containing what feels unmanageable
Psychotherapy for Adults in San Francisco & Online in California
People seek therapy for many reasons. For some, life feels unbearably heavy—weighted by sadness, anxiety, or exhaustion. For others, the problem is repetition: the same arguments, the same cycles of self-criticism, the same disappointments no matter what they try. Still others describe a sense of disconnection—moving through the world but feeling cut off from themselves or from those they love.
Whatever form these struggles take, they are real and deserve to be taken seriously. At Amphora Psychotherapy, individual therapy offers a space where what feels too much can be named, understood, and gradually transformed.
Therapy is more than coping strategies or quick fixes. It is a place to bring the parts of your life and inner world that feel confusing, overwhelming, or hard to articulate—and to be met by another human being who listens carefully and helps you make sense of them.
At Amphora Psychotherapy, we offer depth-oriented, psychodynamic psychotherapy for adults in San Francisco and online throughout California, for those seeking both relief from immediate distress and the deeper change that makes life feel more livable.
Why People Seek Therapy
Most people begin therapy because something has become too painful to manage alone. You may be experiencing:
Persistent sadness, emptiness, or loss of motivation
Anxiety, worry, panic, or constant tension that doesn’t let up
Harsh self-criticism or perfectionism that leaves you depleted
Conflicts in relationships, or fear of closeness that leads to isolation
Grief following a loss
The emotional impact of illness, chronic pain, or major life transitions
None of these struggles exist in a vacuum. They are shaped by your history, relationships, culture, body, and social context. Therapy at Amphora is a place where the whole of you—your experiences, identities, and contradictions—belongs.
How Therapy Helps
Finding relief in the present
In the early stages, therapy often brings a sense of relief—like exhaling after holding your breath for too long. Naming what has been carried alone can help you feel steadier and less overwhelmed.
Working through the past
Unprocessed experiences don’t remain in the past. They often appear as anxiety, emotional numbness, physical tension, or relationship patterns that repeat despite your best efforts. Therapy helps you work through these knots so earlier experiences no longer dictate your present.
Creating lasting change
Depth-oriented therapy doesn’t only reduce symptoms; it reshapes how you relate to yourself and others. Over time, many clients describe feeling more free, more resilient, and more fully alive.
What Sets Amphora Apart
We don’t promise quick fixes. While we care about helping you feel steadier as soon as possible, the heart of our work is slower, deeper, and more enduring.
Human presence
In a world of apps and automated solutions, therapy here is grounded in real human connection—attunement, responsiveness, and emotional presence.
Depth and containment
Like the vessel we are named for, therapy offers a container for what feels unbearable, where it can be held safely and gradually transformed.
Active engagement
We listen carefully, but we also respond, reflect, and sometimes challenge—always in service of helping you understand yourself more fully.
The healing relationship
Research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship matters more than any specific technique. We work to build a relationship that feels secure, authentic, and able to support meaningful change.
Tailored to you
No two therapies look the same. We follow what matters most to you, offering both support and guidance as needed.
What to Expect
Therapy unfolds gradually, with trust at its center.
Initial consultation
A first meeting to talk about what brings you to therapy, your history, and your hopes. It’s also a chance to see whether our way of working feels like a good fit.
Ongoing sessions
Many clients attend weekly sessions; others benefit from meeting more frequently during certain phases of treatment.
Exploration and reflection
Sessions may focus on present-day concerns or move toward deeper material such as early experiences, dreams, or unconscious patterns. What matters is not only what is said, but what emerges in the therapeutic relationship.
Ongoing growth
Over time, therapy can shift how you understand yourself and relate to others. Many clients report feeling less burdened, more connected, and better able to live fully.
Ah, whom can we ever turn to in our need? …we are not really at home in our interpreted world.
Rainer Maria Rilke, “Duino Elegies”
Common Questions
How long does therapy take?
There is no set timeline. Some people seek short-term support during a crisis, while others engage in longer-term therapy to address deeper patterns and sustain lasting change.
What if I don’t know what to talk about?
You don’t need to arrive with an agenda. Silence, uncertainty, and confusion are welcome. Often, what feels hardest to articulate becomes the most meaningful part of the work.
Does therapy work?
Yes. Research shows that psychotherapy is effective in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life. Longer-term therapies, in particular, are associated with durable benefits that extend beyond the end of treatment.
Will you give me tips or tools?
Sometimes. While our work is not organized around a fixed set of techniques, we are responsive to your wish for guidance and will help you develop capacities you can use outside the therapy room.
Therapy with Amphora Psychotherapy in San Francisco
Beginning therapy is a way of taking yourself seriously—your pain, your questions, and your wish for something different. At Amphora Psychotherapy, we offer a space not only for relief from what hurts, but for deeper growth and change.
If you are living with anxiety, depression, painful relationship patterns, or the weight of illness or transition, individual psychotherapy may help. We invite you to schedule a consultation and take the first step.