Dr. Josie Valderrama

NOVEMBER SABBATICAL [NO SESSIONS]

I approach the initial intake as both a clinical assessment and a consultative conversation. It gives us an opportunity to understand what brings you to therapy, discuss how I might approach your concerns, and mutually assess whether the therapeutic relationship feels like a good fit. Note that all first-time sessions are via video call.

Mindfulness-based, Direct-lineage Ericksonian Psychotherapy. Specializing in biweekly/every-other-week cadence for sub-acute clients. I believe the real work happens in the thirteen days between appointments, when learning is practiced in your real world!

My work is insight-oriented using experiential, metacognitive, somatic and trance-based approaches as well as talk therapy. Promoting meaningful internal change, not just symptom management. I am a compassionate and experienced clinical psychologist and educator licensed in California with additional certifications in Ericksonian psychotherapy and trancework. Queer, gender fluid and femme folks at the intersection of gender, sexual & relational diversity (GSRD) + cultural diversity + neurodiversity are my primary focus. Alt high achievers in tech, medicine, mental health, academia and the creative arts are some of the folks I work with. A main diagnostic specialization is anxiety, our modern-day malady. I am a founding member of Bay Area Open Minds, therapists affirming GSRD as well as the author of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Journal. Eurasian Filipino-American, I am inclusive and embracing in my approach. Note: San Francisco office hours Wednesday-Friday. Zoom Monday-Friday. You can schedule directly via Headway calendar, or ask me about setting up a recurring appointment.

Josie, Dr Josie, Dr V, Dr Valderrama - feel free to call me whatever's comfortable for you!

Visit my website at www.josievalderramapsyd.com.

We typically start by grounding with a couple of minutes of meditative sitting to deepen the focus. The therapy integrates mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral approaches including ACT as well as relational attachment, inner parts work, somatics and depth processes. Besides collaboratively dialoging and empathically listening, I may suggest exploring guided mentalization exercises based on Ericksonian and NLP techniques.

Clients often feel better right away, as well as make longterm gains. While therapy can be confronting at times, I hold space for the work to take place within a gentle, titrated and nonjudgmental framework. Clients can expect to find greater freedom from psychological distress and mental blocks through increased self-acceptance, clarity and motivation for change. A client's trajectory can see a lessening of anxiety and other issues over time, fostered by experiential non-avoidance, cognitive restructuring (e.g. shifting out of self-limiting beliefs) as well as insights gained from intuitive, subconscious and somatic processes.

Clients often gain a greater sense of meaning and purpose in their lives through values exploration; coming into a greater sense of peace around past wounds; practicing self-trust; and strengthening attunement to present moment awareness. We work multidimensionally across the many facets of consciousness to promote learning, expansion and overall wellbeing.