Kathryn A. R. James, MFT 46494

A little about me

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience helping individuals find clarity, healing, and meaning. My primary goal is for you to benefit from your time in therapy. I focus on professionals in high-intensity work environments, driven strivers, and people who hold themselves to high standards and are equally committed to doing the same work in their personal lives. My style is interactive and collaborative rather than a "sit-and-nod" approach. Together, we build a treatment plan with specific goals. I incorporate a great deal of psychoeducation and provide practical feedback and tools.

My theoretical orientation and training are grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and I draw on the wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophers. I specialize in relationships, depression and anxiety, recovery from addiction and alcoholism, life transitions, bereavement, and trauma. Before beginning my private practice, I completed my traineeship and internship at intensive inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol facilities in San Francisco and worked with women and children affected by HIV. I am deeply knowledgeable about the 12-step community, including AA and Al-Anon in San Francisco, and bring that understanding to my work with clients in recovery and family members who have a loved one struggling with addiction or alcoholism.

I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 15 years, and many of my clients are from the area. I have a deep understanding of its communities, culture, and pace of life. Outside of my work, I enjoy reading the Great Books, studying art history and philosophy, taking nature walks, visiting zen gardens, listening to jazz and house music, and spending time with Jack Russell Terriers.