THERAPIST

Reina Peterson, AMFT


OFFERS ONLINE THERAPY IN CALIFORNIA

ASSOCIATE Marriage and Family Therapist

EDUCATION

Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology, Cal Poly Humboldt

I am a female Associate Marriage and Family Therapist using she/her pronouns.  I grew up in the North Bay, and now live in San Francisco with my partner and our dog.  My clients and colleagues find me to be warm, attuned, compassionate, gentle, and light hearted when appropriate.

I am a recent graduate of Cal Poly Humboldt, where I received my masters’ degree in Counseling Psychology. I obtained my undergraduate degree from University of California Berkeley. I am an associate member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, as well as the San Francisco chapter. I am a registered AMFT (Associate Marriage and Family Therapist), supervised by a licensed member of our staff. 

APPROACH TO COUNSELING

To invoke the wisdom of Two Trees Sullivan: “In times of challenge we default not to our highest self, but to our strongest practice.”  Relationships are the venue in which so many of our greatest challenges, insecurities, and old wounds make themselves known. Our practices in relationships, including our routines, rituals, habits, and communication styles, are informed by many factors outside of our values. Perhaps you’ve taken great steps to make changes in your relationship, only to find that the same behaviors and thoughts are activated, causing painful patterns to repeat themselves again and again.

While conflict and disharmony in relationships can be deeply distressing, they are also an opportunity to understand what you and your partner are each yearning for.  Through effective repair, we can seize this opportunity to deepen trust, intimacy, and connection. In our work together, you will have the opportunity to identify, refine and strengthen your best practices for communication, constructive conflict, and effective repair in your relationship. 

Interdependence is the foundation of our species’ origins and early development; I believe that healthy, nurturing connection is a salve for many of our crises in modernity. In counseling, we have a saying that “the relationship heals”; when security is achieved or renewed in a relationship, comfort, healing and growth are assured for both individuals, and prosperity may be achieved that is sometimes elusive at an individual level. 

In session, we will use your lived experience and intuition in combination with evidence-based practices to build a therapy that is uniquely your own. We will draw from attachment theory and numerous theoretical orientations, including Emotion Focused Therapy, Gottman methods, and more. I have experience and specific training in working with trauma, and utilize a trauma-informed approach. I invite you to embark on this path with an open mind, and am honored to walk alongside you. 

 
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
— T. S. Eliot
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Let’s Begin

Step 1


Schedule a 20-30 minute phone call. This gives us a chance to discuss what is going on, what you're looking for, and find a great fit. Either schedule an appointment in our online calendar, fill out our form or call us at (415) 494-7074

Step 2


Speak to our trained, master’s level therapists who offer a 30-minute confidential consultation. 

During your phone consultation ask questions, get direct feedback about how we work and assess whether our therapists are the right fit for you. 

Step 3


Receive personalized matches from a therapist who takes your goals and finds you a qualified therapist. No surveys and no algorithms. Trained staff find and review each match.

Step 4


Choose the therapist you like best to fit your needs, availability, and goals. Then start scheduling your weekly online teletherapy sessions within the same day.