Female Therapists in San Francisco, CA

I help individuals and couples during hard experiences, be it anxiety, depression, communication struggles, intimacy issues, burnout. Sometimes our coping mechanisms just stop working. You need a therapist who works towards your goals. That's where I come in. I have helped individuals and couples for 25+ years, I am deeply passionate about my helping people and my clients mean the world to me.

I’m so happy you’re here! I understand that you’re ready for support as you are going through a rough patch or because you are ready to make significant changes to improve your inner life, practical life, work, or relationships. My own life is fuller and richer because I went for therapy and coaching at a couple of crucial times. I am grateful for the help in learning how to move beyond blind spots and through stuck spaces or misunderstandings. I think of my work as an offer to you where, from graduate school, life experience and coaching, I bring listening and pragmatic tools to help you live fully or change your life.

Over the past 30+ years I have helped people with a wide range of problems and challenges. These may include anxiety and worry, depression and sadness, relationship difficulties, work related stress, loss of a loved one, loss of a relationship, and difficulty with life transitions such as divorce, losing or changing jobs, becoming a parent, moving to a new city, facing an empty nest, and aging. I also see people who are struggling with old feelings from an earlier difficulty or trauma that are being triggered by some current life situation or event.

I work with my clients in a supportive and engaged way to achieve real personal growth and confidence. I help clients heal anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles and unhealthy patterns. I believe we all have within us what we need to flourish -- a nurturing therapeutic relationship can unlock your capacity to heal and thrive. With the support you've been longing for, you can feel better and more confident, more connected in your relationships, and be more successful. I use a variety of evidence-based approaches, depending on clients' needs. My orientation is relational, experiential, based in brain science.

Welcome and congratulations for taking this first step on your journey to change and growth! My name is Shelly and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I became a Social Worker because I am passionate about helping people. I became a therapist because I believe in the healing power of conversation, allowing me the privilege to help people overcome obstacles to being joyful, healthy, and connected. I believe we all carry within us the resources we need to enjoy life in a realistic and authentic way.

I am glad you are here! I am a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in working with individuals and couples. I aim to help you get unstuck and enliven the direction you want to go with compassion, humor, and my clinical experience that spans over a decade. I enjoy working with a wide variety of clients, including first-generation, LGBTQ+, or those lacking a sense of belonging at times. I work from a social justice framework to help clients dismantle internalized systems of oppression in order to live meaningfully, despite us having to exist in these realities.

Empathy is a keystone of the therapeutic relationship. It fosters a partnership between the two of us that promotes wellness, and a sense of safety and trust. Together, we collaborate in setting goals so that you develop insight and make meaningful changes in your life. Our work might include mindfulness for stress, cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and/or anxiety and psychodynamic work to uncover deeper issues. You might be struggling with life transitions, low self esteem, a recent loss or a creative block. We use a variety of approaches to help you get back on track.

Talking with a therapist provides a safe place to talk about painful thoughts, feelings and stressors. You may be feeling sad, angry, anxious or stuck. You may be unable to control negative thoughts, unhealthy behaviors, engaging in unhealthy relationships or repeating destructive patterns. You may be distressed from memories related to traumatic events. It takes courage to talk to another person about these undesirable and distressing parts of your life. I offer a safe space to talk and be listened to. When you are ready, I’d like to help you feel better about yourself, your relationships and your life.

If you are reading this, you have gotten my name from a person or a search. You want to know why to call me. Some reasons why include: I am direct, perceptive, and can tell you quickly whether and how I plan to help you. I have special experience with GLBTQ clients, parents, people with mood disorders, trauma, therapist clients, and psychoanalysis. I have been a teacher and supervisor as well as a therapist for thirty years, which helps me have language and a plan for what we do. Call me if you think we might be a match.

Welcome to my practice! Have you been feeling like anxiety, low mood and motivation have been getting you stuck and preventing you from living the life you want to? Anxiety is a normal and important feeling that we developed to protect us from harm. If you are experiencing overwhelming levels of anxiety though, it can prevent you from doing things you care about, disrupt your social life and cause intense distress. Similarly, if you suffer from very low mood and motivation, it might seem impossible to engage in activities you previously cared about.

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.

This human experience is at times daunting. Even welcomed life transitions can leave us feeling untethered. You may be struggling to feel comfortable in your own skin, find deeper connection in your relationships, or knowing your place in this world. I believe in the innate wisdom each individual possesses. I will accompany you into this lifelong process of returning to your sense of self. We come to know ourselves more fully through our relationships even as the discoveries may be startling or disorienting. Through these explorations you will find a deepened connection with what you ardently seek.

Most therapists will say they specialize in what you’re dealing with. Given my decades of experience, I have become fairly scrupulous about the clients I choose to work with. I see therapy as collaborative. If you’re ready to put in the work necessary for change, you’ve come to the right place. If the following sounds like you, feel free to reach out to me now: You know what you want to change in your life; you realize that a commitment to change means that most of the work is going to be on your end; and you're ready to trust in someone to partner with you.

I am here to join with you as you explore therapy as a path to heal and thrive. Taking the step to engage in therapy can feel daunting. I will take that step with you and provide support and a safe place. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years’ experience in direct practice. Throughout my practice I have focused on the importance of identifying all aspects of my clients’ lives that impact their well-being (support systems, cultural, work/ school environment, physical health, life experience, faith/spirituality) to provide treatment through a holistic person-in- environment perspective.

* ADULTS: I work with issues of loss, stress, anxiety, depression, abuse, sex addiction, spiritual guidance, and developmental life changes.* CHILDREN: I invite their stories that may be troubled due to emotional and academic issues. Through play, art and sand tray, I address issues of divorce, traumatic losses, abuse, adoption, bullying and low self esteem that may be affecting your children. * COUPLES: My passion is to help the couple find a yet unknown way to a compassionate, loving, open communicative relationship; to become vulnerable to the pain and wounds of each other's soul.

The most critical relationship you will have in your life is the one with yourself. People, trauma, rejection and failure can impact your perception and interactions. Therapy can help with understanding your thoughts, feelings and actions that can be barriers to your progress. It IS possible to develop life skills to overcome challenges. My hope for you in therapy is to learn to trust the decisions that you make and to be kind to yourself no matter the outcome.

Adulting and parenting; the struggle is REAL. You feel like you should have it all together but feel that you are overwhelmed, falling behind and not enough. Family, friendship and intimate partner relationships can be challenging. Career burnout and perfectionism can make it difficult to find a sustained sense of accomplishment, acceptance and joy. Parenting/caregiving is a rollercoaster of emotions, the ultimate balancing act and not showing up the way you want. Transitions are hard and navigating your 20s-30s is more stressful and rocky than you expected. You want to make a change but not sure where to start. Change is possible.

As a therapist, I want to encourage others to reach out and experience the benefits of therapy. My therapeutic style is rooted in the belief that people are intrinsically valued and are deserving of fundamental human connection; to be seen, to be heard, and to be understood. These fundamental values hold the framework in how I work with the individual. I enjoy working with Asian American individuals who may have conflict with immigrant parents due to cultural and generational differences. Individuals who struggle with self-identity, and reconciling cultural issues and family dynamics.

Rima is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over 15 years of clinical experience working with a variety of individuals, children, and families on their goals for overall health and wellbeing. Rima began her professional career as an elementary school teacher, where she developed a desire to help her students and families cope with the stressors in life that made education challenging. Witnessing the struggles of the children in her classroom left a lasting impression on Rima, and she knew that she wanted to help the community in a different way.