Existential Therapists in San Francisco, CA
Hi, my name is John Robles, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has engaged with people, by way of a client centered approach, to partner with them in continuing their self-improvement journey. I have worked with clients struggling with anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress, depression, existential struggles and relational challenges. The conditions I am most comfortable treating are Anxiety, Depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Hi, my name is John Robles, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has engaged with people, by way of a client centered approach, to partner with them in continuing their self-improvement journey. I have worked with clients struggling with anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress, depression, existential struggles and relational challenges. The conditions I am most comfortable treating are Anxiety, Depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Niamh O’Sullivan
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94102
I have additional training in Gestalt therapy, Existential therapy, Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Sand Tray therapy.
You may be dealing with personal challenges or struggling with relationships in your life or life may have thrown you a curve ball. Asking for help can be tough and humbling and yet many of my clients tell me they wish they had done it sooner. Having a safe, compassionate and supportive space can be significant to healing and working through the trickier stages of our lives. My training combines the wisdom of Western and Eastern psychologies, embracing each person's uniqueness. I work compassionately supporting greater awareness, insight, choice and fulfillment.
I have additional training in Gestalt therapy, Existential therapy, Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Sand Tray therapy.
You may be dealing with personal challenges or struggling with relationships in your life or life may have thrown you a curve ball. Asking for help can be tough and humbling and yet many of my clients tell me they wish they had done it sooner. Having a safe, compassionate and supportive space can be significant to healing and working through the trickier stages of our lives. My training combines the wisdom of Western and Eastern psychologies, embracing each person's uniqueness. I work compassionately supporting greater awareness, insight, choice and fulfillment.
I utilize a humanistic lens while incorporating elements of emotion-focused and existential therapies.
Everyone has the potential for growth, healing, and self-discovery. In my career I have been fortunate to work with individuals, couples, and families from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. I have witnessed the resilience that each person has and how providing support can help people channel their unique strengths, resources, and insights. I aim to create a safe and supportive environment that empowers those I work with to explore their emotions and experiences, and to work towards developing greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-confidence.
I utilize a humanistic lens while incorporating elements of emotion-focused and existential therapies.
Everyone has the potential for growth, healing, and self-discovery. In my career I have been fortunate to work with individuals, couples, and families from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. I have witnessed the resilience that each person has and how providing support can help people channel their unique strengths, resources, and insights. I aim to create a safe and supportive environment that empowers those I work with to explore their emotions and experiences, and to work towards developing greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-confidence.
Jessica L Davis
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94114 (Online Only)
I work with couples and individuals that feel ready to examine their inner world and outer relationships, often feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Clients who wish to explore issues around sense of self, relationships, identity, sexuality, spirituality, psychedelics, or existential questions often resonate with my style. I offer couples and individuals a warm environment that is supportive, collaborative, and direct - offering tools & insights. I am continually expanding my offerings and have additional certifications in the research-based Gottman Method for Couples and a Certified Integrative Sex Therapy for Couples.
I work with couples and individuals that feel ready to examine their inner world and outer relationships, often feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Clients who wish to explore issues around sense of self, relationships, identity, sexuality, spirituality, psychedelics, or existential questions often resonate with my style. I offer couples and individuals a warm environment that is supportive, collaborative, and direct - offering tools & insights. I am continually expanding my offerings and have additional certifications in the research-based Gottman Method for Couples and a Certified Integrative Sex Therapy for Couples.
Therapy is a confidential space to explore areas where you are feeling stuck, experiencing difficulty, or contemplating change, with the goal of feeling more confident and whole as a person. I work with adult individuals who seek a deeper understanding of, and relief from, their suffering: depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship problems, spiritual/existential questions, and various forms of addiction (pornography, hypersexuality, substance abuse). Many times, addiction is accompanied by interactions with the legal system and therapy can be a safe space to process thoughts and feelings about legal problems or incarceration.
Therapy is a confidential space to explore areas where you are feeling stuck, experiencing difficulty, or contemplating change, with the goal of feeling more confident and whole as a person. I work with adult individuals who seek a deeper understanding of, and relief from, their suffering: depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship problems, spiritual/existential questions, and various forms of addiction (pornography, hypersexuality, substance abuse). Many times, addiction is accompanied by interactions with the legal system and therapy can be a safe space to process thoughts and feelings about legal problems or incarceration.
Emily Fasten
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94114
Therapy makes life better. It does so in ways that are both clear and concrete and somewhat mysterious. Maybe you arrive with a set goal -- manage anxiety, find a better job, or get more from a stalled relationship. Or maybe you're experiencing a more generalized state of existential discomfort or depression -- grappling with how to find meaning in life, a sense of cosmic isolation, or fear of mortality. We'll work collaboratively with the internal and external forces that are causing suffering, building sufficient self-support to make real, lasting changes.
Therapy makes life better. It does so in ways that are both clear and concrete and somewhat mysterious. Maybe you arrive with a set goal -- manage anxiety, find a better job, or get more from a stalled relationship. Or maybe you're experiencing a more generalized state of existential discomfort or depression -- grappling with how to find meaning in life, a sense of cosmic isolation, or fear of mortality. We'll work collaboratively with the internal and external forces that are causing suffering, building sufficient self-support to make real, lasting changes.
Michael Guy Thompson
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94123
I am among the few psychoanalysts who integrate their work with the existential perspective, rooted in my training with R.
One of the things that haunts me about our all too human condition is how much pain we have to suffer in the ordinary conduct of our lives. Who do we turn to when we are in such despair that we don’t know where to turn? I believe all of us suffer from occasional feelings of fear, alienation, depression, confusion. Some suffer from these symptoms more than others, but we are all otherwise more or less the same. I try to connect with your deepest existential issues and help you get to know yourself intimately, in order to bring the passion and happiness than has been missing back into your life . . . or perhaps, for the first time?
I am among the few psychoanalysts who integrate their work with the existential perspective, rooted in my training with R.
One of the things that haunts me about our all too human condition is how much pain we have to suffer in the ordinary conduct of our lives. Who do we turn to when we are in such despair that we don’t know where to turn? I believe all of us suffer from occasional feelings of fear, alienation, depression, confusion. Some suffer from these symptoms more than others, but we are all otherwise more or less the same. I try to connect with your deepest existential issues and help you get to know yourself intimately, in order to bring the passion and happiness than has been missing back into your life . . . or perhaps, for the first time?
Adam Kaufman
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94104 (Online Only)
Adam Kaufman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker working remotely in California and New York. Adam is passionate about helping individuals and couples from the Millennial and Gen X age groups. Many of Adam’s clients feel overwhelmed when they’re trying to find a sense of well-being while juggling their careers, partners, children, and more. This might leave them in an existential crisis, or numb to their emotions through addictions or unhealthy behaviors. Turning to therapy, they seek a feeling of purpose and a way to live a healthier life.
Adam Kaufman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker working remotely in California and New York. Adam is passionate about helping individuals and couples from the Millennial and Gen X age groups. Many of Adam’s clients feel overwhelmed when they’re trying to find a sense of well-being while juggling their careers, partners, children, and more. This might leave them in an existential crisis, or numb to their emotions through addictions or unhealthy behaviors. Turning to therapy, they seek a feeling of purpose and a way to live a healthier life.
This orientation to psychotherapy can be called existential or humanistic.
I enjoy working with individuals who are negotiating changes, difficulties, or losses in their lives and trying to understand their experience. I believe it is up to each of us to make sense of our lives, and psychotherapy is often a valuable place to explore this in an open and non-judgmental way. It is often turning points or changing phases of life that call us to question things, confront us with important decisions, and challenge us to decide what is meaningful. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, or events such as illness, trauma and loss can call into question our beliefs, values and goals in life.
This orientation to psychotherapy can be called existential or humanistic.
I enjoy working with individuals who are negotiating changes, difficulties, or losses in their lives and trying to understand their experience. I believe it is up to each of us to make sense of our lives, and psychotherapy is often a valuable place to explore this in an open and non-judgmental way. It is often turning points or changing phases of life that call us to question things, confront us with important decisions, and challenge us to decide what is meaningful. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, or events such as illness, trauma and loss can call into question our beliefs, values and goals in life.
CK Olivieri Blackmore
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT, PhD
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94114 (Online Only)
CK has worked with a vast array of human experiences over the past 15 years - from polyamory and existential crises to severe psychosis and sexual trauma.
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 has worked with a vast array of human experiences over the past 15 years - from polyamory and existential crises to severe psychosis and sexual trauma.
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.
Roxanne Shooshani
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
San Francisco, CA 94114 (Online Only)
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.
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.
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My therapeutic approach is integrative with focuses on the psychodynamic, interpersonal, and existential models.
I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner with extensive experience providing psychotherapy to adults of all ages. I also offer medication management to interested clients. I provide non-judgmental care for clients who want to improve their mental health and wellbeing. I am oriented towards the harm-reduction model and feel it is important to meet each client where they are in their individual mental health and wellness journey. My primary areas of interest are in trauma, substance abuse, and in working with the LGBTQ+ community. My other areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, & ADHD, among many other mental health concerns.
My therapeutic approach is integrative with focuses on the psychodynamic, interpersonal, and existential models.
I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner with extensive experience providing psychotherapy to adults of all ages. I also offer medication management to interested clients. I provide non-judgmental care for clients who want to improve their mental health and wellbeing. I am oriented towards the harm-reduction model and feel it is important to meet each client where they are in their individual mental health and wellness journey. My primary areas of interest are in trauma, substance abuse, and in working with the LGBTQ+ community. My other areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, & ADHD, among many other mental health concerns.
I have extensive training in humanistic/existential modalities.
Welcome. Are you ready for the work necessary to make real, enduring change? Do you have a troubling personal issue or suffer from general dissatisfaction? My orientation is to focus on the unconscious, the elusive essence of the problem. A powerful process unfolds when change occurs at this level of the mind. This opens the space for authentic personal transformation.
I have extensive training in humanistic/existential modalities.
Welcome. Are you ready for the work necessary to make real, enduring change? Do you have a troubling personal issue or suffer from general dissatisfaction? My orientation is to focus on the unconscious, the elusive essence of the problem. A powerful process unfolds when change occurs at this level of the mind. This opens the space for authentic personal transformation.
Whether you are experiencing anxiety, stress, relationship issues, coping with trauma, screaming at the world gone mad, seeking answers to spiritual or existential questions, or pursuing personal growth, I will work hard to empower you. Together, we will explore, clarify, and address issues at the root of your concerns, clearing a path towards inner peace.
Whether you are experiencing anxiety, stress, relationship issues, coping with trauma, screaming at the world gone mad, seeking answers to spiritual or existential questions, or pursuing personal growth, I will work hard to empower you. Together, we will explore, clarify, and address issues at the root of your concerns, clearing a path towards inner peace.
Hello, my name is Thasja Hoffmann, I am an LMFT & LPCC trauma-focused therapist. I have had over 20 years of experience, and I still feel very passionate about what I do. My main approach to therapy is to slow your experience down and help you notice what you are experiencing through Meta-awareness modalities and Mindfulness. I also find Somatic and EMDR approaches very helpful in processing information. My foundation in how I work comes from Humanistic/ Existential Psychology.
Hello, my name is Thasja Hoffmann, I am an LMFT & LPCC trauma-focused therapist. I have had over 20 years of experience, and I still feel very passionate about what I do. My main approach to therapy is to slow your experience down and help you notice what you are experiencing through Meta-awareness modalities and Mindfulness. I also find Somatic and EMDR approaches very helpful in processing information. My foundation in how I work comes from Humanistic/ Existential Psychology.
“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. Creativity, liberation, and transformation — getting your power back — these are core tenants in my practice. My approach merges reflective space to spark insight with concrete tools and strategies to drive change. I draw from existential philosophy, the arts, and culture, as well as research and theory to match unique needs with individualized treatments that resonate.
“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. Creativity, liberation, and transformation — getting your power back — these are core tenants in my practice. My approach merges reflective space to spark insight with concrete tools and strategies to drive change. I draw from existential philosophy, the arts, and culture, as well as research and theory to match unique needs with individualized treatments that resonate.
Psychotherapy relieves suffering by helping us think through things that we are usually too anxious or distracted to think about. By confiding to another person what comes to mind, we enter into a collaboration through which, together, we endeavor to make sense of the conflicts and confusion that lie at the bottom of our symptoms, anguish, and unhappiness. By focusing our attention on the everyday problems that concern us, we eventually arrive at the meaning of our suffering, and find a way through. The Free Association Clinic for Existential Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis was founded in 1988.
Psychotherapy relieves suffering by helping us think through things that we are usually too anxious or distracted to think about. By confiding to another person what comes to mind, we enter into a collaboration through which, together, we endeavor to make sense of the conflicts and confusion that lie at the bottom of our symptoms, anguish, and unhappiness. By focusing our attention on the everyday problems that concern us, we eventually arrive at the meaning of our suffering, and find a way through. The Free Association Clinic for Existential Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis was founded in 1988.
Vesna Lubina Westbrook
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
9 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94114 (Online Only)
My approach is Depth-oriented, transpersonal, relational, existential-humanistic.
I work with clients who are (highly) sensitive, empathic, or intuitive. Sensitive people have a finely attuned nervous system that is a huge gift when made conscious. They experience life deeply, yet don't always feel easily understood by others. Growing up, they often experienced not fitting in, and have adapted to a largely non-sensitive world in myriad ways that didn't always serve their best interest. I support sensitive people on their path to finding their voice, experiencing genuine relationships, purposeful work, and reclaiming their space in the world.
My approach is Depth-oriented, transpersonal, relational, existential-humanistic.
I work with clients who are (highly) sensitive, empathic, or intuitive. Sensitive people have a finely attuned nervous system that is a huge gift when made conscious. They experience life deeply, yet don't always feel easily understood by others. Growing up, they often experienced not fitting in, and have adapted to a largely non-sensitive world in myriad ways that didn't always serve their best interest. I support sensitive people on their path to finding their voice, experiencing genuine relationships, purposeful work, and reclaiming their space in the world.
Hi there, I'm Manoj Kumar! I am a licensed marriage and family therapist who works with adults and young adults on a range of issues including anxiety, depression, cultural stress, relationship issues, trauma, and PTSD. I employ techniques from CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic therapy, Existential therapy, and Solution-focused therapy modalities. I help my clients overcome their stress and anxiety so they can be more productive and enjoy their life. I believe that evidence-based therapeutic practices are very useful in dealing with symptoms of mental illnesses which cause stress and discomfort.
Hi there, I'm Manoj Kumar! I am a licensed marriage and family therapist who works with adults and young adults on a range of issues including anxiety, depression, cultural stress, relationship issues, trauma, and PTSD. I employ techniques from CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic therapy, Existential therapy, and Solution-focused therapy modalities. I help my clients overcome their stress and anxiety so they can be more productive and enjoy their life. I believe that evidence-based therapeutic practices are very useful in dealing with symptoms of mental illnesses which cause stress and discomfort.
Nico Vogelsang
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94123 (Online Only)
I have experience working with anxiety, work/life balance, depression, relationship struggles, exploring identity, self-compassion, grief, existential crises and what it means to be a human in this world.
Accepting new clients! What would you like to have different in your life? You and I will work together to help you meet your goals. For some, it might be to “feel better” and we can figure out what that means for you. Others are looking to get to know themselves better, to figure out what kind of life they want, or how to be their most authentic version of themselves. For some, it is addressing more specific needs, such as anxiety, sadness, feeling stuck, work-life balance, relationships, sexuality, or exploring values.
I have experience working with anxiety, work/life balance, depression, relationship struggles, exploring identity, self-compassion, grief, existential crises and what it means to be a human in this world.
Accepting new clients! What would you like to have different in your life? You and I will work together to help you meet your goals. For some, it might be to “feel better” and we can figure out what that means for you. Others are looking to get to know themselves better, to figure out what kind of life they want, or how to be their most authentic version of themselves. For some, it is addressing more specific needs, such as anxiety, sadness, feeling stuck, work-life balance, relationships, sexuality, or exploring values.
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Existential Therapists
How does existential therapy work?
Existential therapy focuses on a patient’s inner experiences. The therapist tries to help the individual comprehend and alleviate symptoms by exploring their interior life. By confronting negative disquiet and emotions, the individual will hopefully become more open to finding meaning and purpose. This therapy can be administered to individuals or groups.
Is existential therapy evidence-based?
Existential therapy is an evidence-based practice. Research has determined that existential therapy can lead to significant improvement in the mental health of patients, and for some people it can be just as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy. The benefits of existential therapy are enduring, even long after treatment has ended.
How long does existential therapy last?
The goal of existential therapy is to understand a person’s internal experiences, which may sound like a lengthy process, but it does not have to be so in-depth. However, sessions are not short-term, and therapy can continue for months or up to a year. And because patients learn the theory behind existential therapy during treatment, they can also practice its tenets throughout life after therapy sessions have been completed.
Is existential therapy effective?
According to research, many patients find success with existential therapy. Researchers note that the therapy is particularly useful in improving feelings of isolation, feelings of purposelessness, as well as conditions such as anxiety and depression. Improvements in problem areas can persist even after the end of existential therapy, as individuals can continue working on themselves by using the tools they’ve developed during treatment.