I had to get a therapist as a requirement for the graduate psychology program I entered in the fall…read moreof '06. I was so pleased to find Birgit through the East Bay Association of Marriage & Family Therapists. First off, Birgit is covered by my HMO but my plan's coverage is really poor. I felt disheartened when I was told the HMO rep that they wouldn't cover any of my sessions. Birgit negotiated with them to at least cover 2 sessions. That was a good sign to me that this therapist cared enough to help as I was feeling frustrated with the HMO's bureacracy. She's adept at working with me to look at my problems through different lenses. She's helped me make such a huge difference perceiving many aspects of my life in much healthier ways. I had indivudal sessions with her so I wasn't involved in her cinematherapy groups but it sounds like a great way to do some self-exploration through themes in movies different people might connection with. If you're looking for a psychotherapist who challenges your self-perceptions in the kindest of manner, you'll enjoy sessions with Birgit.

I went to Birgit off and on for a couple of years, through my Employee Assistance Program at work…read more She was absolutely wonderful. Very kind-hearted, soft spoken, honest and open; as you would hope any therapist would be. Her office was very comfortable and she was never late for an appointment. She offered me some mental exercises that were very helpful to get me through some tough times. I recently tried to go back to her but learned that she has since moved to Lake County. I am bummed that she's not close enough to visit anymore but I'm glad I was able to see her for the time that I did. Thanks Birgit!

I am so grateful for Alex and the powerful work he has devoted his life to. I've been working with…read moreAlex for about 2 years, starting in a men's group he co-leads, and now also in individual IFS therapy. I recently participated in a plant medicine ceremony led by Alex in which we leveraged IFS tools in the context of the medicine during a beautiful hike along the Sonoma coast. IFS is a powerful technology, and I find Alex's skillful approach to IFS makes it even more effective and accessible. I previously tried to work with other IFS therapists, but none worked for me until Alex ran an IFS exercise in men's group. I ended up tapping into my inner family and laughing out loud while speaking with a particular part. From there, I sought out more IFS therapy directly from Alex. Through my work with Alex, I've gained more awareness around how I experience and react to my own emotions and the phenomena around me. For example, when I start to criticize myself or doubt myself, I am now able slow down, listen, and turn that interaction into more of a dialogue and less of a battle. I am learning to better manage and listed to my various inner parts, particularly those who I have ignored or neglected in the past. With Alex's guidance, I have been able to meet young, vulnerable parts of myself that I am now fostering stronger and more loving relationships with. Through our recent medicine journey, I gained new perspectives on where certain anxieties and burdens came from, how my parts feel about being overwhelmed and spread thin, and how I can work with my inner family to change how I operate - to give those parts, and ultimately myself, more comfort and ease as I create, relate, and move through the world.

Thank goodness for my time in Kugler's 6 week "Edgewalker" program…read more I've worked with Alex before, when he co-lead a Men's group I was in (Connected Warriorship Training). The group was powerfully transformative. Two+ years later, I was again in need of help: a new job promotion with more responsibility and stress; recovering from a surgery; and confronting long-present issues in my marriage. Before my time with Kugler, my internal tools were not supporting me, and when I finally decided I needed help, I did not want to start shopping for a new therapist. Alex came to mind, his style having worked for me before, and now with a 6 session + 1 day long offering that I could afford/commit to - I was in! A match! And I'm so glad I took the dive. Now, on the other side of our work together, I've learned a fresh set of IFS-styled tools for navigating my internal world, for making decisions. I've discovered parts of myself that were neglected, yet pulling the strings. I've found a way to relate myself, to co-live with myself more honestly - and courageously. I've gained courage to meet my circumstance in a strong but compassionate way. Encouraging myself without berating myself. To be ambitious while still taking care of myself. And to show up more grounded, present, and available for the intimacy my wife and I want to share. Thank goodness! After 6ish weeks with Alex, I'm not a "new" man, per se. But I'm less often hiding from the aspirations of my life (hiding in weed; pessimism; self-defeating narratives) and instead meeting them with honest tools that are helping me get where I want to go. I am so grateful for you Alex and the skills you have for helping us heal. Thank you for your special gifts!

I had sessions with Ben for over 2 years, and even though we no longer are in session, I have…read morecontinued to work on myself and have been striving to make changes in my life. Ben provided me with the tools to figure it out on my own teaching me perseverance was my middle name with resiliency in my rear view. I have been learning to show myself care, and learning to cut myself some slack. I have been learning to let life unfold and not play the puppet master so much. I have taken myself out on countless solo dates and adventures getting to know the goddess of my heart. The tools Ben taught me, gave me permission to explore myself experiencing life on human terms. He helped me take a deeper look at myself, and see why I seemed to care so deeply about the judgment of others. He helped me let that go, and I continue to let my ego go as often as I become aware. He showed me how to heal. I think of our sessions often and think to myself, "what would Ben say, or have me do to let the energy be there, and process it." He showed me how to work on my shadow allowing all she is, to just be. Ben has helped teach me to live life on life's terms. I used to think I'm in control of my surroundings where somehow expectations always seemed to disappoint. He guided me to find solace in my breath, to allow my emotions to be present without judgment, and gave me permission to follow my bliss where I can find inner peace. I will forever appreciate his help and guidance while his energy has stuck with me all this time in continuing to do the work. I feel as though once we turn the pages in our lives, we rarely find the time or energy to express our appreciation to those who made a difference, and this is me flexing my vulnerability as Ben made a huge impact on my life. Thank you. Thank you from my whole heart. Thank you for choosing this line of work; it truly is transformational!

I am a psychotherapist, and Ben is my therapist. He is an…read moreamazing healer who has helped me to restore myself emotionally after the ravages of ending a 24 year marriage with a manipulative, toxic narcissist. With Ben's support I am rediscovering my healthy sense of peace and connection to myself and others. Start the journey to creating a better life for yourself by giving Ben a call...

This is a special place with warm, compassionate therapists. They are truly in this business out of…read moretheir deep love of helping others. They have such a depth in capacity for kindness and caring, plus a vast array of impressive skills and experience to adapt to each client's needs. What a wonderful place to seek out extra support in your life.

I was seeking help from a very traumatic car accident and the loss of a loved one. Since my issues…read moreare stemming from the accident and that became apparent after my first session I was told that they would not be willing to support me if I ended up needing legal help. Apparently this is in the fine print of the agreement I signed at my first session. It is extremely hard for me to reach out to a therapist and begin therapy in the first place. I feel even more stressed and depressed after opening up to them and finding out at the end of my session and $150.00 later that they would recommend I find another therapist that would be more willing to help in a situation like mine. I have since spoken with a few therapists and I now ask ahead of time if this would be an issue. I have been told that it is highly unusual for a therapist to take this stand. Unfortunately I did really like Claudia and wish I could have kept working with her. I didn't know this was something I even needed to ask about. I was really very surprised when Claudia brought it up towards end of my very emotional session. I should have read all the fine print in their agreement before the session began but I had no idea this would something I needed to inquire about. I know now. I hope this review helps someone going through a similar situation. It is even more upsetting because when I made the appointment on our phone interview I told her what had happened and why I was seeking therapy. I could of course continue therapy but that they would not be willing to help if I needed them to share my records or speak with legal counsel. I am paying for this myself as they didn't take my insurance, I don't feel like this practice cared about me as a person and was just looking for more cut and dry clients. I am having a very rough time of it and disappointed I had this experience and even started with them.

We were incredibly disappointed. 1) She lied to my wife and daughter (who she was treating) in…read morewriting and verbally about a very sensitive issue. 2) She chose not to inform us about actions that she had the discretion to (nothing that was protected by patient confidentiality). 3) the Psychology Today website says she has been practicing for 11 years but the state website indicates she has been licensed for 4 years. Perhaps there is a reasonable explanation for the third (and minor) portion of our complaint. I don't know, but the first two are reasons I would not recommend anyone work with this bird.

For nearly 20 years of my very short life, I was a closet smoker. No one had any idea that I smoked…read moreup to 10 ciggys a day. When I turned 35 I know it was time I quit and Tammy Rust of Trust Life Coaching helped me to finally quit. Up until meeting Tammy I : Tried the patch on at least four different occasions (lasted about a month each time) Used the nicotine gum at least three time (lasted a few weeks each) Cold "Turkeyed" it (six times) Gave up and said I'd never quit cause it was too painful and got not results. I had even tried another Hypnotist and that lasted about three weeks. Then I met Tammy. She was not only very interested in why I smoked but how I smoked and what caused my wanting to smoke. We worked on those things for a few sessions. I was very comfortable, in a beautiful setting and felt well taken care of by Tammy. She had done so much work to help me quit even before I had arrived to her office. Tammy truly wanted to help me quit smoking and listened to me, asked educated and relevant questions an helped me to get to the reason why I actually smoked. It's been over four months and I have had hardly any cravings for a smoke. I have gone on with my life, been around friends that smoke, gone to bars and events that have alcohol, worked in stressful situations and still haven't smoked. I feel like a different person and a smarter, less smelly person who has to think out when and where my next smoke will be. I also have extra $$ cause I haven't spent it on smokes, I love extra money ;-) I am so happy to have found Tammy Rust and I refer her to everyone I can as much as I can.

Tammy amazing for grief Work. She is raw, honest, compassionate, and goes the extra mile. She has…read morebeen through her own grieve, which makes her personal Able, relatable and an expert in her own, right. She was there for me when my dad passed more than I could have ever expected. She also has all the letters by her name that you would need her to have. She has experience and has written books on the topic and is very present. She is a caretaker and a professional. I wish more people like her existed.

Working with Joyna over the past six months has been truly transformative. From day one, she…read moreprovided practical tools and thoughtful guidance - from resume and LinkedIn tips to book recommendations and even ideas for new career paths I'd never considered. When I shared obstacles (and I shared a lot), Joyna always had creative, realistic solutions. Through our sessions, I discovered my core values, built a career plan I feel confident about, and even found the motivation to start applying for jobs and volunteering again. I now have a LinkedIn profile I'm proud of and a renewed sense of hope about what's next. Highly recommend Joyna to anyone feeling stuck or ready for a meaningful career shift!

Joyna is an incredible human being--compassionate, caring, and genuinely supportive--and an AMAZING…read morecareer coach! I'm very career-focused, and she has been by my side through every twist and turn, especially since I went back to school and started a new career. Joyna has a unique ability to help you reflect on what truly matters in your life, and she's always there to guide you and help you figure out what's best for you. She empowers you to believe that nothing is impossible. I'm so grateful to have met her and cannot say enough wonderful things. You will not regret working with her!