Psychodynamic Therapists in San Francisco, CA

I utilize a strength-based and psychodynamic approach that will guide you in re-establishing an authentic relationship with yourself and others so that you may show up lovingly and mindfully to the life you envision. My aim is to create a nurturing, non-judgmental space where clients can feel at home in the healing process. I use a sense of humor, empathy, and compassion to build rapport with clients, and also to support clients in feeling empowered on their transformative journey.

No matter what is happening in your life and what you are going through, you can expect me to hold a dedicated relational container to meet you with compassion, empathy, warmth, and curiosity. I believe these qualities of mine are what make a therapeutic relationship successful to accompany your healing and transformative journey. I don’t take your trust lightly, and I believe trust and safety are earned in an on-going process.

Through my 10 years of experience working with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds from NYC to SF, I developed a very collaborative approach, which includes but not limited to humanistic, psychodynamic, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral. I integrate creative modality with practical CBT, ACT, Trauma Informed Therapy, and Coaching to reach the best outcome for each individual. I help my clients connect with purpose, passion, and community to go from managing difficult times to thriving and living life fully.

As a Black, queer femme with mixed ancestry, I carry with me both a personal and professional understanding of the systems of oppression and domination that entangle with identity and wreak havoc in our lives. I have specific interest and experience working with those struggling with racial identity, sexual identity and gender identity; those healing from and finding their independence from/within dysfunctional family dynamics; folks who have been affected by intimate partner violence and dating violence; and those seeking to uncover patterns of intergenerational trauma within themselves and their family systems.

I have extensive experience addressing trauma in women who have been victims of domestic violence. My approach is mostly Psychodynamic with Cognitive Restructuring to help these victims process their past trauma and gain insight into establishing healthy boundaries. This approach has helped many clients gain self-confidence and self-empowerment to continue in life not as a victim but as a survivor of trauma. Clients have been able to learn skills that help them better manage their symptoms and gain a sense of control and self in their lives moving forward.

My approach to therapy is client-centered, with mindful tending to each client's psychological space, exploring answers to problems, and discovering how to respond most effectively to changes. I am person-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based in my approach, and I work with all mental health concerns in adults, especially with trauma, anxiety, work-related stress, disordered thinking, personality disorders, and depression.

I believe therapy is a journey that can foster healing, change, and personal growth. My goal is to provide a compassionate, collaborative, and safe therapeutic space that allows for vulnerability, healing, and transformation. I have over 17 years of clinical experience helping individuals work through depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, life transitions, stress, and relationship issues.

I offer a heartfelt approach to therapy that is warm, engaged, and focused on getting to the root of the issues you want to address. Often we are scared to face our upsetting thoughts and feelings alone. I feel honored to be able to accompany people on this journey as an experienced guide. In this role I will help you to process unresolved feelings and experiences and also work with and ultimately heal parts of your self that may be keeping you stuck. My aim is to help you get to a place where you feel liberated from old feelings, beliefs and patterns and more authentically and vibrantly connected to yourself and those close to you.

Navigating our internal and external realities - work, family and relationships - can be challenging. At times, engaging with another person who listens carefully can help with exploration, acceptance and change. I work with people from a range of different backgrounds, including artists facing creative blocks, immigrants wishing to find greater freedom in the in-between spaces they inhabit, and people who have gone through adversity and seek relief from distress.

I view mental health as an important part of one’s well-being. Difficulties and challenges are natural part of our lives. My role as a counselor is to be of assistance to clients to work through challenges and grow in the process. I believe that we all have the potential to find answers to the questions life gives to us, and my job is to help clients get in touch with their inner wisdom that is within them but not always accessible. My work is dedicated towards helping clients gain a better understanding of themselves, their relationships, problems, and personal patterns to feel liberated and lead more meaningful lives.

I enjoy supporting my clients' curiosity to uncover and explore what contributes to who they are and how they connect with the people in their lives. I work especially well with traumatic experiences, troubled upbringing, grief and anxiety. If you want to understand or change the way you relate to yourself, your story and the world and maybe are longing for a more authentic self expression and acceptance or sense of iner strength, we might be a good fit. I believe that sustainable change happens from the inside and you have the capacity to create this change.

Through compassion, humor, and gentle challenge, I work to create a supportive environment to help individuals and families overcome temporary setbacks, heal old wounds, and change dysfunctional patterns. My areas of expertise include anxiety, interpersonal trauma, issues related to parenting, early childhood mental health, and disruptions in early attachment.

Are you interested in living life to the fullest but struggle to achieve it? You've taken the first steps towards healing. Carter Care Therapeutic Services is dedicated to you! Regardless of what you're going through, our team of Licensed Therapist will strive to bring out the best in you. You're not alone. We can assist you in resolving your past pain! We will affirm your strengths and challenge you to use them. While promoting insight, healing and change in an environment full of warmth and genuineness. Carter Care Therapist are here to provide a safe, unbiased and non-judgmental environment.

Therapy is a way of connecting to yourself and exploring your challenges in a safe and collaborative way. I understand the bravery it takes to show up in your vulnerability and I aim to provide a safe, non-judgmental, and compassionate space that cultivates courage over comfort in our work. As a somatic psychotherapist, I like to offer a space for the body and mind to connect. My work is also influenced by humanistic, relational, and psychodynamic modalities tailored to support your unique individual needs.

Are you feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or uncertain about the future? Do you feel overwhelmed by life transitions? Do conflicts with loved ones feel like walking on eggshells? Maybe you're trying to find your voice again after a breakup or career change. Together, we can create a safe space for you to explore your emotions and develop deep self-awareness, empowering you to overcome life’s challenges. You will discover the tools and abilities to voice your needs and navigate resentments and conflicts with others. I accept insurance (Aetna, Cigna, Optum, UHC, LA Care, Anthem) I also accept out of network.

Life can be better... we can feel, think, and live more in alignment with the ways that we really want to. Psychotherapy is an effective tool that can help get us there. While friends can help relieve loneliness and various medications can ease symptoms, the process of psychotherapy helps us to change the way we experience and interact with our feelings and with the world around us. For the past 20 years I have had a full-time psychotherapy practice and have helped many individuals and couples activate potential and live fuller more rewarding lives.

My clinical practice includes everything from complex mental health diagnoses to people going through a difficult time. I use a person-centered, relational style, and my framework is based on a Psychodynamic approach with an emphasis on family systems.

I have over 20 years of experience working with adults, children, adolescents, and couples in a variety of settings. My approach involves warmth, honesty, insight, compassion, and humor. My philosophy is grounded in the core Humanistic principles of genuineness, empathy, and respect. Through my work, I have helped people from diverse backgrounds achieve improved health and move toward greater satisfaction in their lives and in themselves. I encourage individuals to tap into their own inherent strengths to find new, and more constructive, ways of navigating life's problems.

On the Margins offers trauma-informed and culturally responsive therapy services in-person and virtually. Services are provided in English and Spanish by our bilingual and multicultural practitioners. The cost of each session is set by an income-based sliding scale. We also accept Medicare and Carelon Commercial insurances (formerly Beacon Health).