Renee Zavislak Psychotherapy

Renee Zavislak Psychotherapy Integrative Therapy for Individuals, Couples, and Families
Renee Zavislak, M.S., M.A., LMFT #93275

In my last post, we talked about the mother wound. Let's look at the father wound now. The effects of the two attachment...
09/09/2025

In my last post, we talked about the mother wound. Let's look at the father wound now. The effects of the two attachment injuries differ because of the different cultural expectations we have for mothers and fathers, but both produce profound liabilities around emotion regulation, self image, and relationship behaviors. These wounds can heal! The slides will explain it all. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments!
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My last post talked about the Mother Wound. Here is the partner post. Questions? Send them to me in the comments!*******...
09/09/2025

My last post talked about the Mother Wound. Here is the partner post. Questions? Send them to me in the comments!
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I know, I know: talking about mom is the oldest cliché in the therapy book – for a reason. Our relationship with Mom is ...
09/08/2025

I know, I know: talking about mom is the oldest cliché in the therapy book – for a reason. Our relationship with Mom is our first and most critical attachment relationship. When Mom is emotionally unavailable, critical, reactive, or misattuned, the resulting trauma can negatively impact all of our relationships – with others, with ourselves, with the idea of love in general. The slides explain what this wound is and how to heal it. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments!
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Food is medicine!!! Your best resource for improving your physical and mental health grows right out of the ground. This...
08/30/2025

Food is medicine!!! Your best resource for improving your physical and mental health grows right out of the ground. This *should* make it easy for all of us to improve our health, right? Wrong. Thanks to capitalism, most of my clients tell me they don't have time to research, shop for, and prepare nutrient dense, whole food. That's where I come in. Lots of my psychotherapy clients ask for nutritional therapy as well, and this involves not only knowing what foods to focus on, but also learning how to create boundaries and practices in your life that allow you to nurture yourself this way. For now, let's just start with 5 super easy tips for stepping up the nutrient density of your meals and therefore your overall wellness. Questions? As always, leave them in the comments!
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-care -based

It's the oldest couple therapy scene in the book: one partner complains that the other isn't giving them what they want ...
08/16/2025

It's the oldest couple therapy scene in the book: one partner complains that the other isn't giving them what they want or need, so I ask if they have asked for what they want, and they insist, "I shouldn't have to ask!" Well, actually, yes, you should. This truth tends to rub people the wrong way. Why? Why do we so desperately want what we won't ask for? I explain it all in the slides above, and if you have any questions, leave them in the comments!
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This topic comes up at least once a week in my office. Have you ever done something and then thought "I have no idea whe...
08/01/2025

This topic comes up at least once a week in my office. Have you ever done something and then thought "I have no idea where that came from!" Or "I don't know what came over me!" Or "I hate that part of myself?" We all have, right? Well, hating a part of yourself will only make that part stronger. I realize that might not make much sense on the first read, but the slides will explain it all! As always, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments.
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Given the current national and global circumstances, I think it’s a good time for an anxiety review. As I have said man...
07/01/2025

Given the current national and global circumstances, I think it’s a good time for an anxiety review. As I have said many times, anxiety is the most frequently reported symptom in my private practice; it has been every year since I opened my doors. We have a pretty serious problem with anxiety in our culture, not only bentos many of us suffer or have suffered it, but also because we generally misunderstand what it is and how to treat it. Anxiety is NOT a disease entity; that is, it is not its own thing. It’s a symptom, and symptoms are always messengers. So the trick with anxiety, as with all challenging emotions, is to answer it rather than push it away. So how does one do this? The first step is to figure out what kind of anxiety you have. The slides will explain it all. Give them a read, and leave any questions in the comments!
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Traditional medicine is keeping us sick! The disease model teaches us that we should fight whatever is bothering us, and...
06/27/2025

Traditional medicine is keeping us sick! The disease model teaches us that we should fight whatever is bothering us, and I am here to tell you that this just does not work. It won't work if your pain is physical, and it won't work if your pain is emotional. Strangling symptoms so that we cannot hear them causes more problems than it solves, and using violence against our own bodies and minds is misguided at best and catastrophic at worst. I explain it all the in the slides above, so read through them and see if you can tweak your approach next time you're in pain. Not sure exactly how to do that? Tell me about it in the comments; I can help.
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I spend a lot of time talking and writing about how to understand and process difficult emotions. Sometimes, though, we ...
06/20/2025

I spend a lot of time talking and writing about how to understand and process difficult emotions. Sometimes, though, we feel bad and can't find the problem to process, not because we don't understand it, but because the problem doesn't live inside us. Well, then, if the problem isn't inside us, what are we supposed to do about it? Don't worry, the slides will explain it all. PS: My offer at the end is real, but please be patient! Last time I offered it took me over a week to get to everyone. But I will!
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The experience we interpret as empathy isn't always simply that. For many of us, our own unhealed pain gets pulled up by...
05/22/2025

The experience we interpret as empathy isn't always simply that. For many of us, our own unhealed pain gets pulled up by the pain we witness and other people. This can get a little messy, and it actually interferes with our ability to feel for others. Read through the slide; they explained it all. And, as always, if you have questions, leave them in the comments!
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-care

Oh, and by the way: Social media is probably the WORST place to be. Second worst is any restaurant that can seat large p...
05/10/2025

Oh, and by the way: Social media is probably the WORST place to be. Second worst is any restaurant that can seat large parties for brunch. Florists? Are you out of your mind? Even pharmacies and grocery stores aren't safe thanks to all the procrastinators. Stick to the smoke shops and strip clubs. I'm mostly kidding. I love you!
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"I sometimes wish I could turn it off," Rafael told Renée about his emotional intensity. It's hard to believe when you f...
05/05/2025

"I sometimes wish I could turn it off," Rafael told Renée about his emotional intensity. It's hard to believe when you first hear him - his energy is lighthearted and gentle, and his story starts out relatively uneventful - but Rafael is only recently recovered from polysubstance addiction. A series of difficult losses sent him seeking relief with self-medication, and soon he was taking Xanax bars before family Seders. Now at 27 and with two years of sobriety under his belt, Rafael finds himself struggling with feelings of worthlessness. He came to the show hoping Renée can help him excavate the deep self-loathing that fed and was fed by his past addiction. She can, and by the end they have a starting point for his healing as well as a few other goodies, including tips for navigating a love-language mismatch. Plus, Renée talks mushrooms in the intro and teaches a new strategy for resolving anxiety at the break.
Link in bio!
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,Trauma

Address

7 Fourth Street #16
Petaluma, CA
94952

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 7:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 7:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 7:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 7:30pm

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+14159330522

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