Psychotherapy
My approach is informed by relational psychodynamic, existential, and feminist theories. Rather than focusing solely on coping skills and symptom reduction, I invite deeper exploration of unconscious patterns. Therapy becomes a path to aliveness, authenticity, and fundamental change.
My areas of specialty include (but are not limited to) relationship issues, grief, and anxiety.
I work particularly well with artists, highly sensitive people, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
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I believe that grief over the endings, losses, and unmet expectations we encounter throughout quietly colors our overall experience. Whether you're navigating a life transition, processing loss, struggling in relationships, or seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, I offer a space where we can think creatively about your situation.
$150 per session.
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I take a psychodynamic approach to couples therapy. This means that we will look at how your early experiences may be unconsciously shaping the ways you relate to one another. I believe that bringing these unconscious patterns into the light can help us resolve what we often think of as “communication issues.” When a relationship feels stuck developing an authentic understanding of one another can lead to profound change.
$160 per session - sliding scale available.
About Me
Hi. I’m Desiree. I’m a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist working under the supervision of Cara Zeisloft, LCSW. I received my BA in Sociology from Mills College in 2021 and my MA in Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of CA in 2026. I have been working with clients in a clinical setting since 2025, and previously volunteered with San Francisco Night Ministry’s Care Line. I offer therapy for individuals and couples throughout California through Center for Mindful Psychotherapy.
I am a white, queer, mostly cisgendered woman. My own journey in therapy, along with my lifelong preoccupation with emotional landscapes and all things existential, is what drew me to this work. I believe there is a transformative power in being truly understood by another and have experienced this both as a client and a clinician.
I’m currently studying contemporary psychoanalytic theory through the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. I’m drawn to the depth and complexity of inner life, and to the ways our histories, relationships, and larger questions of meaning shape how we experience ourselves and the world around us.
