Therapist San Francisco | Help with Life’s Challenges

Daily Life Challenges

Life can be extremely challenging at times. Sometimes the challenges are very big, like the loss of a loved one or a the loss of an important relationship through a breakup or divorce. Sometimes a person’s challenges are simply the daily grind of difficulties at work, with roommates, with friends or with family members. The smaller, daily challenges are also important to address, because their impact can accumulate overtime, robbing a person of important feelings of serenity, joy, vitality and connection. For many people, it can be helpful to have support through therapy for daily life challenges. Over time in therapy, many people find that they are eventually able to weather daily challenges without feeling overwhelmed or unhappy.

People who use therapy in this way are often very glad that they did. They report feeling more peaceful, more balanced, more confident and more self-aware. They also tend to report greater ease and satisfaction in relationships at work, with romantic partners, with friends and with family.

Grief and Illness

All people sometimes become ill, and everyone eventually passes away, usually leaving behind others who cared about them. The people left behind then suffer feelings of grief and disorientation. Often, others are uncomfortable with the intensity of an ill or grieving person’s pain, because the other person doesn’t know what to say or how to offer comfort. Other people may avoid the ill or grieving person or say things that are inadvertently hurtful. Then, in addition to grieving, the ill or grieving person may feel misunderstood and lonely. This can make it even harder to move through the experience of illness or grief. Therapy can be very helpful to people in these circumstances.

My training as a psychotherapist allows me to have a better sense of what to say and not say to people who are in these painful circumstances. I also have a comfort with simply listening to—and being with—people who are in pain. I understand that when people have suffered a major loss, such as the loss of a loved one or the loss of their health, it can be important to for that person to not be pressured to feel better too quickly. I understand that grieving takes time, patience and understanding. I also understand that many people are able experience grief with less pain when they have another person to be with them, and who offers comfort and care for their experience.

In addition to working with people who have lost an important human in their life, I also offer grief counseling to people who have lost a pet.

Breakups and Divorces

To many people, the end of an important relationship can feel nearly as painful and overwhelming as the death of a loved one. In some circumstances, some people find breakups and divorces more difficult, because of the feelings of rejection involved when someone has left them by choice. Often, people who have gone through a major breakup or divorce need support in order to make sense of what has just happened. In therapy, people get help with the strong feelings of anger, hurt, shame, rejection, grief, and loss that can accompany the end of an important relationship.

I have found that the period of time immediately after a breakup or divorce can be a very powerful time for personal growth, as people are often more open to self-reflection during this time. Many people who enter therapy following a major breakup or divorce find that therapy helps them to learn important things about themselves, the people they have chosen to love in the past, and the manner in which they relate in love relationships. People who use therapy following a major breakup or divorce often find that they able to use this valuable information as they move forward in love. This can result in more satisfying and lasting love in future relationships.

I offer in-person therapy sessions in San Francisco. I also offer virtual counseling online to people in California.

If you think I might be the right therapist to provide you with support through life’s many challenges, I encourage you to contact me. If you are ready to get started soon, now is a good time to reach out. I will be happy to hear from you.

You can use my online booking platform to schedule a time to talk. You can also send me a message, call me, or email me.