Dr. Steiner's Therapy Services
Special interests and expertise
- Relationship issues
- Chronic medical illness
- Therapy groups
Relationships determine the quality of life!
NOTE: I feel fortunate to be able to continue to see patients throughout California and New Mexico via tele-therapy (video or phone sessions).
At the present time my practice is full. I am only accepting prospective group members and consultation requests.
The value of therapy and consultation
Therapy can open new doors, make room for deeper connections with others and help you learn new ways to enjoy a more satisfying life. I believe deeply in the healing power of therapy, and feel fortunate to help people make changes that bring them more connction, comfort and joy.
For 30 years I have successfully helped adults feel better about themselves and their relationships. I supervise, train and provide consultation to therapists, and believe in the healing power of groups.
My approach is heavily influenced by my belief in the importance of loving kindness and compassion, not only for others, but for oneself.
I offer individual, couples, and group psychotherapy for adults, as well as consultations to therapists and individuals. These pages describe my approach to individual psychotherapy, couples psychotherapy and group psychotherapy in greater detail. When possible, the combination of group psychotherapy and group is the ideal way to maximize the benefit of being in therapy. If you are unfamiliar with the power of group psychotherapy, read this short article, The Healing Power of Groups.
My theoretical orientation and approach
I draw on a variety of theoretical approaches and techniques, depending on the type and needs of each individual. My primary approach is psychodynamic, with control mastery and systems theory, all of which focus on individuals' strengths, the influence of their childhood experiences, culture, problem solving skills, and motivation to change old patterns. It is important to understand the major influences in each individual's life and to focus on how their personal history and past relationships affect their current life and choices.
I value the emphasis on context that Systems theory encourages us to bring to understanding each individual. Using the lens of context involves learning how the individual or couple percieves the impact of their history, culture, religious or spiritual beliefs, support systems and core values.
Therapy works best when there is a good match between the therapist and client. Feeling emotionally safe and creating enough trust to say when one is aware of negative feelings towards one's therapist can be life-altering. I encourage clients to attend to and express how they are truly feeling in the moment, including their feelings towards me. In starting therapy it helps to learn about a client's life history and find out what self knowledge is most important to them. I use a collaborative approach in exploring clients' expectations, what they want to change, or learn about themselves. Therapy is an investment in many ways.
Hope can be rebuilt, pain managed, and a feeling of connection to others expanded. Using a collaborative, practical approach, I help increase comfort, self-confidence and enjoyment in life. My areas of expertise are life transitions and challenges such as relationship issues, chronic medical issues, pain, trauma, and grief work.
My style is warm, interactive and practical. I listen to each individual, then work with them to clarify their goals and map out an appropriate plan of treatment.
Virginia Satir, widely regarded as the mother of family therapy, wrote this verse to describe what a healthy loving relationship can look and feel like:
"I want to join you without invading.
Appreciate you without being judgmental,
Love you without clutching,
Love you without demanding,
Leave you without guilt,
Criticize you without blaming,
And help you without insulting,
If I can have the same from you,
Then we can truly meet and enrich each other."
— Virginia Satir
This Goethe quote reminds me of other ways of thinking about balance and reciprocity in relationships:
"No matter how close two people may be, there will always be infinite differences. And a wonderful growing up side-by-side can occur. If they learn to love those differences, so that each can see the other whole against the sky. A good marriage is where each is the protector of the other's solitude."
— Goethe
Virginia Satir and Goethe quotes are used with the permission of Virginia Satir's publisher, Bob Spitzer, Science and Behavior Books, Inc. personal communication, 2008. These quotes are taken from I'd Give My Life! A Journey by Folk Music, Eric Darling, page 279, Science and Behavior Books, Inc. 2008.
The Federal No Surprises Act
As a completely out of network practice, I believe in being transparent about my fees so patients know and can plan for the cost of services. This transparency has been required by the ethical standards to which I have abided for the entirety of my career, and because we believe it is the only way for us as clinicians to bring trust and integrity into our working relationship.
The Federal No Surprises Act went into effect on January 1, 2022 to protect patients from surprise medical bills. As a result, all licensed health providers who offer out of network services are required to post a notice of “your rights and protections against surprise medical bills” on our websites or in our physical offices. You may know that many people have been harmed by surprise medical bills, often incurred during emergency or surgical care where there may be out of network providers involved in a patient’s care without their knowledge. It is unlikely this could occur when receiving psychotherapy services as there should be no situation in which you would “inadvertently” receive care by me or receive care with no choice. Again, the nature of mental health services is different and we do not engage in surprise or balance billing. Further, in accordance with the Act, I will gladly provide a Good Faith Estimate of the costs of services prior to a first session and during the course of treatment. New and current patients will receive a copy of information about the No Surprises Act and the related documents. As always, I encourage you to ask any question about costs, your treatment progress, this Federal Act, or other concerns. I will be happy to provide clear, accurate information that we can discuss.