Stephanie Sandbergen (she/her/hers)
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Working in the San Francisco Bay Area and Virtually
ABOUT ME
I am a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #80051) with over 15 years of experience working with clients from various backgrounds, including adults, the elderly, children, couples, families, and LGBTQ+ clients. I have a passion to learn and have attended dozens of training courses on various topics such as compliance training, art therapy, narrative therapy, spirituality, support group facilitation skills, partner abuse, anger management, addiction, working with LGBTQ+ clients, and ethical decision making.
I work from humanistic and systems approaches which includes helping the client gain a healthier understanding of self, helping gain meaning in life, and exploring the client's roles in the systems they are a member of. I genuinely care for my clients and show them care, acceptance, and empathy. I focus on the entire person: physical, mental, social and spiritual. I utilize a variety of approaches such as mindfulness, expressive arts, journalling, and nature while also challenging my clients and modifying my approaches to be more eclectic depending on what is helpful for the client. I truly cherish the challenging and rewarding work of psychotherapy.
EXPERIENCE
I graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, an emphasis in Psychology, and a specialization in Computing. I graduated from St. Mary's College with a Master's in Psychology.
I am a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, International Sociology Honor Society. I am a member of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.
I have worked with individuals and groups at a non-profit community counseling center, a church, a hospice organization, and a for profit mental health organization. I specialize in loss, grief, attachment, emotional intelligence, effective communication, mindfulness, and eating disorders.
This is my "second career." My previous career included twenty years of experience in the software technology world, primarily testing computer software, with an extensive background in leading teams, training new team members, and improving departmental processes. I enjoy volunteering at local nonprofits, at my children's schools, and with my children's sports' teams.
I have spoken to the National Charity League about "Recognizing Harmful Relationships" and "Eating Disorders." I have also been on a panel at a local high school discussing social media usage and a community webinar about mental health during the COVID pandemic.