Helping People Find Therapists & Advocating for Ethical and Healthy Therapy & Marriage Counseling Practices

My Approach to Helping

As a Doctor of Women's Spirituality and a psychotherapist, I believe we all possess the innate ability to heal ourselves. I aspire to help you awaken to your inherent wisdom, empowering you with the tools to facilitate your own healing.

I have found that adversity - whether physical or emotional - is most often a gift in disguise begging for our attention - truly a catalyst for transformation. When we explore beyond symptoms to understand the root of the problem, heightened self-awareness and lasting change can occur. My approach is non-intrusive, integrating the emotional, spiritual, and physical realms. Ultimately, this work is about being present, engaging with deep listening and great respect. I create and hold sacred space that cultivates a sense of safety and trust. From this place, with fierce compassion, I encourage and challenge you in a reverent way.

 

More Info About My Practice

I provide psychotherapy and integrative healing for youth, adults, couples and families. If you are a man, you may be surprised the extent to which my experience with women's issues can help you (see male testimonials on my website at drplatner.com). My Master's degree is in Feminist Psychology. I hold a doctorate in Women's Spirituality/Philosophy & Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies. My graduate research focused on utilizing spirituality as a vehicle for healing internalized oppression.

Part of my integrative approach includes weaving and creating rituals and rites of passage to help you leave your pain and trauma in the past so that you are no longer a victim to it. I believe that trauma, especially reoccurring trauma, imprints on a cellular level, thus the impetus for a more holistic path to healing. I endeavor to teach you how much you do know, helping you to access the dormant wisdom and knowledge that lives within.

Much of my practice has been devoted to working with girls and women, sowing the seeds of conscious resistance against the barrage of negative messages that impact girls throughout adolescence. As a result of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, many young women have turned to self-injury as a coping mechanism, one that is often misunderstood. This is one of my areas of expertise. Years of clinical experience have repeatedly demonstrated that possessing an understanding of women's mysteries and spirituality can fortify a girl's or woman's self-esteem to the extent that she can avoid or begin to dismantle some of the damaging psychological effects of female socialization, internalized sexism and oppression.

I have several resources to draw on, depending on your specific needs. I practice Depth Hypnosis, a form of hypnotherapy that includes transpersonal psychology, Buddhist philosophy, and shamanism (see sacredstream.org). I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a therapeutic tool that facilitates the reprocessing of disturbing thoughts and memories in a relatively short period of time. EMDR can be used to treat a variety of issues from anxiety and phobias to PTSD and sexual trauma (see emdr.com). I often incorporate aromatherapy. I have also taken a Restorative Yoga teacher training in order to offer a somatic resource that can be incorporated into the healing process.

Searching for the right therapist and making that first appointment is often a challenge in itself. For this reason, I offer an initial 20-minute complimentary consultation to determine whether we would be a good fit working together. I bring a breadth of clinical experience to my practice (learn more at drplatner.com). I also have extensive experience in working with diverse and multi-cultural populations in both my professional and personal life. I have a beautiful office space in the historic Hobart Building in downtown San Francisco, easily accessed via public transportation at Montgomery Bart/Muni. While I am not on any insurance panels, many of my clients with PPO plans receive reimbursement for our sessions. Payment is required at the time of service and I can provide you with a Super Bill to submit to your insurance company. Please do not hesitate to call upon me for more information. I look forward to speaking with you.

Services I Provide

• Individual Therapy & Counseling
• Marriage, Couples, or Relationship Counseling
• Family Therapy
• Consultation
• Clinical Supervision
• Online Counseling / Phone Therapy

Ages I Work With

• Teens
• Adults

Languages I Speak

• English

Groups I Work With

Young women, adult women, adult men, couples, families, graduate students, life transitions

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Depth Hypnosis
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Feminist Therapy
• Holistic Psychotherapy
• Humanistic Psychology
• Integral Psychotherapy
• Shamanic Journeying / Psychoshamanic
• Transpersonal Psychotherapy
• Yoga Therapy

Concerns & Issues I Help With

• Abuse: Emotional, Physical, or Sexual
• Trauma
• Life Changes
• Emotion Management
• Social Skills & Problems
• Anxiety, Fear, & Stress
• Health & Body
• Occupational & Academic Issues
• Childhood & Adolescence
• Depression & Mood
• Family Problems
• Sexuality
• Relationships & Marriage
• Identity Issues
• Spirituality
• Self-Esteem & Confidence
• Self-Harm & Suicide
• Attachment