Individual and Relationship Counseling Castro

Effective Counseling for Adults + Queer, Alternative or Traditional Couples/ Partners

Are you in transition around your job or relationship? Although often difficult, periods of change can offer opportunities to bring your life more in alignment with what is truly authentic and fulfilling for you.I tailor my approach to each individual client using the many "tools" acquired over 20 years of practice in the field of psychotherapy. Some of these "tools" include Depth Hypnosis, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) and Somatic Psychotherapy (i.e body mindfulness/ awareness).

Relationship issues? For couples and partners I use an approach called EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy developed by Dr Sue Johnson) Clinical research shows that 90% of couples report significant improvement within 12-20 sessions of EFT. Learn relationship skills that move you beyond "right" or "wrong" to a place of mutual understanding.

Food + weight struggles? As former Director of the Eating Disorders program at Community Institute of San Rafael, Marin, I work with people who obsess that if they only had the perfect weight their lives would work out. So many of us through over dieting and body hatred have lost our connection to ourselves. The body instead of being home for our psyche/ spirit becomes the battleground. I work with clients to end the battle with food and reconnect with their bodies.

Do you feel emotionally stuck in the past? You might be suffering from trauma. I can help you move through traumatic experiences using EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing.) This well researched method has fast and effective results in working with trauma. I can also help you release the cellular and muscular memory of the trauma (which is where trauma is often stored) using somatic psychotherapy. This is an approach that taps into body awareness and mindfulness and does not involve touch. Hypnotherapy can also be a highly effective method  for helping move you out of stuck places or traumas from your past.

As a somatically trained psychotherapist and former yoga teacher, I can assist you to make lasting changes by fostering body mindfulness. I use somatic psychotherapies such as Hakomi and Somatic Experiencing to facilitate transitions and shifts that last. Somatic therapies can be more powerful than verbal therapies because you are not just talking about the problem or issue, you are addressing it and shifting it in the moment. I get clients who have had many years of trying verbal therapy and are frustrated because although they have all this insight and understanding into their issues they still feel stuck. Somatic therapies can help with this.