Russell Hendlin

I am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, with a private practice in Marin since 1990. I got my undergraduate degree from Columbia and a masters of science (psychology) from Antioch University.

I have experience with children, adolescents, adults and families since 1975. I am retired from his position as Director of Medi-Cal Services and a clinical supervisor and staff trainer at Through the Looking Glass in Berkeley. Through the Looking Glass is a nationally recognized non-profit organization serving children aged 0 to 18 where a child or caretaker has a disability. I was formerly on the counseling staff of Larry Fritzlan Recovery Services in Marin.

I brings humor, compassion, clarity and understanding to my work. I try to maintain a stance of curiosity about my clients and their ways of thinking and feeling. I supports couples and families in improving communication, expressing feelings, resolving conflict, and establishing clearer roles. I encourage parents to set limits and establish healthy boundaries. He assists individuals and families in becoming more confident, hopeful, and relaxed. I support relating with clarity, serenity, and loving kindness.

My primary clinical approaches include attachment, mentalization based treatment and family systems.

I works with children, adolescents, individuals and couples who are experiencing anxiety or depression, low confidence or self-esteem, conflict in relationships, neurodiversity, personality issues, and other mental health issues. I works with alcohol and substance abuse, including dual-diagnosis and individuals working 12 step programs, as well as with individuals who would like to address a substance issue but are not open to 12 step work. I work with trauma, and with problems with attention and emotional regulation.

My initial approach is always to be supportive and empathetic. My approach in therapy is to be curious and non-judgmental about my clients and to encourage them to be curious about themselves and the motivations of others. I support clients explore and clarify interactions and to more accurately interpret the needs, desires, feelings beliefs, and goals of themselves and others ("to mentalize") and thereby have mutual undertanding and cooperation. Often this may involve assisting clients who see themselves as stuck, or limited or who may in moments of depression feel they are “bad” to begin to be curious about other ways of perceiving themselves.

Clients often present wanting to feel more calm, more able to stay regulated, and more confident. A primary goal for most clients is to be able to more skillfully reflect on the thoughts, feelings and behavior themselves and others.

Typical goals for clients are to address self imposed begin to question limiting beliefs about themselves and to become more flexible. I help clients understand more about their attachment styles and how that may limit or interfere with their social interactions with friends and family. We may help identify patterns such as perfectionism, fearfulness or resentment that create barriers to intimacy and trust. If beliefs are rigid we work on becoming more curious about what other thoughts might be possible. At times we may address specific relationship challenges, or barriers to academic or professional goals.