Sarah K Spencer Psychotherapy Inc. 

I am inspired by and have great admiration for anyone who seeks to challenge, strengthen and heal themselves, their families and their community.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC48522). I have studied a number of theoretical orientations, and chose to be a family systems therapist because I see each person in the context of their culture, environment, and social system.

All people, regardless of background, come from and belong to a social system that we each must learn how to navigate. There are many ways to be a family or to engage in a community. We all have to figure what works for us as individuals, especially considering our social, cultural and environmental influences and needs.

Some of the social and cultural influences I bring to my work are influenced by:

I am the member of a large multi-cultural, global family. I am a wife and a mother of two boys. I am the founding director of a multicultural summer camp for youth & families where we focus on global identity development, and leadership skills.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

I work with individuals, couples & families. I assess each client and system from a strength based perspective, recognizing that our weaknesses are often balanced by our strengths. Depending on the needs of the client, I am skilled at responding to issues regarding:

Pre-Marriage counseling, Seperation & Divorce, Remarriage, Transition, Adolescents, Blended Families with multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-racial identities, Foster/Adoption Placements, Parent/Child Conflict, Pregnancy, Pre-Natal & Post-Partum Support,  Grief, Loss & Healing, Sexuality, Self-Esteem, Anxiety, Trauma or Abuse, Behavior Modification with children and adults.

My clients feel safe to explore and express themselves while working with me. They develop the tools they need to take ownership and responsibility for their own lives.

ADOLESCENTS

Many of my past personal and professional experiences influenced me to pursue my career as a mental health professional as well as shaping me as a therapist.

Early in my career, I spent  many exciting years developing and directing adolescent programs in San Francisco. I focused on identity development and leadership as well as on cross-cultural and inter-generational dialog with youth ages 11-18. I found a passion for working with adolescents and their families.

Adolescence is a wonderful and intense period of development for both the adolescent and their families. I enjoyed helping adolescents and families explore new and different ways of communicating with one another. While working with adolescents, I am skilled in responding to issues such as:

Identity Development, Healthy Individuation, Locating & Redefining Resources, Communication Skills, Harm Reduction, Academic Challenges due to Social Issues, Peer Pressure, Anxiety, Anger, Self Confidence, Sexuality, Dating, Parent/Child Conflict.

COUPLES & FAMILIES

I trust that the best way to support positive identity development in an individual is to help them work with their primary support systems.  

Every family unit has a very unique blend of cultural influences. All families and unions regardless of race and religion bring a variety of cultures and narratives into their family system.

I enjoy exploring the influences, challenges and strengths within a family system. I work together with each member of a family to recognize and develop the resources necessary to respond to the many needs within the family. Some of the many issues I respond to while working with families are:

Communication Skills, Redefining Roles in Changing & Blended Families, Boundaries, Discipline, Behavior Modification, Creative Solutions to Common Issues, Parent/Child Conflict, Sibling Rivalry, Divorce, Remarriage, Loss, Birth, LGBTQ Parenting, Single Parenting, Adoption, Anxiety, Transition, Commitment.

It is an incredible honor and privilege to be invited to share in a family's life journey. I have chosen a profession that allows me to continually learn valuable new skills to share with the people I work with.

PREGNANCY

I spent many years counseling at the St. Luke's Hospital Women's Clinic where I provided therapy and  psycho-education for pregnant women and their families dealing with issues such as:

Family planning, Transition, Post-partum depression, Pregnancy termination, Adoption, Domestic violence, Couples Therapy, Behavior Modification, Play therapy and Teen pregnancies.

Pregnancy is an incredible opportunity for growth and healing for the pregnant woman and the people in her life. Drastic change is inevitable during this time, therapy can help guide and support the many challenges and changes taking place.

ORGANIZATIONAL COUNSELING

Given my commitment to working with people in the context of their larger social system, I have found that working in organizations is an effective space for me to help foster growth and change with individuals within the construct of their larger community. This work allows me to look at the organization as my client, and the work with the individuals is to strengthen the individual and in turn, the health of the larger organization. Some skills I can bring to my work with organizations are:

Identity development, Diversity training for staff & students, Group dynamics, Peer & Colleague Conflict Resolution, Competition, Stress, Social-emotional education, Bullying, Anxiety, Anger, Communication skills, determining whether a students or emplyees struggles are due primarily to social-emotional rather than academic or professional performance needs, Program development to blend formal professinal and academic goals with social emotional development.