Welcome to my website.
**Please note, formally I was Kristel Allen, now I am Kristel S. Grodeska**
I have information here that can help you learn about Somatic Psychotherapy, and how my private practice may be the right therapy for you.
How I see Therapy
Our psyche and our bodies are just like anything else in nature- they are going to thrive when we tend to them with care and attention, protect them from harm and toxicity, and offer them the right kind of nourishment and nutrients for the kind of environment in which they live.
Therapy helps to create the optimal conditions for growth, healing, development, and personal empowerment – it takes your life out of it’s “normal” environment, and into a safe and nutrient rich environment. An ocean walk, a song, or a nap can offer this shift as well; part of the shift of entering therapy is to put yourself in relationship offering their nervous system as part of the nutrients, and their heart as part of the safe haven. Laughter is so welcome in my office – however therapy is no joke – it takes courage to face each other and ourselves. I am here to help you muster that at times when you can’t seem to find your way.
I see my practice as place where we face what needs attention together, work towards resolutions, build skills, and find refuge from what is distressing. In essence, as a place to nourish, but also to stretch and strengthen that which needs repair or integration in order for your life to be vitalizing instead of constantly exhausting all your resources.
I believe that part of growth includes pacing, practice, and an optimal amount of challenge – this goes for any sport or musical mastery, and for growing ourselves as well.
General information about my practice:
I am offering in person sessions & see clients over a HIPPA compliant Zoom platform. In person, I wear a mask in all cases, but I am not asking client’s to wear a mask in session. It is your choice to come into session and take the risk of potential airborne diseases.
Safety is always first in any therapeutic encounter, so we will talk about precautions and anxieties as they arise to see what is needed in order to settle into our time together.
My sessions are generally 50 – 60 minutes long, though in some cases, like for couples or EMDR sessions, 75-90 minute session times are recommended.
Though weekly sessions are encouraged as the best rhythm when we are growing something new in our lives, sometimes more or sometimes less therapy is recommended. We can discuss this together.
I offer free consultations over the phone for the purposes of answering questions, assessing our relational fit, and talking about scheduling and rates. Once this call is done, then we set up an appointment and agree upon the fee.
Call me at 415-494-9618 or through the form on my website to set up a consultation or session time.
I offer my writing about Somatic Psychotherapy, how therapy works, intimacy, and relationships via my blog, and go into depth around my approach on other pages of this site- feel free to read and reach out if you have any questions.
It is my passion to make therapy visible to my clients. I talk openly about the various modalities that I employ, so that you get to have a say in what we are doing, and know what you are signing up for. I am not the kind of therapist that is a blank and silent stare in the room. I see therapy as a learning process at base, and offer myself in the room as another human, with feelings, thoughts, and insights to share.
Return here and see what is new within this site!