At the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, we frequently encounter a profound, often hidden struggle among our most accomplished clients. They arrive successful, driven, and outwardly capable, yet internally they are battling a persistent, debilitating sense of anxiety, exhaustion, or a feeling that they must constantly strive to justify their own existence. This state is not a moral failing or a...
Reviewed by Kathryn Vercillo, MA Psychology | Last Updated: November 2025 Maybe you downloaded Woebot after seeing an ad. Perhaps you found yourself typing your worries into ChatGPT at 2 a.m. when you could not sleep. Or maybe a friend mentioned Wysa helped them through a rough patch, and you are curious whether AI therapy could work for you too....
A Simple Tool for the Overstimulated Mind In our fast paced Bay Area lives, our minds often race ahead, trying to process everything we have seen, done, and thought throughout the day. This cognitive overload can leave our nervous systems feeling wired and unable to truly rest. When you struggle to digest the day, simple self care can feel impossible....
Reviewed by Kathryn Vercillo, MA Psychology | Last Updated: November 2025 You understand your patterns. You can articulate exactly how your dismissive father or anxious mother shaped your approach to relationships. Maybe you have even read Attached, taken the quizzes, listened to the podcasts on your BART commute, and identified your attachment style with precision. Yet somehow, you keep finding...
Reviewed by Kathryn Vercillo, MA Psychology | Last Updated: November 2025 You have probably heard that mindfulness is good for you. Perhaps you have tried meditation apps, attended a yoga class, or experimented with breathing exercises during stressful moments. These practices can genuinely help. But if you have ever wondered whether mindfulness in therapy techniques might offer something different...
Change is the only constant. Whether it’s a chosen pivot in your career, an unexpected loss, a major life transition, or a subtle yet profound shift in your identity, navigating these moments can feel isolating and overwhelming. Too often, we rely solely on our minds to process these seismic events, leaving the body and spirit behind. This disconnect can lead...
Reviewed by Kathryn Vercillo, MA Psychology | Last Updated: November 2025 You have seen the ads. They are everywhere: podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, even your favorite true crime shows. BetterHelp promises convenient, affordable therapy at your fingertips. Just fill out a questionnaire and get matched with a licensed therapist within days. It sounds perfect. Maybe too perfect. If you have been...
At Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, many of our clients are high functioning professionals, artists, and leaders in the Bay Area. They often come in exhausted, confused about why their energy reserves are constantly depleted despite their best efforts at self care. As a former tech professional who understands the unique pressures of performance culture, Associate MFT Rachel Lefkowitz Parnes specializes...
Reviewed by Kathryn Vercillo, MA Psychology | Last Updated: November 2025 You know the feeling. Your stomach drops when you receive bad news. Your shoulders creep toward your ears during a stressful meeting. Your chest tightens before a difficult conversation, even when you tell yourself there is nothing to worry about. These experiences reveal something profound: your body is not...
This guest post is offered by our associate therapist, Rachel Lefkowitz Parnes, MA, Associate MFT. Rachel’s journey to becoming a therapist is deeply relatable to many of our Bay Area clients, having spent nearly a decade successfully navigating the high stakes environment of the tech world at LinkedIn. Her lived experience of performance culture, combined with her deep clinical training in...