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You've been thinking about going to therapy...
 

...but it's hard to find the right therapist. How will you know if it's a good fit? Will talking about your problems really alleviate anything? How do you know if it's worth the time, effort and money?

 

Therapy can feel vulnerable and difficult. It can also be enlightening, fascinating, informative, and life-changing.

Let's meet so that you can try therapy, and see if it seems like a good fit for you. I have a three-session trial period where you evaluate how it feels to be with me, and I evaluate whether I think I can help you. 

beth

greivel

psychotherapy
adult & teenaged individuals
pre-commitment dyads/couples
- Individuals -

I specialize in helping adult and teenaged individuals who have high-pressure lives. Outside pressures can be confusing, communication can break down in personal and professional relationships, and then you end up feeling trapped in your life.

As your therapist, I aid you in identifying changes that can be made in your thoughts and behavior that will positively affect your relationships, careers, and self. You and I also look, together, at early influences -- societal, familial, and personal -- that might affect how you see and interact today. When the root of those influences is uncovered, you then get to choose whether you want to alter any of your own patterns moving forward. 

 

And while we do all these amazing things, I'll stop to check in on your thoughts and your feelings so you have a good understanding of yourself. We will puzzle things out together.

Individual therapy is $200 per session.

- Pre-Commitment Dyads -

Research has shown that dyads/couples who go through pre-commitment therapy (also known as pre-marital counseling) have more longevity and happiness in their relationships (Williams, L. [2015]). However, much of pre-commitment therapy is based on religious and political models that have historically been oppressive to queer and polyamorous communities, as well as for dyads/couples that include partners from different cultures/races/ethnicities. I take historical oppression into account and welcome all pairings who want to commit to one another.

Spend eight-twelve sessions thinking about who you are and were as individuals, as well as who you are and want to be in partnership. We'll cover everything from money and families to sex, and work through difficulties before they've even started.

 

Pre-commitment therapy is not covered by insurance, and is $250 per session.

Clients

Clients
Individuals
Pre-Commitment Dyads

I welcome clients of any gender, sexual orientation, pairing, ability, age, ethnicity, weight, family structure, and demeanor. My office is not wheelchair-accessible.

Specializations

Populations

  • Adult Individuals

  • Couples

  • Teenagers aged 14+

  • LGBT*Q Communities

Symptoms

  • Communication Difficulties

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Overwhelming Feelings

  • Sobriety Maintenance

Contact

About

Summary:
  • I am direct.

  • I like to look at underlying assumptions.

  • I'm empathetic to your problems and feelings. I also have a well-placed sense of humor.

  • I am smart, and great at helping you figure out nuanced emotions and situations.

  • I love my job.

 

More details:

I don't just smile and nod.

I am direct. I listen carefully to what you are saying, and wait for themes to emerge of which you may not be aware. And then I tell you what I see and hear, and we talk about it. I sometimes smile, and I sometimes nod, but I also tell you what I think.

I'm very interested in why.

Sometimes we get it into our heads that we are bad people because of that one thing we did, or because our partner's feelings are hurt, or because we are not who we want to be. I want to hear all of this so that you and I can break down the underlying assumptions together. Then, once we know the why, we can figure out how to change it if you want to.

I want to help you with all of your emotions.

Humor can help us get to the core of a problem; it is difficult to find something funny and scary at the same time. I help you experience and talk about difficult emotions like sadness or anger, but feelings like happiness or joy also get their due attention. If we can figure out how something is funny, chances are we can figure out how to deal with it. 

I am smart and caring. Also, I wasn't always a psychotherapist.

I'm good at solving problems, and I'm also good at seeing the person behind the problem. Before I was a psychotherapist, I worked successfully for fifteen years in the law and in tech, volunteering in my spare time with a hotline for LGBT*Q adults and youth. I adored and enjoyed my job and co-workers, and also wanted to better integrate my natural propensities for caring and curiosity into a career as a long-term psychotherapist. 

I trained hard to be a great psychotherapist, and I love doing it.

I constantly read research and take classes to get a better understanding of my clients and the therapeutic process. I love my job. I trained in depth psychodynamic psychotherapy at The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley. I also completed an externship in Emotionally-Focused Therapy for couples, as well as training in couples therapy in Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy. Additionally, I spent two years volunteering as a counselor to teenagers attending College Track in Oakland.

My undergraduate degree in English is from The University of Colorado - Boulder. I earned a Master's degree in Education from The University of Denver, and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from The Wright Institute. I have worked as a Graduate Instructor at The Wright Institute in courses on Multicultural Studies, and Sexuality. I have also taught Diagnosis and Couples Therapy at The Wright Institute as an Adjunct Professor.

I have served on the boards of the GLBT National Help Center as well as Gaylesta, the Psychotherapist Organization for Gender & Sexual Diversity. I have also served as co-chair of the Education Committee for The Psychotherapy Institute.

If you would like to read exemplars of my client agreements, click on any of the following links: Notice of Privacy Practices, Informed Consent for Psychotherapy, and Practice Policies.

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Comfortable Psychotherapy Office
Comfortable Psychotherapy Office

Contact

I currently do not have availability for new clients, and have turned off the email feature for this site.

Beth Greivel, LMFT, LPCC

3867 Howe Street

Oakland, CA 94611

Telephone: 510.397.8175

Facsimile: 855.418.5395

Email Beth

Thanks for your message!

Due to Beth Greivel's unavailability for new clients, the email contact form has been disabled.

About

Elizabeth Greivel, MA, MEd

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (CA #100071)

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (CA #5084)

Marriage & Family Therapist (CO #2059)

Professional Clinical Counselor (CO #17736)

©2014-Present by Elizabeth Greivel

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