Therapy with Dan

Welcome

Are you feeling stuck? Do you want to make change, but just don't know how? Change can be scary, especially if it involves facing parts of ourselves that we'd rather not acknowledge. Shame is a powerful thing, and it can paralyze us.

 Let me start by saying that there is nothing so shameful that we have to run away from it. We can bring it out into the open, with honesty, compassion, and – with any luck – a small dose of humor. The therapy room is a safe place where we confront the worst parts of ourselves, but we do so without judgment, without shaming.

 I pledge to you that I will be your partner on this journey. I will help you understand why you feel the things you feel, say the things you say, and do the things you do. This process may involve asking and answering hard questions, but it won't involve shame.

 I’m a New York straight shooter. I won’t be shy about telling you what I see/think, but I will always do so gently and with compassion.

Services

I have an office in San Rafael, and I offer both telehealth and in-person sessions.

  • My goal is to help you understand that your feelings and behaviors have causes and context, and are therefore understandable, so that you see yourself not as a misfit, but rather as someone responding naturally and as best able to challenging situations. In this vein, you will never have a stronger advocate. As you explore, feel, and express your truths in an environment of understanding and acceptance, you will begin to make the changes that will allow you to better weather the ups and downs of life and feel more joy.

    $150 (50-Minute Session)

  • As a practitioner of Family Systems Therapy, my goal is to improve communication between all family members. When everyone begins to speak from a place of feeling and vulnerability, rather than defensiveness (which inevitably leads to critique and attack), understanding deepens. Increased understanding brings greater empathy, as we begin to see the words/actions of the other people in our life less as weapons inexplicably aimed at us and more as attempts (albeit possibly misguided) to receive and give love. This is where healing begins.

    $250 (75-minute session)

About Me

I moved to the Bay Area over 30 years ago to attend what was then Hastings College of the Law, and I remained here, helping to raise two boys, who are now among the true joys of my life. I travelled a circuitous career path that never quite fulfilled my ambitions, so I do understand what it is like to feel bogged down in your professional life. Hoping to find more meaning in my work, I embarked on a midlife career change, earning my M.A. from the California Institute of Integral Studies.