Vera Fleischer, MA, MFT: Good Enough Psychotherapy

I am happy to announce that I am listed on the list of German-speaking mental health providers published by the German Consulate General of San Francisco. This means a lot to me, and I am happy to provide psychotherapy services to German-speaking individuals, couples and families in the Bay Area.

According to Jonice Webb, Ph.D., Childhood Emotional Neglect happens when your parents fail to adequately respond to your emotional needs as they arise in you. If you grew up in this way, you are inevitably suppressing or walling off your emotions as an adult because you were taught that your emotions aren’t important. Childhood Emotional Neglect is largely invisible, and therein lies its power. It is a type of trauma but, unlike abuse, it is characterized not by an event or a presence but by a non-event or an absence.

Symptoms of Childhood Emotional Neglect:

• • Inner emptiness
  • Guilt, shame, anger, blame
  • Fear of depending on and trusting others
  • Lack of self-compassion
  • “There is something wrong with me”
  • Difficulty identifying and expressing emotions

What we can do
Healing happens by accessing and valuing your emotions. When you know and value yourself on the inside, you can start to change your life on the outside. Call or email me to get started on this process.

As of February I now have this piece in my office. It is Spectrum I by Ellsworth Kelly, 1953.

I recently did a week-long training called AEDP Immersion. AEDP stands for Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy. I learned a lot about privileging aliveness and attachment in the therapeutic relationship. And I am now listed in the therapist directory of the AEDP Institute.

As a psychotherapist working with shame, self-esteem and the inner critic, I like to focus more on making use of your choices when you uncover that you are already good enough and less on healing your so-called broken parts. Together we can explore the masks you wear to hide the parts of yourself you consider too shameful to share with others, the striving to be something you are not or don’t even want to be, the unrealistic expectations you may place on yourself and others. I propose that being comfortable in your own skin, whether you are alone or with others, is better than perfection. Psychotherapy can help shed those uncomfortable skins and masks that are borne from shame and may no longer serve you. Those that do serve you we can keep but let’s be choiceful about that process.

I’m in love with this new piece of art I recently added to the walls of my office. It is by the German mural artist duo Herakut.

This piece of art captures my values as a therapist perfectly. Pun intended.

I am excited that I am now featured as a business on Nextdoor. I am listed in the NE Mission Industrial Zone as that is the neighborhood in which my office is located. I am visible to Nextdoor members of any neighborhood in which I have been recommended by other Nextdoor members. Currently I am visible in about half of the San Francisco neighborhoods, and I am hoping to increase my reach to all of San Francisco. Recommend me in your neighborhood!

My license was issued today and license number posted! My license number is 97057. It’s official – I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist!

I am happy to announce that I passed the California Clinical Exam for Marriage and Family Therapists today. This was the last major step towards getting my license. The rest is formalities. Five years of school, training and internship are finally paying off!

I have known since the spring that I was going to join the Bay Area Gestalt Institute this fall, and it’s finally becoming a reality. My bio just went up on the BAGI website. I’m officially a Bay Area Gestalt Institute therapist!