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...[ read more ]
The question, "What is it to be alive today?" is perhaps the most profound human inquiry. As we navigate the end of the year, this question often feels obscured by external demands. There is also a constant, low level hum of anxiety. Society frequently suggests that our meaning lies in our capacity to produce, achieve, and solve. If we...[ read more ]
Center for Mindful Psychotherapy is a non profit collective of approximately 100 Associate Marriage and Family Therapists in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can learn more about each of them from perusing our Therapist Directory. In our Conversations with Clinicians series, we interview therapists in more depth. They share more about the work that they do, the clients that...[ read more ]
What does it actually look like to practice therapy mindfully? How do therapists hold space for complex emotions while maintaining their own groundedness and capacity? This month, we're sharing an intimate glimpse into the daily practice of Madison Parikka, AMFT, one of our associate therapists at Center for Mindful Psychotherapy. Her video offers more than a "day in the life."...[ read more ]
Suicidal thoughts often emerge from deeply painful life experiences, traumatic events, or overwhelming internal narratives that leave individuals feeling trapped. When a person sees no alternative story about their life beyond despair, hopelessness can take hold. The role of narrative therapy in rewriting suicidal stories is to help individuals step outside of these limiting narratives and discover new ways of...[ read more ]
“It was the kind of story that doesn't go away after the first time you tell it, so you have to tell it over and over until it goes away for good. If it ever can.” - Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key Some experiences are too powerful to process in one sitting. The memories linger, demanding to be...[ read more ]