20 Best Psyd Programs In San Francisco, CA (2022 Updated)

I'm a male, late 20's student at USF, and this has been my experience: 1) Rigorous – Having had a decent amount of life experience before coming here, I expected it to be easy. I was wrong. As someone who has always been good at math, the math classes were all challenging and required a lot of time and effort to do well in. The same goes for their science classes. I had attended another, easier university before coming here, and the difference was huge. 2) Political/Religious – Being a catholic university in the middle of a very liberal city, there is a good chance that someone will at some point try to shove religion or liberal politics down your throat, with a higher probability of the latter. As someone who doesn't care for politics, I'd prefer if they were left out of the classroom. 3) Small class sizes – All but one of my classes have been under 30 people, with many being less than 20. There are personal, 1-on-1 classes for music lessons in guitar, piano, vocals, etc. There are ample staff to handle any problem and any and all issues I've had were solved quickly. Compare this to a state school with class sizes in the 100's and there is really no comparison. 4) Expensive – With an annual price tag of about 50k, plus the astronomically high San Francisco cost of living, it is incredibly expensive to go to school here. I came here largely because I had a full-ride scholarship, and would have seriously considered other options if I didn't. 5) Amenities – There are several large libraries, excellent quiet study areas, private music rooms with instruments, and the campus itself is quite beautiful. With the tuition comes a free public transit card and gym access, at a very nice gym. 6) Overall quality – The quality of the school overall is very high. I can't say how it compares to the likes of top schools like Stanford, but many of USF's professors have come from those big name schools. The combination of talented, intelligent professors and personal 1-on-1 attention make it a great place to learn and study.Tyler D

I transferred out of the University of San Francisco real quick. The school is expensive, the education is ok but the material is too easy, and the social life is garbage unless you're undoubtedly liberal. The professors were very nice and helpful, but anyone from the administration building is out to get you, ultimately this place is just a big money pit. They'll find a way to fine you and take your money even if you haven't done anything wrong.Alex Douthat

Beautiful campus in the heart of the city but otherwise, a school filled with professors that don’t really care, poor accommodations for students with disabilities, extremely expensive, campus police focuses more on giving you parking tickets and people’s conduct rather than ensuring vehicles are not broken into. Did I mention is extremely expensive and they will not accommodate you well if you need to take time off for medical/family issues.Jake Bilyak

I used to crash classes here and love that a school like this exists and I am very happy that many pioneers in various fields are finding a more public voice here. I was recently interested in obtaining a masters and encouraged to apply late (Pauline Reif) with the promise that I would be seen for that semesters admission. After submitting and paying non refundable application fees I was told I was late (which I had clearly known!) and none of my subsequent emails have been responded to. For a school focused on cutting edge psych and interpersonal dynamics, my experience with admissions was a FAR cry from what I hoped they stood for. I really hope they button up their program, modern and non-mainstream schooling is important, and I find that system wide integrity is even more crucial amongst those who walk on the outskirts.Mike D

I had a very mixed experience with this school. It was well worth the effort, but the school was not supportive when they needed to be which was ironic since many of the programs are focused on learning how to provide holistic psychotherapy. I would think an organization that focused on that subject would be filled with people capable of providing great support. Rather I found, after a few years, that it is very disorganized and in some serious need of an administrative overhaul.Marni Sweetland

Cutting edge graduate institution & doctoral program in the field of integral studies, psychodynamic psychotherapy & multidisciplinary consciousness studies. 🏦 Expanding the study of the psyche to include the transpersonal domain is a radically important undertaking for us at this time.⛲ The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) is at the vanguard of the transpersonal movement and a leader in the field of holistic studies.🕉Chris Hutnik

This place is more church than it is a university. Undergrads are required to earn an additional 18 units, 9 credits of Humanities & 9 credits of Religion, on top of your traditional 120 units for a Bachelors. As well as 14 hours of “convo” each semester (look it up). Every staff / faculty member who works here complains about there pay to anyone who will listen. Student advisors and counselors will try to impress upon you their administrative powers. Student Veterans: Both, as a Yellow Ribbon student and (at about 3/4 of the way thru) as a VocRehab (Ch.33) student, Ella from student accounts would withhold all my grants and loans until the government paid the tuition it owed on my behalf. This place is known for its vistas not their academics. You won’t build much of a portfolio to show employers just by going here. Students in the Arts programs here focused more on who to know rather then what to know. Very “Right Wing” policies. Good WiFi in the buildings, not so much outside.Timothy Mitchell

I got accepted to two schools but wanted to start with a summer course at Pepperdine to see how it goes. I enrolled in one class and before the class started I asked professor for the syllabus, and few additional questions. He emailed me he would gladly speak to me about the class I want to take and gave me the phone number to call. I am not a native speaker and I have an accent. When I called, he was very rude, asked me who I am, and then he said I got the wrong number and hanged up on me. I withdrew the class immediately to get my money back and I decided to go to different university instead, with better reputation. There are other better schools out there.Mila Rosey

I graduated from Pepperdine in 2006… Thanks to Pepperdine I've met people and gained the educational foundation to realize the maximum potential in my life! I've traveled the world (through the study abroad opportunities and my due to my career after graduating), met some of the coolest people ever, and got to live near the beach in Malibu! For an all-around A+ university, go to Pepperdine. You won't be sorry!Matthew Steffen

A benefit of this place find outstanding professors and good education. Tuition is not bad. This university is a growing university that deserves good reputations, but has dragged down by poor admin, HR, Dept Chair. Academic affair and chair make the whole procedure slowed down and dysfunctional. They keep getting deficits from under-enrollement and have a few million deficits from COM academic affairs and do not take responsibility. They sacrifice well run programs and the fund does not come back. Very low salary. San Francisco's poverty limit is $117K and I believe most are below the poverty level. Vallejo is the most diverse city of white 32%, Asian 24%, Hispanic/Latino 22%, Black/African American, 22%. COM admin and department leadership are far from the demographic diversity. It does not help. Non-compliance is coming back, past faculty who got paid, did nothing and is still on safety committee. The university needs biosafety officer. The university has warm culture and nice. Faculty and students work together and emphasize the culture. On the better side, some are very talented to fix the issues. They are willing to do extra duties for nothing and burn out. They are here for students and teaching. Standing ovation but students do not do well is not teaching. It has flagrant and bizarre academics and professionalism. Correct knowledge is what COM dean and chair say, but not the current state of understanding. If you say something, you will face a group of people who accuses you unprofessional and not collegial. This is how the review goes. This is how the evaluation works. Academics office promoted associate professor with only a master's degree – must have the highest degree is the bylaw. The university does not give resources, weakens faculty and say get the grant. dept chair messed paperwork that costs me $8,000, and continues to mess it up. I take pride in the job but not doing it for compensation! Do you know a short notice cost me a few hundreds? each time I arrange a baby-sitter. They squeeze salary, resource and smash the pride. MSHMS management is unprepared and is manipulative. They allow student bad behaviours. Pharm teaches wrong knowledge. Immuno is awful. The university has nationally recognized professors that can give insights to the whole university. They are the ones that give reputation and lead the university. The department is ready for the next step with better leadership. It has good faculties with quality. It is not for somebody who stays for a stipend creating a cylo-like culture not following policy and regulations. Those create a sub-culture of non-compliance. They make everything very difficult, make small issues big. They blame faculty who is trouble-shooting the problem. Such leadership is not needed. Admin should update the dept and program leadership. Sadly, similar goes to some researchers who are extremely hostile and blame others for their faults. A researcher has nearly no paper published but very critical to others. They spilled something nasty in the lab, did not clean it up, and blame the university. They demand more teaching for job security when losing the grant. It is THEM who make trouble. They come as a group saying unprofessional, but professionalism is not how many say it. Same goes for admin. We need better professionalism standards. IT still keeps breaking down after upgrades. paperwork is kept messing up. facilities give no response, new vending machines still eating money, scheduling is a whole mess. budget is poorly managed- where does faculty fund go? Orders take forever. Learning center CILT is newly developed, but is not well-organized for rapid changes in teaching. Lectures are diminishing. Students seek assistance but are not getting it. They should focus on retention and focus on something nice.dr nik

Classes in the Grad School of Education provide practical information relevant to the classroom. They have a library that is always open, and a number of relevant focus areas for today's teachers. However, they're overrun with bureaucratic drivel removing students from their program multiple semesters in, due to their own clerical oversights during admission and have had people other than the professor run classes. The syllabus and rubrics wont always match up and you'll be denied a grade. Dont ever expect to get the benefit of the doubt, and never delude yourself into thinking anyone there cares whether or not you are successful. You will hit wall after wall with them unless you are the quintessential student without any outside responsibilities or any interference from real life. In short, it is a decent program as long as you don't expect to matter as a human being or a teacher.Meghan Hansford

TUW has exceeded my expectations so far. Not only is communication direct and smooth, the assistance from enrollment counselors like Kim, and academic advisors, is excellent. I begin classes in late August but have been guided in a sense that I feel comfortable and confident about beginning my first term in the Masters of Arts in Family and Marriage Therapy program. From financial aid to registration, TUW staff is there for you along the way. I attended a small private college for 2 years and a public state college for 2 years. Similar to the small college, TUW is available for help and seems to truly care about the success of their students.maya stephen

First, I would like to thank many of the mentors for assisting me with being successful with my academic endeavors. However, the person that was the most amazing person was Dr. Gia Hamilton. She truly cares for the students that she has assisted and I know that she has provided wonderful insight for myself. She has made my Cal Southern experience a smooth and enjoyable time. Again, thank you so much!Joseph Torres

Halfway through my PsyD program and I have enjoyed my learning so far. Certainly my learning curve is improving. I have attended B&M universities as well as online programs. This program is equally challenging and intellectually nurturing like any other B&M university's program at an affordable price.Karthikeyaan Shanmugam (Shan)

Extremely challenging! Don't think for a moment that you can breeze through this simply because it is online. Lots of writing and the professors look hard at what you turn in. This is a serious program for serious students. I've learned a lot so far.Eric Astleford

I had a wonderful experience at Palo Alto University. I feel well equipped and prepared to continue my journey as a Marriage and Family Therapist. While a couple of the professors I had were not outstanding, for the most part the staff was wonderful and incredible compassionate. A few professors I highly recommend taking courses from at the graduate level are Aaron Henderson, William Snow, Christen Wathen, Rochelle Ritzi, Donna Sheperis, Dareen Basma, Maryasha Katz, and Donya Wallace. Having an entirely online graduate course was essential to me because I have a busy schedule and needed a program that was flexible and accommodating. I feel proud to be a soon-to-be PAU alumni and love being affiliated with a school that promotes social justice, equality, and diversity.Janelle Stepper

This is an affordable program that was able to prepare me for a career as a marriage family therapist. The quality of instruction is excellent, and I rely on the skills and concepts I practiced and learned here in my vocation.Mary Williams

My program was great but am consistently unimpressed by the school's most senior leadership. Fully confirmed when IN CLASS, we were bombarded and demanded (not asked) to leave our room for a meeting… And I give ALL the credit to our instructor on pushing back. It was ten minutes before our class was scheduled to end AND the meeting was to start. The arrogance was proven right then there. Pure annoyance for having to wait while we finished. Paid a lot for my education… you sir, can wait a sec while we wrap up our scheduled time in a classroom. But thematically? Par for the course. A great school limited by such behaviors.N ERB

Nothing but a degree mill. Care more about your tuition than your development as a student. Had my degree audit changed over three times because they couldn’t get it together.Jordana

I previously had the joy of working with Dr. Sahar Dorani for 2 years. In that time, I got to know her expertise in working with young adults who have a history of trauma and her commitment to providing culturally sensitive care. Additionally, Dr. Dorani has an ease in her clinical style which allows the creation of strong working relationships with every patient she serves. I also had the pleasure to attend a CE course co-lead by Dr. Dorani which educated our clinical staff on culturally sensitive therapeutic care for South Asian, Southwest Asian, and North African (SSWANA) college students. I found her presentation style informative and engaging.Robyn Shannon

Dr. Alexis Lopez is a wonderful psychologist. I had the absolute pleasure of working with her for a year, and getting to see her warmth, genuine care for her clients, passion for multicultural work, advocacy, and real gift for using CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) in a tailored and client-centered way. I learned so much from her kind and thoughtful approach. I am always excited to refer clients to her, as I have seen how effective her balance affirming while helping clients push towards change can be. I can't recommend her highly enough!Paige O'Connell

I happily refer clients to Stella Nova because of their expertise in offering services geared towards the mental health and well being of women and non-binary people. Dr. Maya Borgueta has built a practice that is uniquely focused on understanding her clients' needs, and her team of therapists are thoughtful, compassionate, and well trained. I especially appreciate that they have therapists on staff who understand issues specifically affecting women of color. I've referred clients to them for individual, couples, and group therapy.Lily Sun

Tim is an authentic, engaged, caring human being that happens to be a knowledgeable and overall amazing therapist. I found him during a dark depressive time in my life. I had all these negative events that were snowballing on me and he was able to help me through all of it. Through his techniques and our conversations, I feel much better and more prepared than ever for the future seasons of my life. At first, I was hesitant to seek help even though I was suffering. Thinking it may not do much for me, but I was entirely proven wrong. So I highly recommend that if you need help, that you seek him out wholeheartedly and with an open mind, because it could be life changing for you.Perry Benitez

Dr Yen is amazing! He provided great mentorship and guidance for my son at the height of the pandemic when my son was feeling isolated and low. They set goals together to overcome a lot of the challenges that teens may face such as socialization, anxiety and overall just how to best understand or navigate emotions. My son looked to Dr Yen as a friend he meet with weekly and now a life mentor. I would highly recommend his guidance and service for any family, child or teen who may be in need of another perspective and addtl tools for navigating different life obstacles.Katrina Charisma

I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Yen after reading his book, Choose Better. As a mental health professional, I found his resources to be extremely helpful for clients who have a hard time processing their decisions. His book also served as a guideline for myself to reflect in my personal and professional growth. Dr. Yen is a lauded professional and was completely engaged during the session. I highly recommend working with Dr. Yen.Edwin Yau

Dr. Michael Abrams has provided insightful and comforting talk therapy for me in a time of many changes and transitions. I have been utilizing his services for several months on a weekly basis and I genuinely look forward to our sessions. I have gained a lot of confidence by being able to openly discuss my feelings in a safe and validating environment. I would highly recommend him. He not only listens, but directs the conversation and dialogue which subsequently helps you uncover deeper rooted emotions. I have seen a huge shift and I find the sessions to be extremely constructive. I am super thankful to be working with him.marisa vore

Both Dr. Hirchak and the office staff are great! Everyone is very efficient, always gets back to you quickly (usually within the hour), easy to make appts (can do over email if don't want to talk on the phone), trans-friendly (never get dead-named and Rx always put through with legal name to avoid medication delays). Dr. Hirchak is extremely knowledgeable, caring, and compassionate. He actually listens to me and is always coming up with solutions (so I don't have to come up with them, by myself).J Y Thoden

Dr. McKinley is so tremendously helpful and professional. She guides with the compassion of a trusted friend. In addition, her ability to listen and recall the details is unmatched!! Life has been a roller-coaster ride for all of us during the pandemic and she has been flexible with in person or virtual sessions as needed. I feel lucky to have found such a fantastic therapist to work through the challenges in life.Christine Nagy

I have been seeing Dr. Benjamin Elswick at Psychiatric alternatives for over a year now, and I cannot begin to express how highly I value the work that he does. He is both incredibly affable and professional, and his ability for communicating the pros and cons of treatment options in ways that make sense is a tremendous help. I feel both trusted and heard in our appointments: he always listens, is always attentive to my concerns, and never seems to ignore or brush off my own lived experience, allowing us to slowly build a treatment plan together that works better and better for me. Dr. Elswick has a holistic and sensitive approach, and gives the impression of treating my medications as dynamic tools to try to build a more fulfilling life in relation to the world, rather than viewing them as "fixing" something inherently "wrong" about me. As someone who is very interested in the science behind my own psychological needs, Dr. Elswick is a trove of information, and is always happy to take the time to explain. And while he is incredibly good at simplifying concepts in to easy-to-understand metaphors, he is also respectful of my own knowledge base. I never feel like I am being talked down to, or like he is over-explaining concepts I already clearly grasp. After so many horror stories from friends who experienced psychiatric care that seemed cold, unhelpful, or indifferent, I feel like I've struck gold with Dr. Elswick. I find myself looking forward to my appointments, as each one feels like a building block in putting together a life I can thrive in, and Dr. Elswick's kindness, humor, and down-to-earth demeanor make the sessions a joy. I cannot recommend Dr. Elswick highly enough, and the team at Psychiatric Alternatives are great with communication, email reminders, insurance, and ease of payment. If I could give more stars I would.Gregory MacDonald

Convenient in a pitch but be aware expensive missed appointment fees. My appointments were over Zoom and usually under 10 minutes long. Since insurance paid for it and I have a therapist, it did the job but I’ve recently stopped using their services because of expensive missed appointment charges. I was told i would get text reminders for my appointments but never did and missed two in a row (thanks ADHD) i was charged a total of $300 for these. It’s easy to miss an appointment that’s virtual and 5 minutes long. I wish they would have just texted me and asked where I was instead of defaulting to charge my card. This move highlights how impersonal this place feels. Will be going elsewhere.Geula F

This place is a scam. I was just told by the receptionist I can only see a therapist if I am able to attend therapy every week. After telling her I can only attend biweekly due to my finances she told me they would not be able to see me. She then proceeded to tell me this was common and standard mandated practice in the psychiatric industry. –It is not. This is a lie. This place just wants to make money off its patients. Can't believe a therapist office tried to gaslight me-how ironic and pathetic.Paige Keller

SF Stress and Anxiety really helped me find relief after COVID had increased stress in my life and my work. I looked around at options initially but the customer service and quality therapist options at SF Stress really won me over. They were very responsive, personable, and accommodating to my needs from a scheduling perspective and I liked my therapist and trusted their experience and guidance. From day one I felt like I found the right spot. I even briefly met the owner. Thank you for your help Jonathan!William Schroeder

I’ve come to know Jonathan professionally as a skilled and highly regarded clinician. If you are suffering from anxiety, depression or relationship issues, I highly recommend this practice as they are very effective at utilizing CBT and ACT, evidence-based practices, that are scientifically shown to be very effective with proven results.Nicole Garcia

San Francisco Stress and Anxiety Center has amazing licensed clinicians. They schedule clients very quickly and match you with the right therapist for you. They do not have months long waitlists. They use evidence based therapy methods. I could not recommend Sfstress enough! Anyone who needs mental health therapy, please reach outZachary S.

mindfulSF founder Sarah Carr led a very useful, comprehensive, illuminating, and helpful session on mindfulness in a unique event created for my department (OBGYN Physicians at a large academic hospital). I had a concept of wanting to learn more about mindfulness based stress reduction techniques and how these could be applied to help with the stressful/strenuous/fast-paced work that we do as clinicians, and also to be applied as resources to share with our patients and loved ones. Sarah knew exactly how to deliver this. She is an exceptional teacher and facilitator, and every step of the way she was extremely present and on point with her message – from planning leading up to the workshop, to delivering a succinct and interactive session, to following up with relevant resources and ideas after the event based on the interest of the participants – Sarah is a joy to work with and she will add great value to your life if you have the chance to learn from her/take her course/be a part of one of her workshops. Highly recommend!Zoe Feld

Sarah's 8 week mindfulness based self compassion series offered insight to mindfulness techniques and how to integrate more self compassion exercises into my day to day life. Sarah was an excellent instructor, she always started class on time, showed up for each member of the group and truly attended to all participants needs in the moment. Her easy going attitude fostered a safe and fun environment, one I looked forward to joining each week. The principles and techniques that I learned throughout this series have definitely made a positive impact on my life. Furthermore, the 8 week series has had a positive impact on the way that I approach myself and others. I highly recommend taking a course offering with Mindful SF.K C

The course was extremely beneficial and had a positive impact in all areas of my life. I learned many different mindfulness concepts and practices, that I incorporate into my daily life to help me be present in the current moment and to handle stressful situations with a more clear and focused mind. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to incorporate more mindfulness into their life and for a healthy way to deal with stress. Overall this course has made a strong and positive impression on my mental health and ultimately, in all areas in my life. Sarah is also an amazing facilitator!! It was an absolute pleasure having her lead this course.Nicole Alegre

I give this clinic a 5/5 rating. My counselor Melanie Byers is the best thing to ever happen to my mental health; she’s kind, wise beyond the scope of other counselors; and has almost a sixth sense when it comes to the healing she provides during our monthly 1 hour talks which I actually look forward to which is not my usual sentiment when it comes to meetings. The reception desk workers whom check in the patients, as well as the dispensary nurses, know each patient by name and are friendly and jovial. Herb, a longtime staff member guides the flow of patients and directs the patient traffic with the patience of a saint on the rare occasions when there is a line of waiting patients. There’s almost never a line, I’m in and out in under 5 minutes. The intake process is fast and they dose you the same day. The location is at the top of the BART CIVIC CENTER STATION, in front of a MUNI stop, so they are close to public transit lines with ease of access that is practically effortless, the service provided within is icing on an already delicious cake.Justin Yun

I’ve been to several methadone clinics around the Bay Area, even other BAART clinics and this one is by far the best one I’ve. Ever been to. They are extremely professional and actually want to be there to help you. They will do whatever you need to do to get your life back. Also, being that it’s in the middle of civic center it’s a great reminder of where this WILL AHEAD IF YOU CONTINUE ON THE WRONG PATH. I’m very grateful for all the people that work there, from the security guards, the people that check you in the dosing nurses and the councilors. They don’t make hella money doing this job and they genuinely care about how you’re doing.Ashley “TROUBLE!!” Blaylock

I was impressed with the entire operation at the Market Street BAART. The clinic is run smoothly, with a culture of support and shared intentions. My experience couldn't have been farther from the sum of my fears from all of the stigma surrounding opioid treatment. Everyone is putting in effort to support people in need. For example, the staff had held a clothing drive for the patients, and the patients were very grateful to the staff members for the clothes. They kept saying thank you, over and over again. So here I am saying it again – a million thanks for supporting our community!Lucy R.

When my husband and I decided that it would be good to get back into couples therapy, my husband's colleague referred us to Dr. Patel. We checked out her reviews on Yelp. In the initial phone inquiry, she spent a decent amount of time listening to us, asking questions, (more time than I was expecting). Though we hadn't yet started therapy, after we hung up, I felt more hopeful than I had in a year. Our takeaway: She taught us how to talk to each other better, listen and get more in touch with what we were feeling, instead of the usual sniping at each other. We appreciated that she took the time to understand each of us and our childhoods, and went out of her way to tell us that if either of us felt like she was siding with one over the other, that we should speak up and give her feedback. My husband actually told her that he thought she was more on my side and he got a bit snippy. But we felt more trusting of her when she didn't get defensive and asked us for more details, including how she could make it better for us. Weirdly, I learned from that exchange she had with my husband, that maybe I could also not get defensive when he talks to me. Also, our last couples therapist asked us to read a "healthy relationship" book, which we hated because my husband doesn't like to read and it kind of felt like the therapist was passing the buck and wanted us to fix ourselves, which frustrated the hell out of us because after all, why were we paying him? We spent a few months going in every week and came away so much better, so now when we argue it feels to both of us that we come out of it better and closer than before our argument. I wouldn't say that it's a negative thing per se, but her style took some getting used to, because she's very direct, which was unnerving, but she's also informally friendly and caring, so my husband and I saw that she came from a good place of wanting what was best for us, so we began to see her words in that spirit, so all was cool.Wendy Lee

My Dr referred me to her before I moved out to Sac, though it took me a while to get up the nerve to call. I was battling some stuff, which I won't go into detail here, but I just couldn't get a grip on it, even though I I was drowning in self-help books, lol. The therapy taught me perspective, and even if I was hard on myself, she was supportive and gave me other ways of looking at myself. I appreciated that she was really focused and attentive to me and somehow knew just the right questions to ask to help me dig deeper and. It took time for me to get used to her style, more interactive than I was used to with my other therapist. I was in therapy before and wasn't used to getting homework for the week, and even though I didn't always do what she asked, it turned out pretty well, because after a while I started telling her stuff I wanted to do for the week. She explained my cycle, drew it on paper, and we practiced ways to calm me down in the sessions. This is weird to say, but in the beginning, because I was struggling so much, I didn't like her attitude, which was very positive and encouraging. Because I was feeling so down, I couldn't relate to her being so optimistic about me. But after a while, I started feeling better, and this is one of the best things I ended up liking about her, that she's very easy to talk to and I could count on her to understand where I was coming from. I missed a lot of sessions, when I couldn't drive to her office because my work schedule was too hectic, so we did remote appointments, and though I wasn't sure they'd work, they helped me stay on track.Pratima Maharaj

This review is long overdue, because I saw Dr. Patel years ago, before I moved to WA., and she helped me out with problems I was having with my boyfriend and also with some career choices I was struggling with. When I moved out of state, she said she couldn't see me because of some sort of ethics or law issue where she's not licensed outside of CA. Which I don't get at all, I was miffed about that, but I guess it's not her fault if that's the law. I saw another therapist in WA, but we never really clicked. Fast forward four years, and now I'm back in CA to help my parents with their business. Though her fees have gone up, I figured it was worth going back to her, because I'm very stressed trying to juggle my husband, new baby, health problems, and my old anxiety issues. I felt I needed ways to cope, which once again, she's helping in a big way. We're doing many of the same stuff like breathing exercises, making flashcards, and examining my thoughts. But this time, it's more structured and we're practicing more. I also think because I'm older, I'm more open and giving her more to work with, so we're also talking about stuff I used to shut down about. I've seen several therapists, but what I really appreciate about her is what you see is what you get with her. She doesn't hide behind a wall, so it's easy to trust her, she's easy for me to open up to.Rachel Horowitz

Ellis is passionate about helping people make positive changes through mindfulness. He is very knowledgeable about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which has been proven to be effective for those struggling with anxiety and depression. Ellis is easy to talk to- he is down to earth and caring. In addition to his professional experience, he is a longtime practitioner of mindfulness meditation. If you struggle with anxiety and want to try ACT, look no further.Annia Raysberg

I highly recommend Ellis as an individual therapist. He is kind and thoughtful; making him extremely easy to talk to. Ellis is skilled at mindfulness work and is knowledgeable with EMDR to help process trauma, anxiety and depression. If you are looking for a calm, non-judgemental therapist that creates a safe space look no further!Natasa Nordman

Ellis is a therapist with a down-to-earth presence who immediately puts you at ease when you meet him. I would highly recommend him for issues around anxiety. He is a solid clinician who helps people get results!Michael Ceely

Dr. Nina is a godsend. I actually feel like ME again. My sleep is restful and my energy is stabile. And I'm no longer waking up with burning pain in my stomach. I will say without reservation that it was Dr. Nina's expertise that got me here. She used specialized testing to understand the health of my gut, helped me get rid of problem foods that my GI system didn't like, and used herbal medicines and nutrition to get me balanced. As a doctor, she is thorough, and doesn't make off-the-cuff recommendations. She also explains things well: from how complex hormonal systems interact…to the pros and cons of different treatments…to what various backup plans could look like. I am someone who asks a lot of questions, and Dr. Nina handled every one of them well. I feel grateful for her skills as both an educator and a doctor.Taylor Ray

As a fellow clinician and colleague of Dr. David Shepard at Therapy Now SF, I have worked closely with Dr. Shepard over the past two years. Dr. Sheppard is extremely warm, kind, authentic, and empathetic in collaborating with his co-workers and clients. Dr. Shepard's passion lies in working from globally social justice and trauma-informed care lens. I have consulted with Dr. Shepard many times and referred clients to him. The clients I have referred to Dr. Shepard have been very content in their therapeutic journey. Dr. Shepard always has a warm presence and radiant energy creating a safe place for his clients, colleagues, and his community. I highly recommend Dr. Shepard to help guide you in your healing journey.Pooja Mamidanna

Dr. Zorbas is an incredible therapist – she is empathic and thoughtful, yet direct and honest with her patients. She is someone who truly cares and has the knowledge to help people. She has a lot experience in the field, from community mental health work and various counseling centers to teaching at USF. I consult with her regularly to help with my patients, and would highly recommend her to anyone seeking a meaningful therapeutic relationship.Masha Lisitsa

I worked with The Reiss-Davis Graduate School for several years and I always found the school and its administration to be honest, helpful and always placing the needs of their graduate students first. A wonderful and caring non-profit organization.Jeong Kim

I attend the Reiss-Davis post-graduate fellowship program, which uses some of the instructors and material from this Graduate School. The instructors are extremely knowledgable and supportive and I would not hesitate to attend the PsyD program here.TJ Tuton

Warm and welcoming environment – the staff and faculty are committed to providing the best psychodynamically-focused educational experience to students.Katherine Smith