Therapy for Women
Please Note: Due to the current situation with COVID-19, I am offering Telehealth video therapy sessions via a HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing service. If interested, please let me know or click here for more information.
Help for Women When They Need It Most
As a wife, mother, and professional psychotherapist working in San Mateo, I know how complicated life can get for women living and working on the Peninsula and in Silicon Valley. We’re expected to manage many roles, and perform them well and without much complaint.
A woman is more often than not the emotional heart of the family, but this can lead to her own emotional needs being muted or neglected. She may listen well to others, but that doesn’t always translate into having others be receptive to her viewpoints or even available to listen when she needs them. Many of us do a wonderful job anticipating the needs and wishes of others, but this all too commonly can come at the sacrifice of our own needs, goals, and dreams.
If you’re feeling sad, worried, dissatisfied, irritable, empty, exhausted, or just “looking for something more,” chances are it’s a sign that you’re being presented an opportunity to learn more about your “true” self. Many women have waited long enough to begin the process of self-exploration. But it’s never too late to start… And when you’re ready, therapy can help you do just that!
Therapy Can Help You Help Yourself – Getting to the Heart of You
Having practiced psychotherapy for over a decade, I can’t even begin to recount the number of times women have come to me for professional help, and said things such as, “I can’t talk to anyone about this” or “I’ve been holding this inside for years.”
If you feel:
- Depressed or anxious about life in general,
- Relationship problems seem to be headed for crisis – be they with a spouse/partner, co-worker, family member, or friend,
- Lonely or have difficulty with intimacy, or
- Stuck, are searching for meaning, or seem to intuitively know that there is more to life than what you’re experiencing,
individual therapy can help you not only determine the source of the difficulties you’re experiencing, but help you work through the causes of the problems so you can consciously choose your own path to a rewarding and fulfilling life.
What we think, feel, and believe, we create. As Anais Nin once commented, “We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.”
Understanding and healing ourselves is probably the most important thing we can do to ensure a happy and rewarding life.
The work I do with my clients helps them learn to be kinder to themselves and to expect more of others. I provide a space for feelings to be expressed openly instead of being suppressed or denied in order to protect others. And the therapy services I offer give you a chance to find your voice and experience the pleasure and validation of being allowed and encouraged to speak from your heart and mind without worrying about others’ perceptions.
The good news is that because our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs come about after birth, they are mutable. It is the ability to consciously be aware of and change our thoughts, feelings, and assumptions about how the world and relationships work that results in a life worth celebrating. And this is exactly what therapy is all about! Whether you believe that you live once or many times, why not make this life the best possible?
How Does Therapy Lead to Healing?
The trusting relationship that is built between the therapist and client is one of the most – if not the most – important contributors to successful therapy. It is this relationship, along with the work we do together, that allows healing to occur. This is not always a quick or easy process; in fact at many times the work can be quite difficult.
What I can say for certain is that our time together is very sacred, and I am focused entirely on my clients healing. In many cases, the relationship my clients and I develop is the first secure, compassionate, and trusting relationship they experience.
In addition to providing support, empathy, and the chance to experience relationships in a different way, I also offer honest yet gentle feedback and encouragement.
Once people feel safe and supported – no longer alone – they can begin to trust, not only another human being but themselves as well. Through this trust and mutual respect, people can begin to do the work necessary to understand themselves and regain a sense of hope and self-efficacy.
Even when this work causes discomfort, clients rarely leave a session without some new understanding about who they are and how they function in their relationships and the world.
I do this work because I know it makes a difference. People can live up to their true potential, and experience the boundless rewards and happiness of becoming who they already are.
How Long Does Healing Take?
While I offer both short-term (8-20 sessions) and longer-term counseling and therapy services, many clients who come to me seeking only a few sessions to resolve an immediate problem end up working with me for much longer periods of time.
The length of time we spend together is always up to you; but successful, lasting healing and change often takes time because hurt and injured people have difficulty trusting others – rightly so given their past experiences – and it is the trusting relationship we build in our work together that leads to profound and lasting change.
Women who make the commitment to work with me discover that positive, lasting change is possible at any age. It’s never too late to learn more about yourself and to experience all the joy life has to offer.
We can work together to create a relationship based on honesty, compassion, and insight. The mutual goal is to uncover unbeneficial thought and behavior patterns, as knowledge and insight are requisite tools for successful change.
Once the thought and behavior patterns needing attention are discovered and acknowledged, we can brainstorm effective strategies, reach resolution, and implement practices to help move you toward a more positive future.
If you’re interested in learning more about how the counseling services I offer can benefit you personally, I encourage you to contact me with your questions or to schedule a free consultation. I may be reached by phone at 650-634-9821, or by e-mail at pam@pamelalevymft.com. I look forward to meeting you, but the person you’re really going to meet is yourself!
I provide my services to the highest ethical standards and my relationships with my clients are strictly confidential. As such, I must inform you that the information provided in this website is offered for informational purposes only; it is not offered as and does not constitute professional advice. Replies to e-mail messages will be general in nature and will not form a therapist-client relationship. Be aware that the confidentiality of information sent over the Internet, including e-mail, may not be legally or otherwise protected or secure.