Janelle Klaas, LMFT

08/24/2021

07/21/2021

06/19/2021

I really enjoyed watching Gabor Maté's new movie: https://wisdomoftrauma.com/movie/

He takes the position that unhealed trauma is the cause of most addiction, mental health symptoms, and even many chronic physical disorders. This fits well with my experience, and makes sense, especially given how little public awareness there is around what is needed to heal from psychologically traumatic experiences--many of these experiences are not even recognized as such!

I hope to see these views become mainstream in the near future. We all benefit when we come together to heal, both directly and through breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma.

Watch The Wisdom of Trauma Movie Premiere on June 8-14, Featuring DR. GABOR MATÉ Plus a 7-day teaching series on trauma with leading experts!

05/27/2020

If you or a loved one is struggling right now, here's an amazing resource for low-fee therapy. They're even offering 8 free sessions to those affected by the shutdown. Please pass this on to anyone you think might benefit!

https://www.wellsanfrancisco.com/about/sliding-scale-therapy/?fbclid=IwAR3ORlviV64SsEkTgunN0-PS30552WHILQGfch8ohBoZd0Yfgy6XjWjyzeA

11/12/2019

Ever wondered what the differences are between a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, counselor, and coach? Here's a quick outline of the major differences.

https://www.simplepractice.com/blog/whats-the-difference-between-therapy-counseling-coaching/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=core&utm_campaign=20191031%20-%20paid-trial-leads%20-%20blog-update%20-%20whats-the-difference&utm_content=body-link-2-whats-the-difference-blog-post&utm_source=SimplePractice+Email+List&utm_campaign=5ee896cd0b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_30_06_47&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7012814e45-5ee896cd0b-140875517

Dr. Ben Caldwell outlines the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, a therapist and a counselor, and therapy and coaching.

08/19/2019

“In the process of restoring a connection with others, we can realize that we actually create a connection with ourselves. In being seen and loved for who we are, how we think, and what we feel, we learn it’s okay to be as we are.

If our core human need is to connect with others, then the most important part of healing our emotional wounds is allowing ourselves to open up again. It is simply our willingness to show up as we are, and our trust that we will be taken care of.”

https://forge.medium.com/if-connection-is-our-core-human-need-then-why-are-we-so-bad-at-it-a904ae486a48

No person is an island, and we need healthy relationships to thrive

04/17/2019

This is beautifully written and reflects much of how I feel about the work that my clients and I engage in every week. It's such a privilege to get to know and heal oneself, yet something I do believe all people deserve to access, one way or another. Time to destigmatize this beautiful, human process!

https://artisanclinical.com/an-open-letter-from-a-therapist-to-his-clients/?fbclid=IwAR3aHMkefgvqXljoTVHX2ZtzSQ2U0-1NnKwGTUNaCqGimqiUXf4ys3wuF-4

Dear Fellow Travelers, I’ll be the first to admit, writing a letter like this is unusual. We’re not supposed to talk in public about what we talk about in private. You’re supposed to hide your decision to see me, as if it means you’re more damaged or more fragile than the average person. And...

03/19/2019

Got anxiety? This team at Stanford is studying men with anxiety and new therapies to increase relaxation. It's paid!

https://supost.com/post/index/129877536

Come be a part of our Stanford Neurobiology study on fear, anxiety and therapeutic interventions with our new Virtual Reality technology. We are looking to better understand the biomarkers of anxious emotional states and test the effectiveness of non-invasive relaxation techniques to help shift nega...

02/18/2019

Very insightful opinion piece arguing for a new model of mental illness: mental injury. The concept that psychological disorders from disordered eating to depression to anxiety stem from painful events rings true to me from my clinical experience.

It doesn't take a capital-T trauma to cause these types of changes; especially when we're very young, the stakes are high enough in everyday life that even apparently minor events can leave their mark.

I'm excited to see this model gain recognition in the field and more broadly. It's shining a light on the way healing works--just as we wouldn't simply prescribe a pill for a broken arm or a scraped knee, we need more than pills to fix our psychological injuries.

https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/01/psychological-injury-model/

01/18/2019

I'm pleased to announce my newest therapeutic offering: group therapy! I'm starting a group for older adults that will focus on issues such as loneliness, life transitions, and finding meaning and connection. The group will run either Wednesday or Thursday afternoon and is capped at 4 people--there will be plenty of space for each member's explorations. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested, and feel free to reach out with any questions. Thanks all!

Janelle is a San Francisco-based Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, #104471, offering psychothe

01/03/2019

In new research that will surprise no one, a healthy diet of whole foods protects against and even ameliorates depression. Let’s all aim to eat healthy and feel good this year!

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-food-that-helps-battle-depression-1522678367?mod=e2fb

The right kind of diet may give the brain more of what it needs to avoid depression, or even to treat it once it’s begun.

12/10/2018

Check out my latest blog post on tackling holiday stress! For everyone who won't be spending the holidays on a solo beach vacation ;)

https://www.jklaas.com/blog/2018/12/10/four-ways-to-keep-holiday-stress-at-bay

Wouldn’t it be nice to spend December floating in the pool in the sunshine by yourself? For better or worse, that’s not what most of us are doing. Here are a few tips for keeping the worst of the holiday stress from getting to you.

11/08/2018

I see a lot of perfectionist clients in my practice, and it shows up in all the ways discussed here--from obsessively overworking to avoiding and self-sabotaging. Perfectionism can slow us down or even prevent us from reaching our goals--but it doesn't have to. I work with my clients to learn more balanced ways of thinking and behaving to help them be more effective and more satisfied with their efforts.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/11/how-perfectionism-can-be-destructive/574837/

A trait that’s often seen as good can actually be destructive. Here’s how to combat it.

08/27/2018

Autism--such a catchall term. It's a label for a whole spectrum of neurological presentations, from the nonverbal and barely functional to the nearly undetectable. It covers differences in almost every category of functioning. As a clinician I do not feel I have an adequate understanding of autism, and my hunch is that no one does. I hope to see that start to change, with autistics beginning to speak up for themselves, as in this essay.

https://aeon.co/essays/the-autistic-view-of-the-world-is-not-the-neurotypical-cliche

Too many depictions of autistic people rely on tired clichés. The neurotypical world needs to take note of our own voices

08/20/2018

Friendly reminder that my group for people who are close to those who struggle with mental health problems starts this week! Ping me for details. The group will stay open for a few weeks for stragglers and then close.

08/20/2018

This article was written by a journalist on the topic of framing news stories, but her principles apply to our everyday conversations. It's so important to listen, and let both sides feel heard, as a starting point in disagreements.

The term "looping" is used here for one of my favorite concepts, validation. Simply repeating back what we heard the other person say can be incredibly revealing of the assumptions and interpretations that often get in the way when conflict is up.

https://thewholestory.solutionsjournalism.org/complicating-the-narratives-b91ea06ddf63

What if journalists covered controversial issues differently — based on how humans actually behave when they are polarized and suspicious?

08/10/2018

Hello everyone! Some of you already know that I do a lot of work with folks with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Starting August 21st, I'm going to be offering something rather unusual: I'm running a group for friends and family members who are affected by individuals with BPD or similar disorders. This is a group to learn a lot more about BPD and its effects, to learn concrete strategies and tools for managing it as a friend or loved one, and to find and share support with people with similar experiences.

The group runs for 8 weeks on Tuesday evenings in Saratoga. Contact me for more information, and please let anyone know who might be interested!