Megan Hanson

My past work, building nutrition programs in underserved communities in San Francisco and South LA taught me that I don’t believe in the “bad seed”. I think all people can thrive when the systems around them are thriving. To that end, I sought to get a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in 2013, focusing on trauma and community psychology. Since, I’ve gained experience as a therapist, working in community based settings, treatment centers, and in private practice.

My core training is in Relational Gestalt Therapy and developmental trauma. My treatment approach is informed by the belief that complex factors - biology, family, etc. - shape a client. Starting with the assumption that each person's challenging patterns were at one time, important survival tools, I support clients to identify, understand, and better manage their own behavioral patterns in relation to situations, substances, emotional states, and other people, so they can improve their lives.

I strive to create a supportive and at times playful environment, where clients can do the tough work of increasing self awareness, getting clear about what is not working in their lives, and experimenting with making changes. This can sometimes feel awkward, uncomfortable, and even shameful, so I try to bring empathy, humor and levity into the work. Clients appreciate that I can be very direct at times, but always with the best intention of helping them to get to where they want to be.