Michael Griffith MA MFT MS DDS

California State MFT License 28859
Working virtually
(415) 546-6548 griffithmft@gmail.com

Integrating body-centered approaches, Attachment theory, family systems, relational Gestalt and Expressive Arts into state-of-the-art psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families, stepfamilies and groups. Specializing in developing romantic intelligence for singles and couples.

Our Approach

You will find us to be interactive and relational therapists. Our goal is to create a supportive and healing environment in which we explore and understand you and your world — your relationship to yourself, your family of origin, your relational life with your partner (if you have one), your children or step children, your friendships, your work, and your creative life.

When we are hurt or frightened as children, we protect ourselves by organizing defensive patterns, constricting our breath, our bodies, our feelings and thoughts, our hopes and our dreams. These survival strategies safeguard us when we are young but they restrict our authentic, loving , spontaneous, pleasurable lives as adults, diminishing our relationships with ourselves, to others and the world.

Body-centered psychotherapy focuses on identifying and transforming our physical and emotional defenses, thus supporting the normal human tendency towards health, wholeness and integration – the fully experienced, alive and relational self. We utilize the therapeutic relationship to develop not just insight but to expand your “felt sense” of yourself.

We work on the basics: the right to exist; identifying and dealing with emotions; allowing needs and expanding wants; feeling free to be yourself, learning to tolerate more pleasure, and most importantly we work on growing your capacity for love.

Our work draws extensively from Attachment theory, especially in our work with couples and families. We also integrate Gestalt, family systems theory, Expressive arts (play therapy, sand tray, art and psychodrama), and characterological approaches, creating a nourishing and restorative atmosphere, which cares for the whole person, the couple or the family in treatment. While many people report helpful insights from traditional talk therapy, they often find themselves ready for more dynamic, interactive and engaged work.

Our workshop Cultivate Romantic Intelligence draws from attachment theory, mindfulness, somatic awareness, family systems, and relational Gestalt, in a supportive, safe environment.