Jess Butler PhD, AMFT, APCC

I'm an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist / AMFT 151334 and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor / APCC 18186 under supervision of Caroline McDowell / LMFT 47351. I’ve spent hundreds of hours working with clients dealing with relationship challenges, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, PTSD and C-PTSD, substance use, chronic illness, neurodivergence, gender identity, sexuality, aging, parenting, career changes, and emotional regulation. I’m also a former college professor with a PhD in sociology and gender studies. I’ve researched and written and taught about how social systems shape our internal experiences, and I’ve mentored hundreds of students as they moved through the confusing and stressful world of higher education. In both of these spaces, I’ve connected with people from all kinds of backgrounds in a way that honors their differences and recognizes their strengths. I practice relational psychodynamic psychotherapy, which means we'll look together at how your early experiences have shaped your relationships and sense of self, and how your unconscious beliefs show up in your everyday life. Our work will vary depending on your needs, but it will always be inclusive, trauma-informed, and attuned to cultural differences. It will prioritize lasting change over quick fixes. It will be affirming, and it will be challenging. It will open up new ways of seeing and being in relationship with others and with yourself. Therapy is not always fun or easy, and it takes courage. I'm in awe of anyone who steps into my office, nervous and exhausted but determined to make a change, and I'm honored to help facilitate that growth. I'll bring curiosity, openness, expertise, humor, and care; all you need to do is show up just as you are. I'm currently offering therapy in person to adults and partners in the Bay Area and online across California. If my approach resonates with you, or you want to talk more about what therapy with me might be like, reach out for a free consultation—I'd love to meet you.