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

Renee Zavislak Psychotherapy

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Petaluma, CA
Renee Zavislak Psychotherapy

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

03/08/2026

Many clients come to my practice after being in therapy for years with no relief. There are lots of reasons this can happen, but in my experience, the most common reason is that the client is holding unresolved trauma, and their past therapy involved only talking. Trauma causes changes to the nervous system that must be addressed in order for the trauma to resolve, and talking alone just won't do it. The slides will explain it all. Before you read them, one important point: trauma is not only about extreme and violent experiences; it includes attachment wounding - emotionally misattuned parents, chaotic or invalidating family environments, etc. Whether you were assaulted or your mom ignored you, the changes to your mind and body are the same. Your pain is real. Don't underestimate it because "other people had it worse." It's bad enough. But it can get better, and you deserve that healing. Get it!
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03/05/2026

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 because 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, it's to answer it rather than push it away. So how does one do it? The first step is to figure out what kind of anxiety you have. The slides will explain at all! Give them a read, and leave any questions in the comments.
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02/16/2026

In my last post, I wrote about understanding and interpreting anger. Here, I outline steps for discharging anger. Remember: anger comes up to alert you to a boundary problem, and it brings fire with it to inspire you to fix the problem. The heat is not there to be dumped on another person or to be kept burning inside you. Discharge the heat, fix the boundary, and thank your body for showing you what's up. The slides explain how to do this safely. If you're confused about the boundary part, tell me about it in the comments, and we can sort it!
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02/12/2026

I have set up before, and I will say it again and again: anger gets a bad rap. The emotion itself is healthy; it becomes a problem when we displace it or push it away. Understanding anger's job is the first step to processing it in a healthy way. This week, we will focus on interpreting anger, and next week we will talk about how to discharge it. If you read the slides and still have questions about your own experience of anger, tell me about it in the comments. We will get it sorted!
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01/24/2026

Often people come to therapy and tell me they want to"get rid" of anxiety or sadness or anger. This is understandable, of course; none of these feelings is particularly pleasant. That said, trying to get of a negative feeling is not only a waste of time, it is also counterproductive at best and dangerous at worst. When we quiet the symptom without addressing the problem, we are ignoring a critical message about our mental or physical health. The slides explain it all! And if you need help finding a healer to help you sort this stuff, go to the story highlights on my profile page and tap "Find Therapist." I gotchu.
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01/15/2026

We were talking about this in the Subscriber stories last night, so I am taking that as a queue to post it here again. Years ago, when I was going through a major life transition, I sent my mentor an email and the subject line read "I am falling apart!" She replied, "You are cracking open." She was right.

All major life transitions happen in three stages, and when I sent her the email, I was in stage one - the gnarly part. It takes a lot of people by surprise that you don't go from feeling bad to feeling good, but rather from feeling bad to feeling nothing to feeling good. The slides explain it all! As always, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments.
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12/24/2025

If you are struggling on Christmas, I am offering free sessions to anyone in need. First come, first served; just DM me. Don't be shy about it! The holiday holidays can be brutal. I'm here to help. Take me up on it.

11/27/2025

It's that time of the year again! I often refer to November and December as tax season for therapists. Stressful family engagements, economic hardships, estrangement from loved ones...these are only some of the triggers that set us spinning during the holidays. If this is a difficult time for you because you don't have an intact family, I see you. I know that pain. And for those of you who struggle while being with your family during the holidays, this post is for you. Every year I post a Holiday Survival Guide, and every year I have to read it myself at least 10 times. Because no matter how many times I tell myself that I will behave like a rational adult, I become a petulant teen or dejected orphan at least once before the new year. The slides will give you 5 strategies for keeping your head on straight during the triggerfest. It helps; I promise. And if you have any specific holiday problems you need help with, let me know all about it in the comments!
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11/26/2025

If you are struggling on Thanksgiving, I am offering free sessions to anyone in need. First come, first served. There are a few spots left, so just DM me.
Don't be shy about it! The holidays can be so brutal. I'm here to help. Take me up on it.
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11/21/2025

In case you are unfamiliar with the word, "oxytocin" is the attachment hormone. We get our first hits of oxytocin when we are pushed through the birth canal, and then when we are held by our parents. As adults, our most common sources of oxytocin are or**sm, hugs, skin to skin, touch, and empathetic eye contact. "Oxytocin phobia" is the term I used to explain how some of us panic or sabotage once the attachment takes hold in a committed relationship. If you get restless, insecure, or anxious once your relationship gets settled, this may apply to you. It certainly applied to me for decades! The slides will explain it all. If you have questions, as always, leave them in the comments.
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11/02/2025

Uplifting reading, right? This is a list of the most commonly held beliefs about self from my clients who participate in EMDR treatments. I have done some stunning EMDR sessions in the last few weeks thanks to my extraordinary clients, so it seems like a good time to review this content. I'm not going to explain how EMDR works in this post, because it gets a little complicated. I do, however, explain it in a podcast episode - Episode 61. Here, however, I will explain how these beliefs about self function. Those of us who have unresolved childhood trauma usually carry several of these beliefs, either one from this list or something similar. Others I hear frequently are "I am responsible," and "I am trapped." Really, though, the options are unlimited. Overtime, these self-defeating beliefs, grow roots, gained power, and caused significant trouble. The good news is that we can uproot and rewrite them; that's what EMDR is for. The slides will explain it all! If you have questions, ask away in the comments!
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10/24/2025

Let's talk about America's favorite symptom: anxiety! This is by far the most common complaint new clients bring to therapy. We have a pretty serious problem with anxiety in our culture, not only because so 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 answered it rather than push it away. The slides will explain it all! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, as always. And in my next post, we will talk about show to answer your anxiety.
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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

Telephone

+14159330522

Website

http://www.reneezavislaktherapy.com/

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