Narrative Therapy

Tessa Hernandez

January 13, 2023 by together@soulcentriccollective.com

Tessa is a bi-racial (Mexican-American), first-generation college student, mother. Her love for therapy began when she had a therapist help her through difficult family transitions. Her experience with the power of therapy and how unconditional positive regard can truly help a person grow is what drives her to serve in this way. Being able to witness a patient’s growth, resilience, and strength is truly a privilege for her. She is motivated to serve this way because everybody can benefit from some form of mental health services. She wishes to contribute to the normalization of people of all identities, socioeconomic statuses, and belief systems to be able to access affirming and affordable mental health care.

Tessa’s ideal patient is someone who is open to change, and collaboration, and interested in co-creating the therapy experience. She serves as a guide to help patients use their strengths to decide their goals and to understand what works best toward achieving their goals. Her aim is to provide patients a warm and nurturing environment that is free of judgment. Tessa has extensive experience working with the LGBTQIA+ community with a trauma-informed lens.

She wants patients to feel empowered during and after working with her. She wants them to be able to identify their unique qualities and strengths that were always there, but they may have just needed a little help seeing and experiencing them from within.

Donation-Based AAPI Adult Group-Therapy

May 28, 2021 by Christhmus Presence

Join William Ma and Christhmus Presence for pay-as-you-may virtual group therapy. Sessions start 8/24. Late enrollment closes 9/7.

Sessions are 90 minutes and will be held once a week over the course of 10 weeks. Group capacity is 8-10 people and open to those 21 and up.

About Will (he/him/his):

Will (William Ma) is Bay Area born and raised, with a combination of Chinese (by way of Taiwan) and white ancestors. Significant therapeutic influences include Relational therapy, somatics, feminist psychology, as well as existential and transpersonal therapy. He is certified in Internal Family Systems and Brainspotting therapeutic modalities, and can answer questions such as “what even is that”, sometimes at great length. He is nourished by reading, doing ancestral work, spending time under the water and walking in the forest.

He has been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist since 2016. (LMFT #96148)

About Christhmus (pronoun at your pleasure):

Christhmus Presence (Chris Chu) will be facilitating all groups above, and is a 3.5-generation Muwekma Ohlone (San Francisco) land-settler, and Chinese-American Queer by Ancestors’ way of Guangdong, China. Pillars that guide them are liberation psychology, narrative psychology, somatic psychology, trauma-informed therapy, spirituality, and expressive arts. Tools held in support of self-resourcing, clarity, and ancestral connectivity include meditation, Tapping, and Brainspotting. They enjoy plants, creative expression, the power of community, and being in water.

Registered Associate MFT #125037 through The Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, supervised by Shawana Booker LCSW #29165

BIPOC Adult Group Therapy

May 28, 2021 by Christhmus Presence

Join AMJ and Christhmus Presence for pay-as-you-may virtual group therapy. Sessions start 8/24. Late enrollment closes 9/7.

Sessions are 90 minutes and will be held once a week over the course of 10 weeks. Group capacity is 8-10 people.

About AMJ (they/them/their):

AMJ, ASW is a queer, disabled, nonbinary Black femme descendant of Africans who were enslaved in the Southeastern United States and ultimately settled in Low Country/Gullah Geechee/Lower Creek/Yamasee lands (Savannah, GA). They are a “coachy therapist”, focused on helping (QT)BIPOC blend ancestral healing traditions with therapeutic approaches such as Brainspotting, healing-centered (aka trauma-informed) therapy, expressive arts, aromatherapy, and problem-solving. AMJ resides in San Pedro and takes care of self via gardening, music, food, and their adorably snarky doggo named Dilla.

About Christhmus (pronoun at your pleasure):

Susan Regan

March 25, 2021 by Susan Regan

I have been a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist since 1994 and for over 25 years, I have had a clinical practice and served hundreds of couples and individuals of all ages, and from many different backgrounds, lifestyles, cultures. I have led groups that have helped people find the balance between their own fulfillment and connection to each other.

As a trained mediator, I also provide co-parenting counseling and mediation with couples and parents, who are in the process of separating. I facilitate groups in both Berkeley and San Francisco in the areas of separation and divorce and couples, family and relationship therapy.

Understanding that people are often blocked in life, due to trauma, I also help these clients by using the EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) technique, and other somatic-based therapies. In addition, I have in-depth training in Narrative, Family Systems, Attachment-Based Therapy and Enneagram.

Enneagram tests are an excellent way to discover more of what your personality type does and how you connect with another person’s strengths and weaknesses whether it be work, friendships, home, or intimate relationships.

I specialize in many creative methods to work with a variety of clients.

Teen Empowerment Group

February 23, 2021 by Melissa Antoun

For teens who are survivors of violence, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying, school or community violence, parental substance abuse, who have witnessed violence in their home, or have experienced any other child maltreatment.

This group focuses on self-esteem building, healthy relationships, gaining a sense of community and skills for growth, and helping teens access their own strength and courage to claim a healthy and positive future.

Parents, the reality of teen trauma is painful and overwhelming. Figuring out how to begin the healing process can be confusing. You want to protect your teen and ensure their safety and happiness. When you see your child suffering, it hurts.

We understand, and we are here to help.

Any of this sound familiar in regards to your teen:

– Anxiety or worry

– Falling grades

– Persistent sadness, lack of energy, changes in sleep or appetite, withdrawing from normal activities, or feeling “down”

– Changes in self-care, such as paying less attention to hygiene, appearance, or fashion than they usually do

Our Teen Empowerment Group is hands down the best way to help your teen:

– Understanding of the symptoms of trauma to support self-regulation

– Develop greater understanding of themselves and their needs in a safe and supportive community so that they can set self-directed boundaries

– Experience mindfulness-based practices to induce and deepen relaxation

– Increase self-compassion in order to reduce self-criticism and self-blame

We are here to help your teen engage in the body and mind through arts based expression in order to heal and re-connect with joy and purpose.

NEXT Step? Email our office to schedule a brief phone chat with leaders Melissa or Megan. We would be delighted to answer any questions you have about the group. We look forward to hearing from you!

Expressive arts is an evidence based practice that provides practical tools for healing and emotional growth. Some art modalities we will use include; drawing, painting, collage, mixed media and digital art or photography. No experience or skill with art making is necessary to benefit from art therapy.

Elana Morgulis

February 3, 2021 by Elana Morgulis

As a psychotherapist, I work on the level of the heart. I bring warmth, presence, deep empathy, and unconditional compassion to my clients. My work is grounded in mindfulness which allows us to open up to our experience with presence and compassion which supports change rather than judgment which keeps us stuck. I believe we have a natural capacity for growth, healing, and self-actualization which often gets blocked by our beliefs. I blend mindfulness based therapies such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Somatic Awareness with other evidence-based modalities such as Internal Family Systems and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. I also draw from Non-Violent Communication to teach effective communication skills.

What I love most about doing therapy is helping people find self-love and grow their self-worth. I’m passionate about providing an emotionally safe and physically comfortable space for people to connect with themselves and express their deepest truths. I feel a deep honor to be a compassionate witness, support, and guide through times of both darkness and light.

Brianna Brazle

September 9, 2020 by Brianna Brazle

Hello I am Brianna!

This is where I’m supposed to write about myself and assure you through my extensive experience and education that “Brianna is absolutely qualified to help me change my life.” Well, I am sure all of that will be listed somewhere in this profile :). I prefer to be more authentic, not focus so much on the things that make me acceptable to society’s standards but instead focus on one of my greatest assets as a therapist. That asset is something you have as well – humanness and understanding. Because once we peel back the layers, the years of education, the books read, certifications received – once that’s all stripped back, what ultimately connects us is our ability to understand each other on a human level. Through this connection, change is sparked.

“The only permission, the only validation, and the only opinion that matters in our quest for greatness is our own.” –Dr. Steve Maraboli

My Values and Approach

I view therapy as a road trip, wherein you are the driver. My role is, passenger and I help you to reach your destination. Sometimes that’s providing guidance through google maps, others it’s finding the best tunes to listen to on the journey, sometimes it’s making sure you stay awake so we don’t crash, and others just being there so you don’t feel alone. My goal and role is to help you reach your destination. It won’t always be an easy journey but as long as your willing to keep your foot on the petals I’ll be there to support!

I truly believe in meeting you were you are and through this leveled connection we can work together to build on your strengths to reach your desired heights of fulfillment.

Christhmus Presence

June 22, 2020 by Christhmus Presence

Christhmus is a 3.5-generation Muwekma Ohlone (San Francisco) land-settler and Chinese-American Queer. Foundational pillars are liberation psychology, narrative psychology, somatic psychology, spirituality, and expressive arts. Tools held are meditation, Tapping, and Brainspotting. They enjoy plants, creative expression, the power of community, and being in water.

Karla Papula

June 21, 2020 by Karla Papula

Becoming fully alive is a nonlinear process that deserves to be supported and seen by someone who really gets you. Therapy with me is relational, humanistic, empathic, body-oriented, mindful and experiential.

I am a soultender. I pay attention to that which is most meaningful to you and support you in surrendering what no longer serves you. I am interested in helping you cultivate your deepest calling and purpose.

I am a fierce protector of authenticity, truth and value maintaining sacred relationships. I believe that the wounding that happens in relationship can be healed in relationship. Strengthening your mind-body connection can give you access to deeper wisdom, intuition and truth. Having access to a strong internal observer can guide you toward cultivating the life that is most in alignment with your passions, needs and dreams. Trauma experiences and stress symptoms can complicate our sense of who we are and can inhibit our ability to access this embodied wisdom. Our sense of who we are and how we embody that is also impacted by the intersection of myriad factors related to: culture, sexuality, real lived experience-history, race, gender, ability, education, language, class, the politics of appearance, religion, etc. Your position in the scheme of it all will be explored, held and celebrated in the therapeutic process.

I am a belonging activist. I believe that our sense of belonging, in our bodies, to our communities, in our culture, professions and families of origin, impacts us socially, cognitively, behaviorally, emotionally, somatically, spirituality and existentially. We can rediscover what “home” means to you, together.

I am a Shepard of the unknown. I will walk with you into the scary questions that you have yet to find the answers to. I believe that curiosity, clarity and compassion will guide you to where the answers already exist within you.

I am trained in both holistic and traditional therapeutic modalities. Some of my favorite to draw from are: body-centered psychotherapy, buddhist psychology, client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, depth therapy/analytical psychology, dialectical behavioral therapy, emotionally-focused therapy, (the historical harms of) evolutionary psychology, existential therapy, expressive arts therapy, gender-expansive therapy, gestalt therapy, hakomi method, internal family systems therapy, liberation psychology, narrative therapy, multigenerational trauma, non-violent communication, object relations theory, polyvagal theory, psychodynamic therapy, socially just therapy, solution-focused therapy and systems theory. This breadth and depth of theory and practice speaks to my identity as an adaptable and collaborative clinician. Your therapy will be unique and curated to meet your specific needs and positionality.

Raven Fisher

June 14, 2020 by Raven Fisher

Whatever circumstances you may be facing, I am here to walk with you through it. It is my desire to help you live a healthier, more fulfilling life. I specialize in anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, self-esteem/identity issues, life transitions, and women’s issues. I provide a safe space for individuals to develop personal insight and awareness into the unique parts that make up their entire being. I am passionate about traveling with clients on their personal life path and empowering people to flourish.

My approach to psychotherapy blends psychodynamic and existential theoretical orientations with some acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Each orientation emphasizes a different time era – past, future, and present – all of which are necessary in the psychotherapeutic process to promote holistic mental health.

I currently offer video and phone sessions.

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