Center for Mindful Psychotherapy

Center for Mindful Psychotherapy Counseling Center offering mindfulness based psychotherapy in convenient locations around the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact us to find your therapist.

If you think you might need some help...

Relieving Depression or Anxiety
Moving through Grief and Loss
Overcoming Addiction
Processing Trauma
Deepening Spiritual Growth
Managing Stress or Transitions
Enhancing Relationships and Intimacy

We are here for you.

11/26/2025

What does it actually look like to practice therapy mindfully?

This month, we're sharing something special: a glimpse into the daily practice of Madison Parikka, AMFT, one of our associate therapists. This isn't just a "day in the life." It's a window into how therapeutic philosophy becomes lived practice.

Watch as Madison shares:

The ritual of transition. Madison uses her shower as a boundary between roles, a somatic practice that prevents burnout and models healthy delineation. Self-care isn't luxury. It's professional integrity.

Softening through seasonal change. "The trees get all brown and the ground gets all green... I'm allowing my energy to be grounded, quiet, and to let my soil soften." This somatic awareness mirrors what many of us need right now: permission to soften rather than force our way through transitions.

Belonging through presence. Madison closes her day with Mary Oliver's words about "your place in the family of things." Belonging doesn't require perfection. It requires presence.

Specialized, affirming spaces. Madison co-facilitates a weekly therapy group for q***r women in relationships with heterosexual cisgender men, a nuanced identity that deserves knowledgeable, affirming therapeutic support.

Madison integrates Narrative, Humanistic, and Mindfulness principles in her work with grief, boundaries, complex family systems, and LGBTQIA+ relationships.

Contact Madison today to set up an appointment.

A Love Letter to Therapy"You can only go as far with your clients as you have gone with yourself."Our associate therapis...
11/25/2025

A Love Letter to Therapy

"You can only go as far with your clients as you have gone with yourself."

Our associate therapist Madison Parikka, AMFT, shares a beautiful reflection on what it means to both give and receive therapy, to be part of an interconnected network of healing, growth, and becoming.

Madison writes about:

The dual experience of being both therapist and client, and how each role deepens the other
Why therapists aren't at the "pinnacle of enlightenment" but are simply deeply human people doing their own work
The beauty of being part of a mycelium network of wisdom where healing flows from therapist to therapist, mentor to student, clinician to client, across generations
How therapy is both an upward movement toward growth AND a downward journey of coming home to yourself
The gift of having clients choose to show up as their "full, vulnerable, messy selves" in the therapy room

Madison reflects: "I hope to never take for granted the gift it is to have folks choose to show up with me as their full, vulnerable, messy selves in the therapy room. I hope that my experience as a full, vulnerable, and messy human deepens our journey together."

This is what therapy looks like from the inside. Real humans helping real humans. Imperfect people holding space for imperfect people. Growth happening in both directions.

Read Madison's full love letter and connect with her authentic approach to therapy. Visit our website and therapist directory to learn more.

https://mindfulcenter.org/a-love-letter-to-therapy-by-amft-madison-parikka/

11/24/2025

Meet Rachel Lefkowitz Parnes, one of our San Francisco Bay Area therapists.

In our latest Conversations with Clinicians series, Rachel shares her insights on building meaningful therapeutic relationships, what draws people to therapy, and how she creates space for authentic healing.

What you'll discover in this conversation:

Rachel's approach to trauma work goes beyond traditional talk therapy. She believes in meeting clients where they are, honoring their pace, and creating a therapeutic relationship where vulnerability feels safe rather than scary.

She talks about why the associate model resonates with her as a clinician, how supervision enhances the work she does with clients, and what it means to hold space for someone's healing journey.

You'll also hear about:

How she helps clients recognize and shift long standing patterns
Why the therapeutic relationship itself becomes a healing force
Her philosophy on accessible, quality mental health care
What to expect when you're considering starting therapy

Rachel brings warmth, clinical expertise, and genuine care to her work with clients navigating trauma, relationship challenges, anxiety, and life transitions.

This is the kind of therapist who:

Really listens without rushing to fix
Understands that healing isn't linear
Creates safety for the parts of you that feel hard to share
Believes you're capable of the changes you're seeking

Whether you're struggling with attachment wounds, processing past trauma, or working through current life challenges, Rachel's approach combines evidence based techniques with deep respect for your unique story.

https://mindfulcenter.org/conversations-with-clinicians-rachel-lefkowitz-parnes/

The end of the year brings more than just holiday lights. It often brings a heavy weight of "not enough." Not enough mon...
11/23/2025

The end of the year brings more than just holiday lights. It often brings a heavy weight of "not enough." Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough energy to show up the way you think you should.

If you're feeling that financial and emotional crunch right now, you're not alone. And that feeling of scarcity isn't just about your bank account. It's about the stories your nervous system is telling you about safety, worth, and survival.

Here's what we explore in this month's newsletter:

The difference between external reality and internal narrative. Financial stress is real. But the harsh stories we tell ourselves about our worth when money feels tight? That's where healing work begins.

Sovereignty vs. Isolation. When financial stress hits, many of us retreat, believing we must solve everything alone. True sovereignty means recognizing your intrinsic worth and your right to support, independent of your income or circumstances.

Boundaries create space for growth. Setting limits around your time, energy, and emotional capacity during stressful seasons isn't selfish. It's essential soil for resilience.

Narrative Therapy can help. This approach helps you separate yourself from the problem and co-author a new story about your worth and capacity.

This month we also feature Madison Parikka, AMFT, who specializes in Narrative Therapy and helps clients with grief, boundaries, and complex family systems.
You don't have to navigate this season of scarcity alone.

Read the full newsletter: https://centerformindfulpsychotherapy.substack.com/p/center-for-mindful-psychotherapy-d49
Ready to explore therapy? Our associate therapists offer specialized, affordable support with Narrative Therapy, attachment focused work, and trauma treatment.

Visit mindfulcenter.org or contact us today.

You know you need trauma therapy. You've done the research. You understand that healing from childhood trauma, PTSD, or ...
11/22/2025

You know you need trauma therapy. You've done the research. You understand that healing from childhood trauma, PTSD, or attachment wounds requires specialized treatment.

But when you look at therapy costs in the Bay Area? It's overwhelming.

Here's what most people don't know: There's a way to access high quality, specialized trauma therapy at significantly lower rates without compromising on expertise or effectiveness.

The Associate MFT model makes trauma therapy accessible:

Our associate therapists are fully licensed professionals completing their supervised hours toward independent licensure. They've completed rigorous graduate training in evidence based trauma approaches like Brainspotting and EMDR. They work under the supervision of experienced clinicians who guide their development.

What this means for you:

Sessions cost significantly less than those with fully licensed therapists
You receive the same specialized trauma treatment
Your therapist has access to expert clinical supervision, often enhancing treatment quality
Many associates offer sliding scale options for additional affordability

You're not getting "lesser" therapy. You're getting dedicated professionals at the beginning of their careers who bring current research, enthusiasm, and carefully supervised expertise to your healing journey.

Our Bay Area associates specialize in:

Brainspotting / EMDR for PTSD and complex trauma
Attachment focused therapy
Anxiety and depression treatment
Somatic approaches for nervous system healing
And more ....

The cost of NOT treating trauma in your relationships, your physical health, your career, your overall quality of life far exceeds the investment in healing.

Read the full post for detailed information about what to expect and how to find the right affordable trauma therapist: https://mindfulcenter.org/affordable-trauma-therapy-in-the-bay-area-what-you-need-to-know/

Ready to start your healing journey? Schedule a free consultation with one of our trauma specialized associates.

Healing shouldn't be a luxury. It's possible, and it's within reach.

10/27/2025

🧠💫 What if the answers you're looking for aren't just in your thoughts—but in your body?

Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, a somatic therapist at our center, explains what makes somatic therapy different from traditional talk therapy—and why it might be the missing piece in your healing journey.

Here's what most people don't realize:

Not all information is accessible through words. Trauma, early experiences, and overwhelming emotions are often stored in parts of the brain that don't use language. They live in your body as sensations, tensions, and patterns.

That tightness in your chest when you're anxious? The way your shoulders creep up when you're stressed? The knot in your stomach before difficult conversations? Those aren't just side effects of emotions—they ARE the emotions, held in your body.

🌊 Two pathways to healing:

1. Top-down (talk therapy): Starts with thoughts → works toward feelings → affects body ... Great for insight and understanding
2. Bottom-up (somatic therapy): Starts with body → accesses feelings → creates new understanding ...Reaches experiences that don't have words yet

The most powerful healing? Using both.

đź’ˇ As Phoenix demonstrates in this video, working with the body can shift emotional states in real-time:

Anxiety shows up physically (shoulders, chest, belly)
Small changes in posture and breath can create significant relief
Understanding body-emotion connections gives you more choice and agency

Somatic therapy is especially powerful for:

Trauma that feels "stuck" in your body
Anxiety that won't respond to logic alone
Chronic stress and burnout
Eating disorder recovery
Feeling disconnected from your body
When talk therapy helped but something's still missing

Phoenix brings 25+ years of bodywork experience (Advanced Rolfer, movement practitioner) plus somatic psychotherapy training—which means they understand bodies from multiple angles. They specialize in anxiety, trauma/PTSD, eating disorders, and body image using trauma-informed, HAES, and social justice approaches.

Want to dive deeper? Read our full blog post exploring the neuroscience and clinical applications of somatic therapy (link in bio)

đź“– Sometimes a book finds you at exactly the right moment and changes everything.For Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, one of ou...
10/17/2025

đź“– Sometimes a book finds you at exactly the right moment and changes everything.
For Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, one of our somatic therapists, that book was Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnston, PhD.

Phoenix first read it over 20 years ago, at a time when they didn't yet recognize their own struggle with an eating disorder. Reading Johnston's words was a bittersweet revelation—seeing their own experiences reflected back through myths, metaphors, and storytelling that made the invisible visible.

🌙 What makes this book different:
Rather than a traditional "fix yourself" manual, Johnston uses stories and myths from different cultures to explore the deeper meanings behind disordered eating. She examines themes of power, invisibility, sexuality, nurturance, and the ways women cope with feeling unseen and unheard.

The central metaphor? The labyrinth. Recovery isn't a straight line—it's a winding path that requires patience, self-compassion, and guides who understand the journey.

🔄 Phoenix's perspective now—as both a recovered person AND a therapist specializing in eating disorders, body image, and trauma—offers unique insight into why this book remains transformative decades later.

Key themes explored:

How disordered eating often masks deeper struggles around power and autonomy
The role of cultural and familial dynamics in shaping our relationships with food
Why recovery requires addressing the whole person, not just behaviors
How myths and metaphors can access healing in ways that logic alone cannot

Phoenix notes: "While I don't recommend anyone attempt to work through an eating disorder without therapy and support, this book can be valuable for anyone struggling with disordered eating or wanting to understand this experience at a deeper level."

💚 If you or someone you love is navigating relationship challenges with food, body image, or eating—know that transformation is possible. And sometimes, it starts with seeing yourself reflected in someone else's words.

Read Phoenix's full review on our blog (link in bio)

10/13/2025

🫱 Quick question: How many times today have you noticed your shoulders creeping up toward your ears?

And how many times have you tried to force them back down, telling yourself to "just relax"?

Here's the thing nobody tells you: Fighting against your tension often makes it worse.

🌀 When we try to force our bodies to relax, we're actually creating an internal conflict—a battle between what our body is doing and what we think it should be doing. This adds another layer of stress on top of the physical tension we're already experiencing.

It's like trying to fall asleep by working really hard at it. The harder you try, the more awake you become.

đź’ˇ So what's the alternative?

Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, a somatic therapist with over 25 years of experience in bodywork and movement, shares a counterintuitive practice that actually works: instead of fighting the tension, we work WITH it.

The practice is simple:
🔹 Notice your shoulder tension
🔹 Instead of pushing it down, EXAGGERATE it—lift your shoulders even higher
🔹 Hold that tension and really feel it
🔹 Then suddenly let it DROP

The relief is immediate. And the reason it works is fascinating.

🧠 What's happening in your nervous system:

When you exaggerate the tension first, you're giving your body a clear reference point for what tension actually feels like. Then when you release, the contrast is so obvious that your nervous system can easily recognize and move into relaxation.

You're not fighting against your body—you're working with its natural ability to experience and release tension.

This principle of working with contrast is fundamental to somatic therapy. It's how we build body awareness, increase nervous system flexibility, and learn to befriend our bodies instead of battling them.

🎥 Phoenix walks you through this practice in real-time. It takes less than 3 minutes and you can do it anywhere—at your desk, in your car, waiting in line.

✨ Your body isn't broken when it holds tension. It's actually protecting you, responding to stress, carrying the weight of your experiences. The question isn't how to force it to stop, but how to support it in finding more ease.

🌨️ Real talk: The holidays aren't magical for everyone.While everyone else seems to be posting perfect family gatherings...
10/10/2025

🌨️ Real talk: The holidays aren't magical for everyone.

While everyone else seems to be posting perfect family gatherings and twinkling lights, you might be feeling the weight of grief, loneliness, financial stress, or just... heaviness. The pressure to be joyful can make the sadness feel even more isolating.

🕯️ Here's what nobody tells you: You're not broken for struggling during "the most wonderful time of year."

The holidays can amplify everything we're already dealing with—loss, disconnection, family dynamics that never got easier, the exhaustion of pretending you're okay when you're not.

🌙 This year, there's a different option.

The Holiday Blues Support Group creates space for the real stuff. No forced cheer. No toxic positivity. Just honest connection with people who actually understand what you're going through.

✨ What makes this group different:
🔹 You can drop the mask and be real
🔹 Connect with others who truly get it (because they're living it too)
🔹 Learn actual, usable tools for managing difficult emotions
🔹 Build resilience instead of just white-knuckling through
🔹 Feel less alone in your struggle

đź“Ť Group Details:
🗓️ Tuesdays, Nov 11 - Dec 30 (8 sessions)
⏰ 5:30-7 PM PST
đź’» Online via secure Zoom
đź’° $50-$80/session (sliding scale)
đź‘Ą 8-12 participants

Led by Erma Kyriakos, AMFT—who specializes in helping people navigate hard emotions with compassion and evidence-based tools.

🌿 You don't have to suffer through this season alone. You don't have to pretend. You just have to show up as you are.

Interested? Email erma.kyriakos@mindfulcenter.org or call (415) 761-3494. Check out the blog, link in bio, for more details.

✨ Your body is always speaking. Are you listening? ✨From the tension in your shoulders after a long day 🧑‍💻 to the flutt...
10/02/2025

✨ Your body is always speaking. Are you listening? ✨

From the tension in your shoulders after a long day 🧑‍💻 to the flutter in your stomach before a big decision 💡, your body holds messages that often go unheard. Somatic Therapy offers a pathway to tune into those signals, reconnect with your inner wisdom, and create healing through the language of the body.

In our latest blog post, Associate Therapist Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon shares insights into how Somatic Therapy can support you in understanding your body’s messages and transforming them into sources of clarity and growth.

Phoenix brings a unique approach — combining somatic practices, relational-cultural theory, and a holistic view of healing — to help clients move beyond anxiety, trauma, and disconnection. At Center for Mindful Psychotherapy (CMP), we believe therapy isn’t just about talking — it’s about honoring the whole self. 🌱

If you’ve ever wondered:
đź’­ Why does my body react this way?
đź’­ Can I heal through movement, awareness, and breath?
đź’­ What would happen if I truly listened to myself?
…this post is for you.

đź”— Read the full post on the blog, link in bio

đź“Ś Save this post for when you need a reminder to pause and listen inward.
đź’¬ Share with someone who could use more connection to their body.
🌎 Find support with CMP therapists across California, including the Bay Area + Santa Clara.

✨ October is ✨Did you know ADHD isn’t just a childhood condition? It continues across the lifespan — shaping school, w...
10/02/2025

✨ October is ✨

Did you know ADHD isn’t just a childhood condition? It continues across the lifespan — shaping school, work, relationships, and even aging.

This month, we’re shining a spotlight on the changing lens of ADHD:
🔹 Why the term “ADD” is no longer used
🔹 The rise of inclusive language like “AuDHD”
🔹 ADHD challenges and strengths across childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood
🔹 How neurodiversity reframes ADHD as not only a condition but also a strength
🔹 The powerful role of therapy in building resilience and self-compassion

At Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, many of our Bay Area clinicians specialize in ADHD support for children, teens, and adults. From mindfulness-based therapy to executive function coaching, we help clients navigate ADHD with strategies that truly fit their lives. 🌿

💡 Whether you’re navigating ADHD yourself, parenting a twice-exceptional child, or curious about how ADHD intersects with identity and culture, this month is the perfect time to deepen your understanding.

👉 Read our full article on the blog: https://mindfulcenter.org/adhd-awareness-month-2025-understanding-adhd-in-adults-and-children-through-a-changing-lens/

đź“Ť Serving San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, and across California via telehealth.

Address

533 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA
94114

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm

Telephone

+14157660276

Website

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