The Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy
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W. Keith Sutton, Psy.D. - Director and Psychologist
Dr. Keith Sutton works with adolescents and adults providing individual, family, and couples therapy and psychological assessments. He combines his training in cognitive behavioral therapy, family and couples therapy, and neuropsychological assessment in order to work with clients on the micro level of neurology to the macro level of working with the individuals and systems within the client's lives. His warm, straightforward manner and focus on using strengths to overcome weakness helps clients to feel safe and understood in the therapy. He provides both brief therapy and long-term therapy. email: [email protected] |
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James Keim, MSW, LCSW - Oppositional Clinic Director and Licensed Social Worker
James Keim, LCSW is the founder of Mimosa Therapeutics, Inc., which uses bioreactors to grow research grade, natural psilocybin, rather than the synthetic psilocybin which is most widespread. He was the clinical director for Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes, the developers of Strategic Family Therapy, has published his work on Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and heads the Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy's Oppositional and Conduct Disorder Clinic. James Keim in addition to teaching at the IAP, also teaches family therapy in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. email: [email protected] |
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Davida Cohen, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Davida Cohen, MFT works with families, couples, children and adults and has been teaching, training and supervising for 20 years. She has worked at the Family Institute of Pinole in the positions of Director of Training, and Clinical Director. She also holds an MA in Art and works with adults and children to bring out their potential in mindfulness, creativity and relationships. Her specialties include ADHD, spirited, acting out children as well as overly constricted, anxious or depressed children. Additionally she works with trauma and stress, adoption issues, and children and teen's behavioral difficulties. email: [email protected] |
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Joann Riggio, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Joann Riggio, MFT is a Marriage and Family Therapist, who has helped many people recognize their true potential while helping them overcome their emotional difficulties. She uses Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, which has a strong basis in science, to overcome depression, anxiety and a wide range of problems. With this technique, she addresses changing thought processes in order to change feelings and behaviors. She also uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to relieve past traumas and work on healing deeper emotional wounds. As a couples counselor, she understands the strain that work and child rearing responsibilities place on the relationship, which often results in the loss of effective communication and connection with each other. Utilizing techniques from Dr. John Gottman, and Dr. Sue Johnson's Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, she helps couples reconnect and reestablish their love relationship with a deeper understanding of one another. email: [email protected] |
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Mary Thomas, LMFT - Psychotherapist, Life/Career and ADHD Coach
Mary is a psychotherapist who provides coaching to individuals, couples, and families. She specializes in supporting clients navigating ADHD, anxiety, depression, difficult life transitions, early childhood trauma, and PTSD. Mary offers a mindfulness-based approach, drawing on CBT, DBT, relational therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and Gottman Method couples therapy. She has extensive training in somatic approaches to trauma, including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing developed by Peter Levine. Mary’s grounded, integrative style has helped many individuals and couples break through painful, limiting patterns to experience greater joy and fulfillment in their lives and relationships. In addition to her psychotherapy work, Mary is a Life, Career, and ADHD Coach with a passion for supporting creative individuals in actualizing their visions, helping them successfully manage ADHD symptoms and maximize their strengths so they can thrive both personally and professionally. email: [email protected] |
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Raven Westhoelter, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Raven completed her M.A. in Marriage and Family Counseling at Argosy University and her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). She has worked with survivors of domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness, anxiety, depression, trauma, and a variety of other therapeutic concerns such as parenting skill, relationships, and major life adjustments. Raven works from a collective of evidence based therapeutic orientations including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Family Systems, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness meditation. email: [email protected] |
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Lianne Warren, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Lianne Warren, MFT is a Marriage and Family Therapist who received her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from University of San Francisco and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Oregon. Her experiences as a school based therapist have provided her opportunities to work with children, families, couples, and adults. During her clinical experiences, she has addressed a wide variety of concerns, including troubled relationships, parenting, behavioral modification, anxiety, depression, loss and life transitions. Lianne’s own life experiences have provided her with an understanding that life at times can be challenging, and that having support during difficult times can be helpful. As a result, she strives to develop therapeutic relationships that are based on trust and empathy in order to assist clients to identify solutions and to make positive change in a collaborative manner. In recognition that clients enter therapy with their own unique set of experiences, strengths and goals for therapy, she utilizes an integrative approach that includes evidence based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Structural-Strategic Family Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman’s Couple Therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Mindfulness based psychotherapies. Email: [email protected] |
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Max Farber, Psy.D. - Psychologist
Dr. Max Farber is a licensed clinical psychologist who helps foster positive change in people’s lives. He listens and co-creates therapy goals. Dr. Farber’s work often involves helping people to identify and live by the values that give their lives meaning and vitality, become more aware and accepting of emotions, worry less, problem solve with more flexibility, be more resilient to stress, change emotion driven behaviors to behavior choices that are more in line with core values, and to make new and enhance existing relationships, be they personal or professional. He feels that it is a tremendous privilege to help people in this way. He is politically liberal and queer positive. His education, training, and experience include a doctoral degree from the APA-accredited Wright Institute, predoctoral and postdoctoral residencies at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, and supervising student-clinicians at the Berkeley CBT Clinic. Email: [email protected] |
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Laura Petracek, Ph.D.
Dr. Laura Petracek is the best-selling author of The Anger Management Workbook for Women (New Harbinger Publications Press, 2004.) She received her Doctorate in Psychology from California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco and her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Yeshiva University in New York City. She has worked in the field of Psychology and Social Work for over thirty years. She has served as Executive Director, Clinical Director, and held the positions of Psychologist/LCSW at many different non-profit agencies including New Leaf: Services for our Community, Centerpoint, Inc., and A Women’s Path. She has supervised Ph.D. Post-Doctoral, ASW, and MFTi students. She has also held the position of Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Adjunct Professor at Bay Area Graduate Institutions such as Alliant University, Dominican University, and National University. Her areas of interest are injustice and racism in the Criminal Justice System, Feminist/Women’s Issues, Gender Issues, LGBT Issues (specifically drug and alcohol abuse in the LBGT community, suicidality in LGBT teenagers), and trauma (specifically complex trauma). Alcoholism/Drug abuse among women, Meditation, and Yoga. Dr. Petracek specializes in helping people with anger dyscontrol issues and recovery from alcohol and other addictions. She currently maintains a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Email: [email protected] |
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Fabrizio Dellabernarda, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Fabrizio Dellabernarda is a marriage and family therapist who obtained his M.A. in Counseling Psychology at the University of San Francisco. He provides psychotherapy in San Francisco and online, in English and Italian. He strongly believes in the importance of looking at each person in his or her own context. He collaborates with his clients in identifying what is most important to them. He draws from his clients' strengths and offers guidance and skills to expand their repertoire of responses to align with their chosen values in the face of stressful emotions and situations. His approach and style in the therapy session comes from his life experience and the integration of multiple therapeutic orientations. He has trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). He has worked at the Bay Area Community Counseling with Dr. Keith Sutton and at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto for the past 3+ years on issues such as depression, anxiety disorders (including OCD), complex trauma and PTSD, ADHD, behavioral issues with adolescents and their families, relationships problems, and problems with life transitions. He is active in the LGBTQ+ community and co-facilitates a group of aging gay men with HIV. Before entering the field of clinical psychology, Fabrizio worked for fifteen years as a software engineer and enjoyed the problem solving and the group dynamics aspects associated with that career. Email: [email protected] |
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Liliana Casas Hernandez, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Liliana Casas Hernandez, Licensed Marriage family therapist considers it a great honor to be able to serve kids, children, teens and parents. For the past 17 years, she has been providing comprehensive counseling services to children and teens, parents and groups from diverse cultural backgrounds in different settings. This has included all levels of education from preschool to high school, hospital settings, non-profits, outpatient programs and victims of crime. She uses an integrative approach that includes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. With children, she has used Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for preschoolers and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Liliana understands that the gift of parenting brings both tremendous joy and challenges. She strives to support parents in exploring and identifying opportunities that invite their children in experiencing the best of who they are. Liliana works collaboratively with parents in understanding their child's strengths and temperament in order to address barriers that are impacting their child's ability to maximize their potential. Liliana believes that learning is continuous throughout life; there is always the possibility of growing and overcoming challenges. Being in a family means collaborating as a team, learning from each other and discovering what each member brings to the family. Email: [email protected] |
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Yi Zhao Martins, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Yi helps clients is committed to helping clients get in touch with their own reality, to accept their unique personality and that of others, and to successfully integrate the client(s) into their family, social circle and society at large. She has extensive experience working with children in schools, through life transitions, and across multiple households. With warmth and clarity, she uses intuition to see her clients' inner child to support integrating all parts of themselves. A lifelong learner, Yi holds degrees in Law and Counseling Psychology and completed UCSF’s Parent-Child Therapy training with Dr. Alicia Lieberman. She specializes in ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety, using an integrative approach that includes CBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Psychotherapy, System-Centered Therapy (SCT), Parent-Child Therapy, Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, EMDR, and EFT. A longtime meditation and yoga practitioner, she brings mindfulness practices, intuition, and a calm presence to her work, helping clients heal and thrive. Email: [email protected] |
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Kellie Brown, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Kellie Brown, LMFT, gained her degree from the CAMFT accredited program at Touro University. She sees clients all over the state via telehealth, providing services to individuals, couples, and families, having served under-represented clients for the last three years. With a strong commitment to support clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, major-life transition, trauma, parenting questions, and relationship instability, she has been focusing on developing her skills in treating those with the unique challenges of ADHD. Enjoying a blended family of her own, Kellie understands that our relationships end up shaping our view of ourselves and others in both beautiful and broken ways. She endorses any therapist who can help you align your values and your choices, to live more resiliently and more compassionately, so that you are able to pursue the relationships you want with the integrity you desire. Kellie’s ambition is to collaborate with clients toward the outcomes that best resonate with their journey of healing and wholeness, leading individuals and families to a life of vitality and fulfillment, and producing enduring relationships. Choosing to engage in therapy can be the first step toward claiming the life you deserve. Email: [email protected] |
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Karrie Stafford, Ph.D, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Karrie, holding a doctorate in Art Therapy Psychology, has practiced psychotherapy for nearly 20 years providing evidence based treatment for couples, families and youth with a curious, non judgmental and skills based approach. In addition to Structural and Strategic Family Therapy and CBT, Karrie has extensive training and experience with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). DBT focuses on the development of mindfulness skills, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Her work supports individuals, couples, and families through difficult transitions, managing challenging behaviors and coping with mental health symptoms. Karrie has taught Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy students at the Masters and Doctoral levels at Notre Dame de Namur University, and has provided continuing education and licensing preparation trainings for MFT Interns and Associate Social Workers. She has worked as an administrator and clinical supervisor for a Short Term Residential Treatment Facility serving adolescents with serious mental health issues and complex trauma. Email: [email protected] |
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Cristina Carter, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Tina is a bi-racial native to San Francisco who completed her graduate degree in Portland, OR. She works with adolescents and adults to provide individual and family therapy in a variety of situations. Tina has experience working in high schools, providing therapy to children and families in Wellington, New Zealand, and in mental health services at the YMCA of SF for youth and families. Tina values authenticity in her approach to supporting a range of issues including transition and change, trauma (specific, complex, intergenerational), anxiety, identity, family conflict, depressed mood, and motivation. She draws from a combination of therapeutic models to increase a sense of control and find peace through adversity, and works from the foundation that people exist in their relationships to others. Email: [email protected] |
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Ruby Wara-Goss, LCSW - Licensed Social Worker
Ruby (she/her/hers) brings a decade of experience supporting youth, young adults, caregivers, families, and individuals- helping her clients navigate loss and attachment ruptures, anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, family conflict, life stressors, and the life cycle. With a strong focus in family therapy, individual therapy, caregiver support, and crisis intervention, Ruby approaches her sessions with warmth, humility, and a strengths-based lens, valuing collaboration, authenticity, and creativity. Ruby draws upon multiple therapeutic approaches including CBT, EFT, EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, attachment-based science, family systems, Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness practices, harm reduction principles, non-violent communication, Gottman methodology, the nurtured heart approach, and play therapy. Recently, she completed training in SPACE, a caregiver-based treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety and OCD. Ruby received her Master of Social Work from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College-CUNY in NYC. With blended family, mental health, and social/economic justice roots in the Bay Area, her guiding belief is through the process of healing ourselves and each other, the healthier and more equitable our communities and world can become. When not relishing in her steadfast love of the Bay, Ruby can be found gardening, crafting, attending live music performances, playing non-competitive soccer, watching documentaries, petting dogs, and trying to leave the world a little better than she found it. Email: [email protected] |
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Brittany Woodward, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Brittany specializes in working with adolescents, young adults, and adults, providing individual and family therapy. With a client-centered approach, Brittany values and respects each individual's autonomy, empowering them to create positive changes in their lives. She integrates evidence-based techniques and theories, including CBT, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, and is currently undergoing training in EMDR. These approaches allow her to effectively support individuals in healing and growing from past traumatic experiences, managing and overcoming anxiety and depression, breaking long-standing family patterns, and gaining a deeper sense of self and meaning in their lives. Through these modalities, she has been successful at working in high acuity settings for the treatment of depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma, relationships, and self-esteem. Brittany firmly believes in the power of science and human connection to bring about transformation and change. In her practice, she brings warmth, a genuine desire to fully understand her clients, and the occasional crack at humor. Recognizing that therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach, Brittany is dedicated to fostering a therapeutic environment that allows individuals to see and recognize their potential and bring about a sense of empowerment within their lives. Email: [email protected] |
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Asher Kaufman, LCSW - Licensed Social Worker
Bringing together a mix of therapeutic methods, Asher Kaufman, LCSW, helps individuals and families on their journey to healing and self-growth. He takes a personalized approach, blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Brainspotting techniques to create a supportive environment for overcoming trauma and fostering personal development. With a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Asher is dedicated to offering the highest quality tele-therapy, ensuring accessibility for clients all across California. Known for his warm and straightforward style, he focuses on tapping into clients' strengths to tackle challenges head-on. Asher specializes in providing tailored strategies and support to help individuals navigate through life's challenges, fostering resilience and empowering clients to regain control over their lives. Email: [email protected] |
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Matthew Rensi, Ph. D., LPCC - Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Matthew T Rensi, Ph. D., LPCC. is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who also holds a Ph. D. in counselor education and supervision. He has extensive experience providing therapy to people struggling with ADHD, anxiety, trauma and ODD. In addition to this, he provides trainings throughout US on various aspects of mental health treatment including assessment, individual therapy, and safety/crisis situations. He is an adjunct professor at Western Seminary. Matt also actively researches the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders using linguistic analysis, as well as how AI can be used in the counseling field. Email: [email protected] |
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Jeffrey Bettencourt, LEP, LMFT, LPCC - Marriage and Family Therapist
Jeff's 30+ year experience as a therapist, evaluator and consultant provides his clients a pragmatic, compassionate, and integrated approach to life’s challenges. He utilizes standardized assessments, therapeutic educational structure, and proven clinical interventions & techniques- providing nurturing, yet challenging sessions. Jeff’s supportive and direct approach ensures clients will experience a safe, structured, purposeful driven sessions, integrated with care, wisdom, and clinical expertise. Email: [email protected] |
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Elizabeth Goodman Gurfein, Psy.D - Psychologist
Elizabeth Goodman Gurfein, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who graduated from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. Dr. Gurfein brings a compassionate, integrative approach to her practice, utilizing evidence informed principles derived from Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients understand and overcome their challenges. She helps clients with problems related to ADHD, anxiety, trauma, sleep, and mood disorders. She has a special interest in supporting healthcare providers and conducted her dissertation at the Stanford University School of Medicine, focusing on teaching Compassion Cultivation Training as a preventative tool for empathic burnout in medical students. With her warm, collaborative style, Dr. Gurfein works closely with clients to tailor treatment to their unique needs, fostering resilience, self-awareness, and emotional well-being. Her approach allows clients to build effective coping skills, process their experiences, and create fulfilling lives based on their values. Dedicated to professional development and providing effective psychotherapy, Dr. Gurfein continually expands her expertise to provide the latest in evidence-based care and contributes to the field through research, writing, and presentations. Email: [email protected] |
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Jessica Decker, LMFT - Bilingual Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
Jessica is deeply committed to helping clients of all ages feel heard, understood, and empowered. She specializes in intercultural and health psychology and has a real gift for creating a warm, non-judgmental space where her clients can work through their challenges. Whether she’s supporting individuals or families, she makes it a priority to truly connect, listen deeply, and tailor her approach to meet each person's unique needs. Jessica earned her degree from the University René Descartes in Paris, France, and is fluent in French, Spanish, and Portuguese. She works from a strength-based and attachment perspective, always considering the role of family and community in a person’s life. She has a special passion for working with families, especially mothers and children, and is dedicated to helping them advocate for their rights and navigate life’s obstacles with confidence and resilience. Jessica also integrates her belief in the mind-body connection into her practice, often incorporating somatic techniques to help clients feel more grounded and connected to themselves. Her approach draws from a variety of therapeutic models, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and somatic practices, allowing her to personalize her work to each client's journey. Above all, Jessica is committed to making therapy a space where clients feel safe, supported, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives. Email: [email protected] |
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Anna Craig, Ph.D - Psychologist
Anna Craig, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist licensed in California who specializes in assessing and treating individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She has experience training and supervising doctoral psychology interns in adult ADHD assessments in a university counseling center setting. Dr. Craig administers a comprehensive set of diagnostic tests, putting great care into tailoring each assessment report to the individual. She recognizes the importance of treatment recommendations or the “now what?" question that comes out an ADHD diagnosis (or lack thereof), with the goal that each client leaves the assessment experience feeling more self-aware and empowered for their next step in personal growth. Email: [email protected] |
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Terri Moser, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Terri Moser is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist dedicated to supporting individuals on their healing journeys with compassion and expertise. She specializes in trauma therapy and is certified in EMDR, IFS, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (A.R.T.) to help clients navigate anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges. Terri’s personal experience with trauma fuels her passion for this work, and she strives to offer support and understanding to all her clients, knowing firsthand that healing can sometimes feel overwhelming. In addition to her trauma-focused practice, she has experience in children’s play therapy, Sandtray therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and ADHD testing, as well as specialized training in EMDR for children. Terri's goal is to provide a safe space where clients can explore their emotions, build resilience, and move toward greater peace and fulfillment. Email: [email protected] |
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Alecia Greenlee, MD, MPH - Psychiatrist
Dr. Alecia Greenlee is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in assessment and medication management for adults.. She earned her medical degree from UC San Francisco, completed psychiatric residency at Harvard Medical School, and fellowship training at the University of Chicago. Dr. Greenlee provides comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and evidence-based pharmacological treatment for ADHD and co-occurring conditions. With advanced training in reproductive psychiatry, Dr. Greenlee has a particular interest in how hormonal fluctuations influence ADHD symptoms in women- especially during premenstrual periods and perimenopause- and has experience working with individuals who have co-occurring medical conditions that may affect medication treatment options. Dr. Greenlee brings a culturally attuned approach to her practice, creating a safe, collaborative environment for patients from diverse backgrounds ensuring medication treatment is tailored to each individual's specific needs & life circumstances. Email: [email protected] |
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Margo Levi, LCSW -
Margo Levi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in helping adolescents, families, young adults, and adults transform pain and challenges into opportunities for growth and healing. She maintains a private practice in San Francisco and also serves as the Clinical Director at Huckleberry Youth Programs. Margo is the author of Parents' Turn, a skill-building and support program for parents of adolescents, and serves as co-chair of the Behavioral Health Committee for the Adolescent Health Working Group. Her past experience includes seven years as a staff therapist in Psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco, as well as providing clinical consultation and supervision for Huckleberry Youth Programs, Third Street Youth Clinic, and the Women’s Recovery Association. She has also worked with Family Services Agency of San Francisco and Larkin Street Youth Services, gaining extensive experience in community-based mental health. Margo earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of California, Berkeley. Email: [email protected] |
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Einat Klopfer Cohen, LMFT
Einat is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist based in the San Francisco Bay area. She holds a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from Palo Alto University. Einat started her clinical journey working in non-profit organizations that support under-served populations. She has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and overall embraces an inclusive approach in her clinical work. Einat is working from a trauma-informed lens; She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She is also trained to work with individuals and couples that have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Einat is committed to life-long learning and is consistently involved in various trainings and consultation groups. In her free time Einat enjoys hiking, playing tennis and spending time with family and friends. Einat speaks English and Hebrew and currently sees clients via Telehealth. Email: [email protected] |
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Juliane Brown, LMFT
Julie is a Marriage and Family Therapist who has served in the mental health field for 13 years. She received her MA in Counseling Psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley. Julie seeks to create a warm and collaborative environment with clients. She has worked with clients that demonstrate a variety of challenges such as depression, trauma, anxiety and ADHD. She seeks to highlight clients' strengths and capacities to overcome adversity while sorting through the issues. Specifically with ADHD, she strives to help clients thrive in their particular contexts, especially in areas of organization, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills. Working from several modalities, she taps into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and systems theory as she assists her clients in gaining more self-awareness and feeling more connected in their relationships. Email: [email protected] |
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Anne Robert, LMFT
Anne, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, works with individuals and adolescents navigate a variety of issues, including ADHD, anxiety, depression, loss and grief, as well as life transitions. Anne comes from a background in Science and Research, and began the clinical path as a Mediator. She now has a BA in Psychology and two Masters degrees, one in Counseling Psychology and one in Research Psychology. Anne believes that entering therapy is a brave act of self love, and by working with a trained therapist, you can make the changes needed to live a happier and more fulfilling life. Email: [email protected] |
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Brook Cardenas, Psy.D
Dr. Brook Cardenas is a licensed clinical psychologist devoted to helping children, adolescents, and adults navigate life's challenging transitions. Brook is passionate about facilitating children's secure attachments to their caregivers and grow into well-adjusted adults. With adults, she finds deep meaning in helping them to repair relationship wounds. Brook specializes in family therapy (including what is sometimes called "reunification therapy"), co-parent counseling, and child-centered play therapy. Drawing on training in EMDR, DBT, Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, and other evidence based treatments, Brook offers compassion, structure, and clarity to all families, including those experiencing separation and divorce, even high-conflict, court-mandated cases. Guided by the belief that all people strive toward healing and growth, she is committed to helping families in any configuration strengthen relationships and find stable ground. Email: [email protected] |
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Danett Williams, LEP
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Lauren Riley, LMFT
Lauren Riley, LMFT (she/her), is a psychotherapist offering individual, couple, and family services to children, teens, and adults. She earned her master's degree in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University, where she cultivated a strong foundation in relational and psychodynamic approaches. Rooted in the belief that connection is the foundation for change, Lauren prioritizes creating a safe, non-judgmental space where clients feel comfortable showing up as their full, authentic selves. Her practice is deeply informed by culturally sensitive, liberation, and trauma-informed principles. Lauren specializes in supporting Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and clients navigating ADHD, depression, anxiety, family conflict, and life transitions. With over five years of experience utilizing an integrative approach tailored to each client's needs, she draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Hand-in-Hand Parenting, and Whole Family Therapy. In addition to traditional telehealth services, Lauren offers ecotherapy (nature-based therapy and horticultural therapy) sessions in the East Bay and San Francisco public parks. Email: [email protected] |
IAP's Associated Nonprofit
Bay Area Community Counseling Clinicians
Bay Area Community Counseling was started by the founder of the Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy- Dr. Keith Sutton, in order to provide services to the community and provide training for student clinicians and new clinicians developing their skills. BACC's mission is to provide culturally competent therapy to children, adults, families, and couples in the community. BACC has a number of clinicians at various levels of ability to serve the needs of our clients. BACC strives to provide therapy to all those in the community in need.
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Estelle Ho, LMFT
Estelle Ho is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist committed to the growth and well-being of her clients. She received her BA in English from Stanford University and her MS from Cal State East Bay’s Marriage and Family Therapy program. Estelle has years of experience using CBT with individuals across the lifespan grappling with anxiety, depression, anger, transitions, and interpersonal challenges. She has also been trained in attachment-based and systemic therapies and receives ongoing supervision to effectively treat couples and families in distress. Estelle’s warmth and compassion support her clients to clarify what is most important to them so they can address what gets in their way. Time and time again, she has witnessed clients accessing their own wisdom to generate the solutions that fit for them and their lives. |
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Lisa Ross, AMFT & APCC
Lisa Ross is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Professional Clinical Counselor who was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her therapeutic approach is grounded in her mindfulness practice and a deep appreciation for the healing powers of nature. Lisa attended the University of California, Santa Cruz and received a Bachelors in Modern Literature. After working as an elementary school teacher for several years, she went on to obtain her Masters in Counseling Psychology from California State University, East Bay. She has experience providing individual, group and family psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults, incorporating a somatic approach to support clients struggling with anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues. As a queer mother of a toddler, Lisa is also passionate about helping LGBTQ individuals, transitional age youth, parents, and other clients thrive through the development of self-awareness and actualization. |
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Anthony Pizzutillo, APCC
Anthony Pizzutillo, an Associate Clinical Counselor, holds a Master’s degree in Integral Counseling from The California Institute of Integral Studies. With experience in educational and developmental settings, especially with children, Anthony employs a collaborative and narrative approach to address various challenges, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, grief, transitions, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral issues. He integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) with attachment-based and systems theory to provide comprehensive and effective interventions. Outside of work, Anthony enjoys spending days in Golden Gate Park, enjoying a good cup of coffee, and spending quality time with friends. |
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Rebecca Beren, AMFT
Rebecca Beren, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, offers in-person sessions in the East Bay to children, couples, families, and individuals navigating a wide range of challenges. She earned her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, with an emphasis in somatic therapy. Rebecca helps clients deepen self-understanding and self-care, strengthen relationships, and cultivate more ease, connection, and resilience. With a collaborative approach, she supports people in exploring areas of stuckness and painful patterns in a way that allows for new perspectives, insights, and lasting change to emerge organically. Clients have described her as kind, sturdy, and creative. |
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Asa Kamer, ACSW
Asa Kamer, Associate Clinical Social Worker, works primarily with adults and couples navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, and life transitions. He received his Master’s in Social Work from the University of California, Berkeley, and has experience as both a crisis counselor and a counselor in a community clinic setting. Asa draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques within a humanistic, client-led framework, believing that clients are the experts of their own experience and that therapy can build on the strengths and strategies they already possess. Asa strives to create a nonjudgmental space where clients can explore their experiences and discover solutions that are meaningful and lasting. |
Administrative Team
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Craig Tindell Craig lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and he recently finished his undergraduate degree in marketing at Temple University. In the future, Craig hopes to continue his education by seeking a master's degree in either psychology or a business-related field. He is passionate about entertainment, particularly movies and television, and about consistently gaining more knowledge, skills and wisdom in various fields. In his spare time, Craig enjoys playing video games, watching movies/television shows, building and displaying legos, and traveling around the world to discover new and exciting places. Email: C[email protected] |
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Jaylee Miller Jaylee lives in SW Missouri and is working on finishing her degree in Communications at Missouri State University. Her goal is to one day start her own freelance branding and social media management business. She is passionate about her nonprofit work with ALA Missouri Girls State, which is an educational summer program for young women in her state. In her free time she loves spending time with her family, traveling, trying out new recipes, and working on DIY projects. Email: [email protected] |
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Sierra Prine Sierra lives in Oakland, CA and is currently a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee enrolled in a Masters in Counseling program at Palo Alto University. They have an interest in working with young adults and LGBTQIA+ youth, and spend most of their time parenting a toddler and pets. In their free time, Sierra enjoys hiking, traveling, watching movies, gardening, visiting the local gardens and going to concerts. Email: [email protected] |
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Anna Um Anna lives in Atlanta, Georgia and plans to pursue a degree in Business Administration, with a focus in healthcare. She is passionate about helping people access the care they need to thrive. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, rock climbing, watching movies, and traveling. Email: [email protected] |
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Christie Hernandez Christie lives in Monterey County, CA and has a bachelors in Marine Science from CSUMB. She is a mother to two rambunctious toddlers and her 3 cats. She passionate about the environment and spends most of her time outside of work with her family enjoying beach outings, hikes, aquascaping her fish tanks and occasionally finds time to craft some jewelry! Email: [email protected] |
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Sabrina Salla Sabrina lives in North Georgia, and she recently finished her undergraduate degree in Integrated Health Sciences at Kennesaw State University. Her goal is to continue her education by going back for her master’s degree in social work. She is passionate about mental health advocacy and genuinely helping others. In her free time, Sabrina enjoys hanging out with family/friends, listening to podcasts/music, and spending any time off traveling to the beach. Email: [email protected] |
IAP's Non-Clinical Interns
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Paul Dong Paul is a second year student at the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, he is studying psychology, and is interested in the process of working through certain trauma within adolescents through a clinical approach. In the future, he hopes to pursue clinical psychology and create his own private practice. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, playing soccer, & playing classical guitar. |
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Sage Bohner Sage is a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University where she majored in Psychology, she plans on going to graduate school and becoming a licensed clinical mental health counselor in the state of California. In her free time, she likes to bake, travel & go to concerts. |
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Chanel Augustin Chanel is a graduate from University of Redlands, where she earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and Anthropology. She has a passion for psychotherapy and intends on attending grad school to become an LMFT. In her free time, she loves hiking, playing soccer, cooking, and spending time with her family dogs Bocce & Zoe. |
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Araya Anderson Araya graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Sociology and has since worked in hospitality and creative fields for over a decade. She is excited to now pursue the longstanding career goal of becoming a therapist and plans to apply to graduate school this year. She is most interested in working with individuals and couples around their relationships and hopes to find ways to incorporate her artistic background into her therapeutic practices. In her free time, you can often find Araya reading, exploring the outdoors, and cooking for loved ones. |
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Emily Yan Emily graduated from UC Berkeley with a double major in Environmental Science and Environmental Economics. After working in the clean energy and recycling industries for a few years, she is happy to be switching fields and is currently pursuing post-bachelor's studies in psychology. She hopes to apply to graduate school in the coming year or two to pursue becoming a therapist. In her free time, she loves to bake, cuddle with her rescue dog, and dabble in some cozy gaming. |
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Mikaela Gail Harnoy Mikaela is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley and is majoring in Psychology and Social Welfare with a minor in Human Rights. She is interested in clinical and developmental psychology and hopes to further her studies in those fields after graduation. She has experience training supporters to respond to users on a peer-to-peer text hotline and is a research assistant at a child psychology lab. In her free time, she loves to be outdoors, cook, play soccer, and make jewelry. |
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Hope Bergmark Hope is a recent Graduate of the University of California, Davis who earned a B.S. in Human Development and a minor in Biological sciences. She is currently a graduate student at the University of San Francisco working towards a masters degree and license in Marriage and Family Therapy. She remains open to different paths in psychotherapy but is currently interested in emotionally focused couples therapy. Hope enjoys all things outside and in nature, but especially running.- having competed at the division I level during her undergrad and continuing to compete at the Division I level at USF. |
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Jay Pandya Jay is a second year undergraduate student, attending University of San Francisco as a psychology student. He aims to attend a graduate school and earn a graduate degree in psychology. His interests are in child development and business. Jay enjoys playing video games, listening to music, watching movies, and traveling. |
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Riley McKinney Riley is in their final year of undergraduate school at Northern Arizona University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Queer Studies. Riley is incredibly passionate about culturally competent counseling, with a focus on LGBTQ+ related issues, exposure-based treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy for CPTSD and other forms of trauma. They plan to attend graduate school next fall with a focus in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In their free time, Riley enjoys volunteering at the local food bank and creating art with friends. |
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Diana Valle
Diana is a first-generation undergraduate senior at San Francisco State University pursuing her bachelor's degree in psychology. She takes pride in being a bilingual Latina, fluent in Spanish and English. Her background includes teaching in private preschool centers, managing child-care centers, and volunteering as a court-appointed special advocate for children. Her interests in the field revolve around psychotherapy methods for children and adolescents. She hopes to attend graduate school in a Clinical Psychology program with an emphasis on obtaining dual licensure as an MFT and LPCC. Aside from her educational career, she enjoys iced matcha lattes, watching movies, finding nature views, and spending quality time with family and friends. |
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San Francisco • Marin • East Bay • Peninsula • South Bay • Anywhere in California via Zoom |
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