring 40 plus years of assorted, diverse and complex Clinical Experience to the care of my patients. I offer Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy providing Individual, Couple & Family Treatments. MFT License 17611 - May 1982; Certified as a Psychoanalyst by The International Psychoanalytical Association. Working in conjunction with each person that comes to me, I strive to formulate a treatment which is responsive and that creates the conditions to most deeply address their personal concerns.
(415) 766-9178 View (415) 766-9178
Photo of Sahar Akhtar, LPCC, LPC, MSEd, INHC, RYT
Sahar Akhtar
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC, LPC, MSEd, INHC, RYT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94115
People who decide to work with me are looking for someone who they feel comfortable sharing with. Someone who understands them culturally. Someone who can restore hope, work with them to implement healthier thought patterns, increase desired behaviors and empower them. People who work with me want better for themselves but feel stuck.
People who decide to work with me are looking for someone who they feel comfortable sharing with. Someone who understands them culturally. Someone who can restore hope, work with them to implement healthier thought patterns, increase desired behaviors and empower them. People who work with me want better for themselves but feel stuck.
(415) 480-5264 View (415) 480-5264
Photo of Carl Montgomery, MA, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Carl Montgomery
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94102
If you've been in therapy before and had a not-so-great experience, chances are you'll fare better with me. I can't guarantee this, but I say it confidently because I'm very good at adapting how I work to each client's needs and abilities - especially in the early going.
If you've been in therapy before and had a not-so-great experience, chances are you'll fare better with me. I can't guarantee this, but I say it confidently because I'm very good at adapting how I work to each client's needs and abilities - especially in the early going.
(415) 689-8283 View (415) 689-8283
Photo of Jen Plummer, PsyD, Psychologist
Jen Plummer
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94110  (Online Only)
Beginning psychotherapy can be both an exciting and sometimes, challenging process. Each person is the "expert" on their own experience, but at times we need collaborative support in order to sort through our emotional lives. We may feel stuck in our current ways of coping and desire to make a change, or we may have been urged by loved ones to seek help. Therapy allows us to open up our minds in an environment of safety, leaving us free to explore new ways of thinking and being in the world.
Beginning psychotherapy can be both an exciting and sometimes, challenging process. Each person is the "expert" on their own experience, but at times we need collaborative support in order to sort through our emotional lives. We may feel stuck in our current ways of coping and desire to make a change, or we may have been urged by loved ones to seek help. Therapy allows us to open up our minds in an environment of safety, leaving us free to explore new ways of thinking and being in the world.
(415) 340-6256 View (415) 340-6256
Photo of Daniel G Butler, PhD, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Daniel G Butler
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94102
I work with adults, adolescents, and couples. Most of the adults in my practice are ambitious people who want to grow in their careers and/or romantic lives. As a psychoanalytic therapist, I'm trained to provide intensive psychotherapy that leads to long-term change. As a psychodynamic coach, I help individuals tap social and psychological resources that enable them to grow into demanding leadership roles. My style is curious and playful, direct and deep.
I work with adults, adolescents, and couples. Most of the adults in my practice are ambitious people who want to grow in their careers and/or romantic lives. As a psychoanalytic therapist, I'm trained to provide intensive psychotherapy that leads to long-term change. As a psychodynamic coach, I help individuals tap social and psychological resources that enable them to grow into demanding leadership roles. My style is curious and playful, direct and deep.
(415) 881-7712 View (415) 881-7712
Photo of Jason Mark Thompson, PhD, Psychologist
Jason Mark Thompson
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94110  (Online Only)
I work primarily with trauma survivors: people who have gone through experiences that were too painful, shameful, frightening, or confusing to put into words at the moment those experiences occurred. You were or are alone in an unbearable situation. It wasn’t or isn't safe to talk about what you were going through. Those painful events might have happened yesterday, or maybe twenty years ago – but the bad feelings have never left you. One day you decide it’s time to figure out what happened, and how to cope, and how to build a life of meaning and purpose. I hope that day is today. I believe I can help you.
I work primarily with trauma survivors: people who have gone through experiences that were too painful, shameful, frightening, or confusing to put into words at the moment those experiences occurred. You were or are alone in an unbearable situation. It wasn’t or isn't safe to talk about what you were going through. Those painful events might have happened yesterday, or maybe twenty years ago – but the bad feelings have never left you. One day you decide it’s time to figure out what happened, and how to cope, and how to build a life of meaning and purpose. I hope that day is today. I believe I can help you.
(415) 488-8490 View (415) 488-8490
Photo of Dave Cooperberg, MA, MFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Dave Cooperberg
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94117
Feeling stuck in life, work or relationships? Living too long with anxiety or depression? Struggling with grief or trauma? Perhaps you just want to live a more joyous, lively and value centered life. Our needs often overlap between personal growth and in-depth psychotherapy. Working from the here-and-now, I have been assisting people enrich their lives since 1978.
Feeling stuck in life, work or relationships? Living too long with anxiety or depression? Struggling with grief or trauma? Perhaps you just want to live a more joyous, lively and value centered life. Our needs often overlap between personal growth and in-depth psychotherapy. Working from the here-and-now, I have been assisting people enrich their lives since 1978.
(628) 333-2193 View (628) 333-2193
Photo of Lori Kandels, MFT, MBA, Marriage & Family Therapist
Lori Kandels
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT, MBA
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94118
Free yourself from what binds you. Resolve anxiety, past trauma, work or relationship stress. Raise your financial set point. A bit about my approach... 1) Mindfulness and Neuroscience. If you are caught in a negative story, I offer practices that engage the mind and body such as mindfulness, EMDR, Brainspotting and EFT. When we are stressed, we don’t think as clearly and can fall into habits of negative thoughts and emotions. Those habits leave a neurological imprint in the body. Changing your mind is only half of the solution. You have to retrain your nervous system as well and mind/body practices speed that process along.
Free yourself from what binds you. Resolve anxiety, past trauma, work or relationship stress. Raise your financial set point. A bit about my approach... 1) Mindfulness and Neuroscience. If you are caught in a negative story, I offer practices that engage the mind and body such as mindfulness, EMDR, Brainspotting and EFT. When we are stressed, we don’t think as clearly and can fall into habits of negative thoughts and emotions. Those habits leave a neurological imprint in the body. Changing your mind is only half of the solution. You have to retrain your nervous system as well and mind/body practices speed that process along.
(415) 340-7089 View (415) 340-7089

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Dissociative Disorders (DID) Therapists

How does therapy for dissociative disorders work?

Dissociation may be triggered by stress or other upsetting circumstances, and therapy can address the traumatic events at the core of an individual’s dissociation. Understanding why a person may dissociate can help the therapist and the individual come up with alternative methods of coping. A person with a dissociative disorder may get stuck on negative thinking, for example, and treatment like Cognitive behavioral therapy is a gold standard for breaking such thinking. And dialectical behavior therapy, for example, can help a person manage their anguish through better emotion regulation.

Which therapies are best for dissociative disorders?

Specific approaches used by professionals include cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavior, psychodynamic, schema therapies, among others. Cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapies are two widely used therapies that can help individuals with painful memories and past traumas. These therapies work to integrate an individual's different identities into one person.

Are there specific medications for dissociation?

There are no specific medications prescribed for dissociative disorders. However, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and/or panic often co-occur in dissociative disorders. A psychiatrist may prescribe medications for any accompanying symptom—which may include antipsychotics like aripiprazole, antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines.

How often and how long are therapy sessions?

Like any type of therapy, sessions depend on the individual. Patients may see improvement within 15 to 20 sessions, at an average of 50 minutes per session, others may opt for 20 to 30 sessions over, perhaps, a six-month period. There are still other patients, especially those who have co-occurring conditions like depression and anxiety, who may need to continue sessions for up to 12 to 18 months.