John Clarke Therapy

Home
United States
San Francisco, CA
John Clarke Therapy

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from John Clarke Therapy, Mental Health Service, 4155 24th Street, San Francisco, CA.

01/16/2026

Why screens feel regulating (and why that matters clinically)

As therapists, most of us don’t reach for our phones because we’re bored.

We reach for them because our nervous system is overloaded.

After a day of attunement, emotional labor, and holding space, the system wants something predictable, stimulating, and non-relational.

The phone gives us that.

It’s consistent, doesn't ask anything from us. And keeps us occupied without requiring presence.

So the question isn’t “How do I stop using my phone?”

It’s “What is my system trying to regulate through it?”

When we understand that, we stop fighting ourselves and stop shaming the behavior.

And we start creating other ways for the system to land.

That shift, from control to curiosity, is often where real change begins.

P.S. If you’d like a space to work with this more intentionally, Reclaim Your Presence is an 8-week IFS + somatic group for therapists focused on exactly this. Early bird pricing is open for a few more days → link in the bio

01/15/2026

Overthinking as a protector in therapists

When therapists overthink, it’s often framed as a problem.

But most of the time, it’s a protector.

It’s the part that keeps you functional when you’re tired. Stays alert when there’s too much coming in.

And keeps you “on” when your body actually wants to stop.

Overthinking isn’t the enemy of presence.

It’s what presence looks like when the system doesn’t feel safe enough to slow down yet.

So when you notice yourself staying in your head, checking your phone, scanning for information, or staying busy late into the night, try not to pathologize it.

Ask instead: What is this protecting me from feeling? What would it need to feel safe enough to rest?

That question alone often creates more regulation than any technique.

P.S. This is part of what we explore inside Reclaim Your Presence, an 8-week IFS + somatic group for therapists working with their own nervous systems and relationship with technology. If you’re curious, you can check out the details and sign up for Early Bird registration in the bio.

01/14/2026

We live more in our phones than in our bodies.

More in stimulation than in connection.

And as therapists, that matters because this work depends on presence and relationship.

That’s why I created Reclaim Your Presence: an 8-week IFS + somatic group for therapists to feel more settled in their own nervous systems so they can show up more present, attuned, and effective with their clients.

Early bird pricing ends soon.

Learn more in the link in the comments.

01/13/2026

Why presence erodes quietly in therapists.

As therapists, we’re trained to track subtle shifts in other people’s nervous systems.

But we’re rarely taught how to track our own over time.

Not in the moment, but cumulatively.

What I see again and again is not dramatic burnout, but something quieter:

A gradual flattening. A subtle loss of aliveness. A sense of doing good work, but not quite feeling it.

Not because the work is wrong. But because the work is relational and regulating, and we rarely have enough places where we get to be met.

So the system compensates.

We stay busy. We scroll. We stimulate. We distract.

Not because we’re avoiding life. but because our nervous system is still carrying the day and doesn’t know how to land.

Presence doesn’t disappear because we’re careless.

It disappears because we’re carrying too much alone.

And the solution isn’t more discipline or better habits.

It’s more places where we don’t have to hold, don’t have to lead, and don’t have to be the regulated one.

Where our own system gets to be seen, tracked, and responded to.

That’s not indulgent. That’s how relational nervous systems actually restore.

01/12/2026

Many therapists are taught to help clients “regulate.”

But sometimes the push toward regulation is what shuts the work down.

In this Going Inside episode, I talk about:
– why overthinking is often protective
– how IFS and somatic work actually meet
– why presence isn’t something you impose, but something you create safety for

If you work with parts that feel stuck, guarded, or overly cognitive, this will likely resonate.

Watch the full episode in the bio.

01/10/2026

Presence isn’t something you achieve.

It’s something that happens when what you’re carrying is allowed to soften.

Most of us don’t lose presence because we’re distracted.

We lose it because some part of us is working very hard to manage, to protect, to hold things together.

So when we reach for a screen, a thought, a task, or a conversation,
it’s often not because we’re avoiding life.

It’s because something inside needs support.

Presence returns not through effort, but through listening.

When a part feels met, the system settles.

When the system settles, presence is there.

Not as a state to maintain. But as a quality of being that emerges when nothing inside has to work so hard.

01/08/2026

Therapists, like our clients, experience similar patterns around screen use.

A longing for rest or space from feeling constantly connected.

A part that wants to shift it. But also feels a layer of shame around
“Why can’t I just do better?”

Here’s the reframe I want you to hear: Your phone isn’t the problem.

It’s the solution your system found for a different problem.

After a day of emotionally attuned sessions, your nervous system wants relief. So it scrolls and distracts and numbs. Exactly like so many of our clients do.

It's not because any of us are weak or lack discipline.

It's because something in you is trying to survive a level of emotional load it was never meant to carry alone.

And our devices work to fulfill that need, briefly.

The longer-term cost is quieter but real:

Our nervous systems never fully settle. And our deeper feelings stay unprocessed.

Until one day we realize that we are the ones teaching presence, but we, like our clients, struggle to feel fully here on our own.

This is why “just delete the app” doesn’t work. Because the scrolling was never the core issue.

If you're a therapist who wants to change your relationship with technology, using tools like IFS and Somatics, you're invited to join me for an upcoming 8 week trauma-informed digital detox inside of Reclaim Your Presence.

We kick off this January and you can find the details in the comments or the bio.

Any questions? Reach out to my team at support@johnclarketherapy.com and they're happy to help.

01/01/2026

Founder’s pricing for Pathways to Self increases tonight.

If you’ve been wanting a space to bring your real cases, real questions, and your own inner experience as a therapist or practitioner, this is for you.

Pathways to Self is a consultation and practice community for people working with IFS and trauma.

Members receive:

• Weekly live case consults & hot seats
• Practical IFS training with demos + meditations
• A growing on-demand library you can return to anytime
• A private, supportive community of fellow practitioners

A place to bring the cases that stay with you after the session ends and receive support that meets you where you are.

Founder’s pricing of $99/month is available through tonight.

On Jan 2, the price increases to $179/month.

If this feels like a supportive next step, check the comments for a sneak peek of our live consults and details on joining 👇

12/30/2025

At the end of the year and into the new one, many people become more reflective. Looking back, taking stock, noticing what did and didn’t happen.

And often, the parts that show up first aren’t the wise ones. They’re the evaluators.

The inner critics. The parts that measure, compare, judge, and worry that something went wrong.

There’s nothing wrong with those parts.

They’re trying to protect us from regret, from falling behind, from being left out or left out of time.

But they’re not the best parts to lead reflection.

Protectors tend to look back with fear and urgency.

Self can look back with clarity and kindness.

You might gently notice which part is doing the reflecting right now... and whether there’s room to invite a little more Self into the process.

12/29/2025

As we cross into a new year, there is often a moment of reflection. A looking back. A taking stock.

And very quickly, that reflection can turn into pressure to optimize, to do better, to become a “new version” of ourselves.

But there can also be a different moment. A softening. A little less urgency. A little more presence. More time with loved ones, or simply with ourselves.

Even if your work hasn’t slowed, the tone can feel different... more reflective, more human.

And I find myself wondering what it would be like to let some of that presence come with us into the new year.

Because for many therapists, the pressure of a new year doesn’t only live in our goals. It lives in where our attention goes.

To our clients and their stories. To our colleagues and communities. To our loved ones. And yes, to our devices.

The inbox that never really closes. The messages that keep coming after the day is “done.” The pull to stay responsive and available.

All very human. And… not always very kind to our nervous systems.

So one of the questions I’m sitting with is this:

What would it feel like to begin the year not by adding something new… but by listening more closely to what’s already here?

What do you notice when you reach for your phone in the morning?
When you move through a day of holding others?
When the day ends and there’s a moment that’s just yours and you reach outward again?

None of this is a problem to solve. It’s an invitation to notice.

In IFS language, there are often very good protectors here: parts that want us to stay connected, competent, and available.

And there may also be quieter parts that feel tired and longing for more space.

So here’s a gentle inquiry to carry: What kind of relationship do I want with my attention this year?

Not what it should be. Not what looks impressive. But what feels regulating, nourishing, and supportive.

If you’d like a gentle way to practice this kind of noticing, I’ll share a short IFS Parts Check-In meditation in the comments

12/28/2025

Often, what drains us most isn’t the client. It’s the pressure to make something happen.

In IFS, moments that feel stalled are often moments where protectors are doing their job.

When we stop fighting those parts and start listening, sessions tend to feel:

🟢 More grounded
🟢 Less effortful
🟢 More relational

Not because we’re doing less. But because we’re working with the system instead of against it.

This is the heart of From Burnout to Balance: helping therapists move from effort and over-responsibility into clarity and steadiness using IFS.

Register for the free From Burnout to Balance webinar and learn how to work with protectors without burning yourself out.

Link in bio.

12/21/2025

Many therapists were trained to see resistance as something to overcome.

IFS offers a different lens.

When a client intellectualizes, changes the subject, or says, “I don’t want to go there today,”
that’s often not avoidance, it’s protection.

Instead of asking, “How do I move this forward?”...

IFS invites us to ask, “What is trying to keep this system safe right now?”

That shift alone can reduce pressure in the room, for both client and therapist.

These are the kinds of clinical reframes we work with every week inside Pathways to Self, where therapists learn how to integrate IFS with real clients and real complexity.

If you’re feeling worn down by trying to push progress, join our free training From Burnout to Balance and learn how IFS supports sustainable, attuned therapy.

Link in bio.

Address

4155 24th Street
San Francisco, CA
94114

Website

http://www.johnclarketherapy.com/, https://go.johnclarketherapy.com/ifs-webinar-social

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when John Clarke Therapy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to John Clarke Therapy:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in San Francisco?