Welcome!

I have made it my life’s work to help women, men, and couples overcome the pain of trauma and post traumatic stress. As a compassionate witness to your distress and suffering, my goal is to help you heal and feel empowered to achieve your goals.

I believe in the healing power of psychotherapy, a warm caring relationship, and room to grow in your own unique direction.

It is impossible to get through life without trauma. Child abuse, neglect, accidents, illness, difficult relationships, grief and loss. can all be traumatic. Depending on your life circumstances and level of support you can develop post traumatic stress. If you have experienced severe abuse you may have developed complex post traumatic stress which involves the psychological defense of dissociation. You may become able to compartmentalize your feelings to the extent that they are no longer accessible to you. What helps you survive as a child can cause difficulty in adult life because you are disconnected from, and in conflict with, yourself.

Therapy can help you stabilize, develop positive resources, discover hope, even blossom.

Trauma may be (but not always of course) a driving force behind many problems such as:
eating disorders, depression, anxiety, addictions.

I use the therapeutic relationship, along with EMDR, specialized EMDR for Complicated PTSD,   Writing for Healing, Focusing Oriented Therapy, Ego State Therapy, Relaxation and Restorative Yoga Techniques as tools for Healing.

People say that I am warm and empathic. I try to listen carefully, be patient and sensitive.  I want to make your therapy feel as safe as possible.

I offer what I think is a reasonable fee for my services. I am also available for a sliding fee scale as I am able. I will discuss this with you before we meet in person.

Phyllis Klein, Psychotherapy in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Photograph by Lois Tema Photography