Center for Mindful Psychotherapy

Center for Mindful Psychotherapy Counseling Center offering mindfulness based psychotherapy in convenient locations around the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact us to find your therapist.

If you think you might need some help...

Relieving Depression or Anxiety
Moving through Grief and Loss
Overcoming Addiction
Processing Trauma
Deepening Spiritual Growth
Managing Stress or Transitions
Enhancing Relationships and Intimacy

We are here for you.

📖 Sometimes a book finds you at exactly the right moment and changes everything.For Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, one of ou...
10/17/2025

📖 Sometimes a book finds you at exactly the right moment and changes everything.
For Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, one of our somatic therapists, that book was Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnston, PhD.

Phoenix first read it over 20 years ago, at a time when they didn't yet recognize their own struggle with an eating disorder. Reading Johnston's words was a bittersweet revelation—seeing their own experiences reflected back through myths, metaphors, and storytelling that made the invisible visible.

🌙 What makes this book different:
Rather than a traditional "fix yourself" manual, Johnston uses stories and myths from different cultures to explore the deeper meanings behind disordered eating. She examines themes of power, invisibility, sexuality, nurturance, and the ways women cope with feeling unseen and unheard.

The central metaphor? The labyrinth. Recovery isn't a straight line—it's a winding path that requires patience, self-compassion, and guides who understand the journey.

🔄 Phoenix's perspective now—as both a recovered person AND a therapist specializing in eating disorders, body image, and trauma—offers unique insight into why this book remains transformative decades later.

Key themes explored:

How disordered eating often masks deeper struggles around power and autonomy
The role of cultural and familial dynamics in shaping our relationships with food
Why recovery requires addressing the whole person, not just behaviors
How myths and metaphors can access healing in ways that logic alone cannot

Phoenix notes: "While I don't recommend anyone attempt to work through an eating disorder without therapy and support, this book can be valuable for anyone struggling with disordered eating or wanting to understand this experience at a deeper level."

💚 If you or someone you love is navigating relationship challenges with food, body image, or eating—know that transformation is possible. And sometimes, it starts with seeing yourself reflected in someone else's words.

Read Phoenix's full review on our blog (link in bio)

10/13/2025

🫱 Quick question: How many times today have you noticed your shoulders creeping up toward your ears?

And how many times have you tried to force them back down, telling yourself to "just relax"?

Here's the thing nobody tells you: Fighting against your tension often makes it worse.

🌀 When we try to force our bodies to relax, we're actually creating an internal conflict—a battle between what our body is doing and what we think it should be doing. This adds another layer of stress on top of the physical tension we're already experiencing.

It's like trying to fall asleep by working really hard at it. The harder you try, the more awake you become.

💡 So what's the alternative?

Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, a somatic therapist with over 25 years of experience in bodywork and movement, shares a counterintuitive practice that actually works: instead of fighting the tension, we work WITH it.

The practice is simple:
🔹 Notice your shoulder tension
🔹 Instead of pushing it down, EXAGGERATE it—lift your shoulders even higher
🔹 Hold that tension and really feel it
🔹 Then suddenly let it DROP

The relief is immediate. And the reason it works is fascinating.

🧠 What's happening in your nervous system:

When you exaggerate the tension first, you're giving your body a clear reference point for what tension actually feels like. Then when you release, the contrast is so obvious that your nervous system can easily recognize and move into relaxation.

You're not fighting against your body—you're working with its natural ability to experience and release tension.

This principle of working with contrast is fundamental to somatic therapy. It's how we build body awareness, increase nervous system flexibility, and learn to befriend our bodies instead of battling them.

🎥 Phoenix walks you through this practice in real-time. It takes less than 3 minutes and you can do it anywhere—at your desk, in your car, waiting in line.

✨ Your body isn't broken when it holds tension. It's actually protecting you, responding to stress, carrying the weight of your experiences. The question isn't how to force it to stop, but how to support it in finding more ease.

🌨️ Real talk: The holidays aren't magical for everyone.While everyone else seems to be posting perfect family gatherings...
10/10/2025

🌨️ Real talk: The holidays aren't magical for everyone.

While everyone else seems to be posting perfect family gatherings and twinkling lights, you might be feeling the weight of grief, loneliness, financial stress, or just... heaviness. The pressure to be joyful can make the sadness feel even more isolating.

🕯️ Here's what nobody tells you: You're not broken for struggling during "the most wonderful time of year."

The holidays can amplify everything we're already dealing with—loss, disconnection, family dynamics that never got easier, the exhaustion of pretending you're okay when you're not.

🌙 This year, there's a different option.

The Holiday Blues Support Group creates space for the real stuff. No forced cheer. No toxic positivity. Just honest connection with people who actually understand what you're going through.

✨ What makes this group different:
🔹 You can drop the mask and be real
🔹 Connect with others who truly get it (because they're living it too)
🔹 Learn actual, usable tools for managing difficult emotions
🔹 Build resilience instead of just white-knuckling through
🔹 Feel less alone in your struggle

📍 Group Details:
🗓️ Tuesdays, Nov 11 - Dec 30 (8 sessions)
⏰ 5:30-7 PM PST
💻 Online via secure Zoom
💰 $50-$80/session (sliding scale)
👥 8-12 participants

Led by Erma Kyriakos, AMFT—who specializes in helping people navigate hard emotions with compassion and evidence-based tools.

🌿 You don't have to suffer through this season alone. You don't have to pretend. You just have to show up as you are.

Interested? Email erma.kyriakos@mindfulcenter.org or call (415) 761-3494. Check out the blog, link in bio, for more details.

✨ Your body is always speaking. Are you listening? ✨From the tension in your shoulders after a long day 🧑‍💻 to the flutt...
10/02/2025

✨ Your body is always speaking. Are you listening? ✨

From the tension in your shoulders after a long day 🧑‍💻 to the flutter in your stomach before a big decision 💡, your body holds messages that often go unheard. Somatic Therapy offers a pathway to tune into those signals, reconnect with your inner wisdom, and create healing through the language of the body.

In our latest blog post, Associate Therapist Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon shares insights into how Somatic Therapy can support you in understanding your body’s messages and transforming them into sources of clarity and growth.

Phoenix brings a unique approach — combining somatic practices, relational-cultural theory, and a holistic view of healing — to help clients move beyond anxiety, trauma, and disconnection. At Center for Mindful Psychotherapy (CMP), we believe therapy isn’t just about talking — it’s about honoring the whole self. 🌱

If you’ve ever wondered:
💭 Why does my body react this way?
💭 Can I heal through movement, awareness, and breath?
💭 What would happen if I truly listened to myself?
…this post is for you.

🔗 Read the full post on the blog, link in bio

📌 Save this post for when you need a reminder to pause and listen inward.
💬 Share with someone who could use more connection to their body.
🌎 Find support with CMP therapists across California, including the Bay Area + Santa Clara.

✨ October is ✨Did you know ADHD isn’t just a childhood condition? It continues across the lifespan — shaping school, w...
10/02/2025

✨ October is ✨

Did you know ADHD isn’t just a childhood condition? It continues across the lifespan — shaping school, work, relationships, and even aging.

This month, we’re shining a spotlight on the changing lens of ADHD:
🔹 Why the term “ADD” is no longer used
🔹 The rise of inclusive language like “AuDHD”
🔹 ADHD challenges and strengths across childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood
🔹 How neurodiversity reframes ADHD as not only a condition but also a strength
🔹 The powerful role of therapy in building resilience and self-compassion

At Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, many of our Bay Area clinicians specialize in ADHD support for children, teens, and adults. From mindfulness-based therapy to executive function coaching, we help clients navigate ADHD with strategies that truly fit their lives. 🌿

💡 Whether you’re navigating ADHD yourself, parenting a twice-exceptional child, or curious about how ADHD intersects with identity and culture, this month is the perfect time to deepen your understanding.

👉 Read our full article on the blog: https://mindfulcenter.org/adhd-awareness-month-2025-understanding-adhd-in-adults-and-children-through-a-changing-lens/

📍 Serving San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, and across California via telehealth.

🧠✨ ADHD looks different at every stage of life ✨🧠From childhood struggles with focus to memory changes in older adulthoo...
09/28/2025

🧠✨ ADHD looks different at every stage of life ✨🧠

From childhood struggles with focus to memory changes in older adulthood, ADHD is a lifelong experience — not something people simply “grow out of.” Our new infographic breaks it down:

👧 Childhood → focus, impulsivity, routines, emotions
👦 Adolescence → organization, peer relationships, self-esteem
👩‍🦱 Adulthood → attention at work, household tasks, relationships
👨‍🦳 Older Adulthood → memory issues, executive function challenges

🌿 At the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, we believe in recognizing ADHD across the lifespan while celebrating the strengths that come with neurodivergent brains.

💡 Save and share this post to spread awareness during !

📍 Providing ADHD therapy in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, and across California via secure telehealth.

💜 Trauma can echo across generations 💜Families carry stories of survival, pain, and resilience. When trauma is left unsp...
09/15/2025

💜 Trauma can echo across generations 💜

Families carry stories of survival, pain, and resilience. When trauma is left unspoken, it can shape how future generations see themselves. Sometimes it even increases the risk of suicidal thoughts. 🌊

But trauma does not have to define the future. Therapy helps uncover hidden family stories, break cycles of silence, and build new narratives of resilience and hope. 🌱

Our latest blog post explores Intergenerational Trauma and Its Link to Su***de in Families. 📖 It looks at how trauma is passed down and how therapy can transform inherited pain into healing.

🔗 Link in bio to read the full article.

***dePrevention

✨ Searching for meaning beyond despair ✨For many people, suicidal thoughts are not only about pain. They are about a dee...
09/12/2025

✨ Searching for meaning beyond despair ✨

For many people, suicidal thoughts are not only about pain. They are about a deeper crisis of meaning. 🌊

Transpersonal psychology invites us to see suicidality as part of an existential and spiritual struggle. Through mindfulness, creativity, spirituality, and connection, clients can discover new pathways of purpose and hope. 🌱

Our newest blog post explores Transpersonal Psychology and the Search for Meaning Beyond Suicidality and how therapy supports healing when life feels empty.

🔗 Link in bio to read the full article.

***dePrevention

🌱 Mindfulness is not about escaping pain. It is about meeting it with presence. 🌱When suicidal urges feel overwhelming, ...
09/12/2025

🌱 Mindfulness is not about escaping pain. It is about meeting it with presence. 🌱

When suicidal urges feel overwhelming, mindfulness can create a crucial pause. Even small practices can interrupt the cycle of despair.

✨ Focus on the breath.
✨ Notice your senses.
✨ Practice loving-kindness.
✨ Walk slowly and intentionally.

We’ve shared a new blog: Top 12 Mindfulness Practices for Managing Suicidal Urges.

📖 These tools can help you anchor in the moment and cultivate resilience.

🔗 Link in bio to read more.

***dePrevention

💜 Perfectionism and people-pleasing are heavy burdens. 💜When your worth feels tied to flawless achievement or keeping ev...
09/11/2025

💜 Perfectionism and people-pleasing are heavy burdens. 💜

When your worth feels tied to flawless achievement or keeping everyone else happy, despair can grow in silence. For some, these patterns fuel suicidal thoughts. 🌊

✨ Therapy can help break the cycle.
✨ You are more than your achievements.
✨ Your needs and boundaries matter.

Our new blog explores The Role of Perfectionism and People-Pleasing in Suicidal Ideation and how therapy supports healing.

***dePrevention

Suicidal despair is not only a psychological experience. It is also deeply embodied. Trauma often leaves the nervous sys...
09/09/2025

Suicidal despair is not only a psychological experience. It is also deeply embodied.
Trauma often leaves the nervous system stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, creating overwhelming sensations of hopelessness.

Our new article, How Somatic Experiencing Helps Heal Suicidal Despair, explores how this body-based approach supports su***de prevention by:

• Restoring nervous system regulation
• Completing unresolved survival responses
• Rebuilding safety in the body
• Integrating trauma healing with other therapies

Somatic Experiencing helps clients discover that despair does not have to define their lives. By working with the body as an ally, healing and resilience become possible.

Read the full article on our blog.

A major life change can feel like a storm ⛈️, but you don’t have to weather it alone. Life transitions are meant to brin...
09/04/2025

A major life change can feel like a storm ⛈️, but you don’t have to weather it alone. Life transitions are meant to bring new opportunities, but they can also be a source of immense stress, instability, and loss. Events like divorce, retirement, and moving can significantly increase the risk of suicidal thoughts because they disrupt our fundamental anchors: our identity, daily routine, and relationships.

Let’s break down why these transitions hit so hard:

* 💔 Divorce: It’s not just the end of a marriage; it’s the unmooring of an entire life structure. The process can bring financial strain, conflict over children, and for many, a feeling of shame or failure.
* 👴 Retirement: Often idealized as a time of freedom, retirement can also trigger depression and suicidal thoughts, especially for those who defined themselves by their careers. Connections from the workplace are often not easily replaced.
* 🏡 Moving: The psychological impact of moving is often underestimated. It can lead to feelings of isolation and disorientation, especially if it’s tied to a job loss or financial hardship.
*
But here’s the silver lining ✨: Therapy can be a powerful tool for navigating these vulnerable moments. It provides a safe space to process grief, recognize your strengths, and create new narratives for your life. Therapy helps you strengthen protective factors like building a strong support network and reframing these transitions as opportunities for growth rather than just losses.

A therapist can help you feel seen, heard, and supported. Hope becomes possible again. 💖

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7. 📞 You are not alone.

***dePrevention

Address

533 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA
94114

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm

Telephone

+14157660276

Website

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