Dr. Josie Valderrama

~Telehealth Availability: Monday 10am-Noon, Tuesday 8am-2pm, 4pm. SF Office: 10am Thursday~ Welcome, this is Josie Valderrama, PsyD. I am a compassionate and experienced clinical psychologist licensed in California. My expertise is at the intersection of gender, sexual & relational diversity (GSRD) + cultural diversity + neurodiversity. A main diagnostic focus is on anxiety-related issues, our modern-day malady. I am a founding member of Bay Area Open Minds, therapists affirming GSRD as well as the author of an Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) guided journal. As an Eurasian Filipino-American, I am inclusive and embracing in my approach.

We typically start the session by grounding in mindfulness practice. The therapy integrates mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral approaches including ACT as well as a focus on attachment, parts work, somatics and depth processes. Besides talk, we may engage in 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 symptoms 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; examination and coming to peace with past wounds; and strengthening attunement to present moment awareness. We work multidimensionally across the many facets of consciousness to promote learning, expansion and overall wellbeing.

I go by "Dr Josie, Dr V, Josie, Dr Valderrama" -feel free to address me in the way that feels most comfortable for you.