Therapy with Garen
Hello, fellow human. I'm an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and provide psychotherapy to California residents, including adults, couples, and families.
If you’ve made it here,
you’re probably looking to make a change...
And perhaps the pain you’ve been carrying is the driving force behind the change.
This pain may show up in many ways: depression, anxiety, ruminating thoughts, relationship struggles, numbing, chronic illness, sleeplessness, low self-esteem or any other forms of human suffering.
Seeking out help is a brave first step. Let’s acknowledge that.
I like to start our work by honoring the part of you who knew that you don’t have to bear this pain alone; the brave part that encouraged you to reach out & ask for help.
Slowing down creates the space necessary to be curious about our pain
In the beginning, we’ll work slowly, as we discover where you are & where you’re coming from. I will walk alongside you as you determine where you want to go. I will listen and ask you questions with compassion & curiosity.
In time, you may find that you already contain the potential for healing within
Rather than fixing anything, I’ll accommodate you on your journey towards the inner healing wisdom within, passed down through generations by your ancestors.
I don’t subscribe to the belief that I will “heal” you. We heal in relationship – I’d be honored to accommodate you.
“Somewhere along the way we were taught to stop feeling instead of being taught to stop what harms us, as though the feeling were our enemy. To move forward & address the harm, we have to feel.”
- Prentis Hemphill, author of What It Takes to Heal
Who Am I?
I’m a queer first-generation Armenian-American living on unceded Ohlone land, also known as the Bay Area. 'Garen' (he/him) is the name of the indigenous homeland of my paternal ancestors on the Armenian Highlands, occupied by Turkey. I’m currently an associate at Queer LifeSpace, a SF-based community mental health clinic serving LGBTQIA+ members.
I'm naturally empathetic and attuned to those around me. I value my own curiosity, and I help foster the same curiosity in others to facilitate their self-awareness & self-acceptance.
I graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies with a Masters in Counseling Psychology. My research focuses on intergenerational resilience, ancestral grief work & the impact of settler-colonial violence/Zionism on our bodies.
‘Garen’ Pronunciation
Why Am I Qualified?
I embarked on a personal journey to make meaning of ‘being’ human.
On this journey, I came across the contemplative practices of Vipassana, Zazen, yoga and collaborative inquiry.
I volunteered as a crisis counselor at the San Francisco Suicide Prevention, and worked with individuals facing the painful reality of suicidality, grief & loss, loneliness and substance use.
My queerness in the context of a traditional, insular Middle Eastern culture provides me with a unique lens of the outsider and the insider, simultaneously.
How Do I Work?
I take an integrative approach, combining Western psychotherapy with Buddhist-based mindfulness practices.
Rather than focusing on eliminating symptoms (including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, poor concentration, etc), we slow down & bring curiosity to these adaptive responses.
We honor that at one point, these responses were highly intelligent, yet we recognize the pain they cause in the present.
I work within a liberation psychology model.
This model brings attention to the ways oppressive systems (like white supremacy, colonialism, Zionism, patriarchy) structure our lives, our bodies & our psyches.
Together, we listen to what your soul is trying to express, all while examining the ways these systems show up between you & me.
Does this resonate with you?
Who Do I Work With?
I work with all human beings who are seeking to make meaning of ‘being’ human.
I specialize working with queer individuals, adults exploring the expansiveness of their gender and sexuality, immigrants, refugees, first generation folks and those living with disabilities, visible or invisible.
I also specialize in couples therapy, focusing on couples who are ready to work through communication & navigate relationship anxiety.
I have experience working with individuals working through suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, ruminating thoughts, numbing, relationship struggles, etc
I credit much of the language and philosophy here to my peer Daniel Young.
My Rates
Individual Sessions (50 minutes) - $200
Relationship Session (75 Minutes) - $300
Relationship Session (90 Minutes) - $360
I believe strongly in the power of meeting weekly when we're starting out.
Insurance
If you wish to use your insurance to help with the cost of therapy, I will provide a monthly superbill for you to submit to your insurer for reimbursement. I am considered an out-of-network provider. Most PPO plans will provide some reimbursement for out-of-network mental healthcare, but I recommend checking with the member services department for your specific plan in advance.
Please contact me & we can talk about this further: therapywithgaren@gmail.com
