Unpretentious Psychotherapy in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Stacked books of various titles and colors, with some titles visible, including "A Shining Affliction," "Bird by Bird," "Art is a Way of Knowing," "Thin Places," "The Sympathizer," "Running with Scissors," "I Would Meet You Anywhere," "Windows to Our Children," "Interior Chinatown," "The Lonely City," and others.

I'm a depth-oriented psychotherapist specializing in helping adults define themselves, process trauma, and feel more connected in relationships with friends, family, and partners. 

My practice combines humor, depth, and real relationships to help clients learn to like themselves.

Are we a good fit for each other?

The clients who find me want to feel like they are talking to a real person. I’m a good fit for people seeking help with big, ambiguous dread and those who feel a general aversion to the current “wellness” trends.

I believe a lot of the products or messages we are sold to help us feel better are more about keeping up appearances than they are about the truth of how messed up our world is, and all the lengths we will go to to belong somewhere. I love parsing through the anxious, spiralling thoughts we get stuck in and helping clients find relief in hard truths.

Initial reasons people reach out:

  • Feeling lonely and rejected by the people around you, and anxious that the life you've fought to create will collapse in on itself.

  • Having a profound feeling of not belonging anywhere.

  • Feeling haunted or even cursed by your childhood, your past choices, or by a larger power.

  • Having a sense that you’ve gotten as far as you can on your own, with a wariness for anyone selling a quick fix.

My approach to therapy:

I believe what is hurt in relationships is healed in relationships.

With friends or family members, it’s rare to talk honestly about your experience of being with other people, and you don’t usually get real feedback. Instead, clients and I get to bring unspoken truths to the surface. Over time, we establish the trust and mutual respect necessary to have a truly transformative experience.

In sessions, I am direct, active, and honest. Mutual trust is essential for the difficult work of looking critically at the things that have made you feel confused, stuck, and scared. I favor depth and a strong relationship over one-size-fits-all solutions.

I think you can learn a lot about someone from their bookshelf; here’s part of mine.

A shelf filled with various books, including titles such as 'The Genius of the Bengali', 'Malay Bamutford', 'Undramatizing Vietnamese Authentic', 'The Experience of the Lonely City', and 'Running with Scissors'.