Welcome back to Conversations with Clinicians where we interview one of our associate therapists. We like to give you this opportunity to learn more about the way that they work. It can also give you insight into the differences between various therapeutic modalities, approaches and techniques.
Today, meet Corinne Crone. Corinne is a transpersonal West Marin, California therapist. Asked to sum up one main reason people might go to therapy, Corinne answers:
“To begin waking from the trance of old stories and conditioning, and make space for a more honest life—one shaped by curiosity, presence, and the quiet mystery of being.”
What is your therapeutic orientation?
Relational, transpersonal and integrative, with a strong emphasis on present-moment awareness, non-pathologizing approaches and supporting clients to reconnect with their authentic self and inner healer.
What are your areas of specialty?
I specialize in trauma, life transitions, grief, existential themes such as meaning and purpose, spiritual inquiry, and non-ordinary states. I also work with couples, focusing on responsibility, communication, and repair. My individual work is grounded in an existential and transpersonal orientation.
What other modalities inform your work?
My work is informed by mindfulness-based therapy, Internal Family Systems, Flash Technique (Trauma-aware approach to EMDR), Gestalt, Hakomi, and transpersonal psychology. I also draw from psychodynamic theory and incorporate elements of Eastern philosophy and liberation psychology.
What is it like to work with you? How would you (or clients) say you are in the room?
My approach to psychotherapy draws from both Eastern and Western traditions, integrating presence, compassion, and insight. I hold space with loving-kindness and grounded firmness, guided by intuition and a quiet sensitivity to what’s unspoken. Clients often share that they feel seen, safe, and understood—a space where they can slow down and begin to listen inward.
Who do you LOVE working with?
I love working with other therapists and those on a path of personal transformation. The shared language and varied perspectives bring a richness to the work that truly nourishes me. Lately, I’ve been drawn to working with more couples, and I imagine future trainings will deepen my focus in that direction. There’s something deeply rewarding in supporting partners as they build trust, develop communication, and reconnect with one another.
I also feel at home with clients in states of transition—those navigating the unknown or exploring questions of meaning, spirituality, or mysticism. I bring a steady presence and a deep capacity to sit with uncertainty, which allows space for something new to emerge.
What most inspires you about doing this work? What do you do outside of the work to stay inspired?
What inspires me most is witnessing someone come into deeper relationship with the truth of their being—to see the life in them emerge as they learn to navigate both pain and joy without adding extra layers of suffering. It’s a mysterious kind of transformation, and it moves me every time.
I stay inspired through meditation, movement, time in nature, and meaningful connection. Beauty is a spiritual practice for me—whether through creative expression, time in stillness, or noticing the ordinary wonder of the world around me. Continued study deepens both my understanding and what I’m able to offer my clients.
Therapist Recommendations and Favorites
Best places to laugh and cry in the Bay Area?
One of my favorite places to laugh in San Francisco is a tiny basement comedy club called Cheaper Than Therapy—it’s unassuming and full of surprises. As for crying, anywhere with a view of the water and the presence of a dear friend whom can hold whatever needs to be felt.
See what other therapists answered about the best places to laugh and cry in San Francisco.
Best self-care suggestions for free, on a budget, and at a higher price point?
For free, self-care can be as simple as a quiet walk in nature—sitting at the base of a tree, looking up through the branches, letting time slow down.
On a budget, there’s something deeply nourishing about a beautifully made coffee from one of San Francisco’s exquisite coffeehouses, paired with a chocolate pain au chocolat from Arsicault Bakery.
At a higher price point, a day trip to Point Reyes Seashore—picnic packed, phone off—offers space to breathe, wander, and remember something essential.
What are your favorite therapy books?
Favorite therapy books: Transcend by Scott Barry Kaufman, The Sacred Mirror edited by John Prendergast, Richard P. Christopher, and Grace Schireson, and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
Your favorite non-therapy books?
Favorite non-therapy book: The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life by Boyd Varty.
Favorite Quote
Favorite quote: “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” — Carl Jung
Any other favorites in different media that relate to therapy?
Some of my favorite therapy-related media include The Emerald by Joshua Schrei, a podcast that weaves myth, history, and psyche in rich and unexpected ways. I also enjoy The Psychology Podcast by Scott Barry Kaufman, On Being with Krista Tippett, and The Tim Ferriss Show for its thoughtful conversations around growth, creativity, and healing.
As for music—I know the songs when I feel them. Some things speak more to the heart than the name ever could.
If you could sum up in one sentence why someone might go to therapy, what would you say?
To begin waking from the trance of old stories and conditioning, and make space for a more honest life—one shaped by curiosity, presence, and the quiet mystery of being.
What is one thing that clients might be surprised to learn about you?
Clients are often surprised to learn that I’m a bit of a closeted jock—and that I once spent over a year driving from the southern tip of Africa to the north, living out of a car, with a GPS and no plan, surfing along the way.
What is one takeaway moment that you’d like to share from your own experience as a client in therapy?
There was a moment in my own therapy where my therapist simply said to me, “that was awful” in response to an experience I shared. Our eyes full with tears. There was nothing more that needed to be said.
Anything else? Closing words or something about who you are/ how you identify that you would like to share?
I am going to second the quote from Danielle M. Herrera, an Oakland based psychotherapist who identifies as a queer, detribalized, mixed-indigenous woman from Chiricahua, when she expressed her approach to therapy by saying she, “[gets] to love people for a living” (tenderheart.us). Yes to that.
How can potential clients contact you?
Corinne Crone
Phone: 541.655.3590
corinnecrone.com
Where is your office located?
West Marin, CA
You can also contact us at Center for Mindful Psychotherapy to learn more about working with Corinne Crone or any of our associate therapists.