Teri Taft

Deciding to go to therapy is a meaningful step towards taking care of oneself and one's well being. I provide compassionate support for teens, young adults, individuals, families and parents. My professional background is my over thirteen years of work at a dynamic family counseling center, and in local schools. I'm passionate about working with youth to look for and support any emotional needs that could be impacting learning or friendships. This includes the unique needs of parenting teens and young adult students who are juggling multiple roles. I have a special interest in the particular and poignant issues experienced by teen and adult adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents, such as with identity, intimacy, rejection and loss. I have a BA in Psychology with a minor in early childhood education from UC Berkeley and a Master in Social Welfare from UCLA.

In therapy, I can help you create space for new insights and build new skills for coping with difficulties. I offer calm and steady support as you explore hard to express feelings, relationship concerns and life struggles. In my experience, getting in touch with your feelings creates an opportunity to understand yourself and your needs better. I have also found that looking at your memories and past experiences can help us gain insight into your current emotions and relationships. My work is informed by my training in Psychodynamic, Attachment-Based, and Family Systems models of therapy. I have also completed level 1 in Emotion Focused Therapy for individuals and Emotion Focused Therapy for Parents Skills.

Creating and maintaining balance and wellness isn’t easy. Sometimes it feels like we should handle things on our own, in isolation. But as social creatures, relying on others is natural. Therapy can be a grounding experience that helps anchor us from life changes and uncertainties. Please call me for a free consultation. I am here to help.