"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
- Mary Oliver
WHY & WHO
WHY PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Change - real change - is one of the most difficult things we can undertake as humans. Whether in one's work, one's relationships, or within one's self - behaviorally, emotionally, intellectually, or physically - there are many forces, both internal and external, that can make lasting substantive changes to one's life incredibly difficult to achieve.
Understanding those forces is what happens in psychotherapy. Through talking and listening we hope to understand together what is known, but also what has been difficult to know. In conversation, recalled and shared experiences, and moments of discovery, the unconscious components that have had an influence can be brought into awareness. This awareness brings opportunity to the situation - not just to understand, but to work through the conflict and bring fuller agency to one's wishes. In addition, this can allow for one to emerge with greater confidence, a deeper sense of knowing one's self, and an increased feeling of freedom.
For most people, some aspects of both fear and hope are present as they work to share honestly, tolerate their vulnerability, and create space to both think and feel. In this process, each person’s relationship with the therapist is important, and can lead to greater insight about internal experiences, as well as offering new ways of relating to one's self and others.
As a therapist, I have an active, open way of working. I am curious, engaged, honest, and direct. I take people’s need for change very seriously, and I am an advocate for finding ways to help people live with greater depth, satisfaction, and choice. While this can involve diligence, resilience, and perseverance, I find that play and creativity are also integral in helping people make fundamental changes.
SPECIALTIES
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Anxiety
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Depression,
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Academic problems
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Career transitions
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Acculturation challenges
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Parenting concerns
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Eating Disorders
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Trauma
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Relationship problems
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Climate Distress
ABOUT ME
I am an experienced psychotherapist with offices in both San Francisco and Berkeley. I provide therapy for adults and adolescents as my primary focus. I meet with individuals, couples, and families to help them overcome areas of emotional and relational difficulties.
EXPERIENCE
I have been an active participant in the Bay Area mental health community for almost 20 years, and in private practice since 2001.
My professional credentials include:
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MA Counseling Psychology, with licensure by the Board of Behavioral Sciences to practice psychotherapy in the state of California.
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Served for 5 years as the Training Director for psychotherapist interns at the McAuley Institute, Adolescent Inpatient Unit, St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco.
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Extensive experience in providing individual, group, and family therapy in hospital, day treatment, and community clinic settings.
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Provision of supervision and consultation to those in the MFT licensing process, as well as psychotherapy within my private practice.
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Speaker: "The Depressed Child in the Classroom" Healthy Teacher Healthy Classroom Summit through the Catholic Schools Department of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
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Panel member: Contemporary Jewish Museum, reflecting on the psychological aspects of Maurice Sendak’s work.
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Book Review, Fort Da, "Where the Wild Things Are", by Maurice Sendak.
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Panel Member: "Fearing the Faux Pas: What Can and Cannot Be Said Between Us", Access Institute Alumni Association.
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Presenter: San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute’s Community Forum.
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Member of the Preschool Consultation Project through the Child Development Program at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.
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Instructor: Nothern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (NCSPP), Intensive Study Group "Our Bodies, Our (Clinical) Selves.
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Trainer: Considerations for Group Therapy with Adolescents in a School Setting. RAMS, San Francisco.
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Executive Committee Member, Climate-Psychology Alliance of North America
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Facilitator, Climate Cafes, Virtual reflective conversations for climate emotions.
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Coordinator of Climate Emotion Support Group Hub, Climate Psychology Alliance of North America (CPA-NA) audreymartin@climatepsychology.us
CONTACT ME
To set up an initial consultation to share more about your specific needs in therapy, please call or email me.
The contact information is applicable to my offices in both
San Francisco and Berkeley. Virtually I'm available to work with anyone in California.
PHONE
415-255-4215
ADDRESS
417 Spruce Street.
San Francisco, CA 94117
1525 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94709