Gabriel Cooper, PsyD

I approach therapy as a joint venture with the client in the driver’s seat at all times. I am a guide, a caring and experienced one to be sure, but the journey is yours. I can help you unravel the threads of whatever life challenges you face, but if I tug on something that doesn’t feel right, I will back off gracefully and make sure you know you are safe and always in charge of your experience. Neither of us knows where the journey will lead, but we aim for you to emerge with a fuller sense of yourself, your capacities, your relationships, and your joys.

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My approach to therapy incorporates perspectives that have proven successful in healing. My work with couples is informed by Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy and my work with all clients is greatly influenced by the attachment model. If it seems appropriate, I may introduce mindfulness or somatic techniques to a client, or I may utilize depth or imaginal psychology practices to dialogue with the inner voices that inhibit us from fully experiencing life.

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Like most therapists, my life history contributes a great deal to my ability to empathize with others. I was raised in a multicultural household and I’ve had several careers. I managed small businesses and was Principal of my own consulting firm. I have also been a financial advisor and an educator. I have taught interpersonal skills to MBA students at several universities in the Bay Area. I have facilitated process groups in various settings for nearly 40 years, and I have been a leader or member of informal men’s groups for much of that time. I have provided mediation services to high conflict couples in divorce and in victim/offender programs. I have led anger management groups and engaged in conflict resolution processes in business relationships. I am not easily rattled and can therefore offer clients a calm, reassuring empathy and a safe container in which to grow into the person you hope to become.