Therapy
I provide virtual psychotherapy services for new or expecting parents and their young children (aged newborn to three) in the East Bay and San Francisco. New parenthood is a time of great transition-logistically, too. This is why I am happy to provide therapy over video or phone. Baby can nap or play while we talk, and you don't have to coordinate one more thing to get support. You have enough going on!
New Parenthood
In the transition to parenthood there are often unexpected challenges to work through at the very time when we are the most depleted and stretched thin. It can be difficult to communicate our needs to our partner, or to feel like those needs will be heard even once they are clearly stated. We may not even know what will feel helpful, just that we are in pain, or are angry, or are more worried than we wish to be.
Times of tremendous stress and struggle are also the places in our lives with the most potential for clarity and for exquisite, profound growth.
We may wonder if we'll ever feel like ourselves again. Life feels relentless and overwhelming. We want more than anything to feel supported and understood, so that we can provide those qualities to our children.
We may be thinking more about our own childhood now that we are parents. Even though we may hope to do things differently, we aren't quite sure how.
By reaching out and finding a therapist we click with, we claim for ourselves a safe, confidential space to explore our lives more fully. We can soothe friction and struggles that keep us from living comfortably as our whole, loved and loving selves. We can find new and healthier ways to cope.
My Approach
My primary approach as a therapist is get to know you, as a whole person, at the pace you set. I find it useful to think about the big picture of who you are (your past story, your present struggles and successes, and future hopes and intentions) in order to facilitate your meaningful and sustainable growth. I don't think of symptoms as problems to be gotten rid of, but as guideposts from which we can learn and develop more insight. I also find value in a feminist perspective-looking at the social and systemic contexts that surround us and infuse us with ideologies that may not serve us. When we take care of ourselves from the inside out, we are also caring for those who love and depend on us most. I believe seeking therapy is an act of kindness, to ourselves and the world around us, as well as a courageous commitment to a better life.