My Approach
If you’ve found your way here, you’re probably facing something that feels stuck in your life. Something about the way you’ve been relating to yourself or someone else isn’t working, but you’re not sure how to change it. You may wonder if change is even possible. These are exactly the kind of problems I love to help people unravel. I help couples and individual clients get to the root of what is feeling stuck, bring clarity and compassion to how it got that way, and find new ways of moving forward.
Most people come to therapy when attempts to figure things out on their own aren’t working and may even be making things worse. I am skilled at helping couples and individuals engage in a more productive process of reflection and conversation. Sometimes this means helping you try out new ways of communicating or being in relationship to yourself. Sometimes it means creating an environment where you feel safe enough to say the things you haven’t let yourself say, or think the things you haven’t let yourself think.
Trends in healthcare have pushed many therapists towards offering “manualized” therapies that offer everyone the same toolbox. I believe you deserve something better. I get to know you, draw on my training and experience to think through what would be helpful to you in particular, and regularly ask for your feedback.
Some Other Things to Know About Me
I believe an accepting and supportive environment is what allows us to feel safe enough to start exploring new ways of thinking. I’m a feeler and a thinker, and I relate to you as the same.
In addition to our time together, I reflect on what we've talked about between sessions, and I regularly seek out ongoing training and consultation.
I agree with Harry Stack Sullivan, who said “We are all more simply human than otherwise.” I work from a model that honors your strengths and resilience.
Education & Experience
I hold a B.S. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.S. in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. I also completed a two-year post-graduate training program at The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley, CA. Prior to starting my own practice, I completed a private practice associateship with an experienced couples therapist (Andrea Lappen, PhD). I have also worked with couples, adults, and teens in several community clinics and nonprofit organizations. I have been seeing clients since 2015.
In addition to my therapy practice, I enjoy teaching. I teach and supervise therapists in training at San Francisco State University, and I have a volunteer position working on curriculum development and instructor recruitment at The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley. I have also taught at UC Berkeley and was a recipient of the Extraordinary Teaching in Extraordinary Times award from UCB in 2021 for excellence and inclusivity in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In my prior career, I worked as a statistics professor, teaching and doing collaborative research in the physical sciences. This background allows me to relate easily with clients who face the unique pressures of working in academia, tech startups, and/or STEM fields.
I’m a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology, and The Psychotherapy Institute.
“Cari has been a trusted colleague since our time training together at The Psychotherapy Institute where I came to know her as a thoughtful and astute therapist. She is especially skilled at working with couples and I regularly refer my individual clients to her when they need support in their relationships. I have also benefited greatly in my own clinical work from observing Cari’s ability to identify the heart of the matter, always balancing empathy for the client with her strong sense of what will help them feel more whole.”
Get Started
Schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation