Shaina Madfes (she/her)

I believe healing happens through the safety of an authentic connection and I bring my whole self to that work. I work with individuals, couples/relationships, and families across the lifespan - from toddlers to elders. My clinical focus includes utilizing play therapy for children, supporting adolescents through the real challenges of middle and high school, connecting with LGBTQIA+ clients, and holding space for disenfranchised grief, including pet loss, job loss, fertility struggles, stigmatized death, and unseen grievers. I also support individuals navigating substance use concerns with a compassionate harm reduction approach. My work draws on person-centered, emotionally focused, and expressive arts methods, carefully tailored to support you. As a queer, white (Jewish-Italian), temporarily able-bodied cis-woman, I am deeply committed to exploring how our intersecting identities and privileges shape our work together. I hold a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis. My professional background includes working as a bedside therapist in acute hospital care, providing harm reduction substance use counseling, leading grief groups, and engaging children and families as an embedded therapist in San Francisco public schools. I am currently accepting new clients for in-person sessions and have afternoon and evening availability. If you’d like to learn more about my practice or what it means to enter therapy, please reach out via my contact form. I offer a free twenty-minute phone consultation to explore if we are a good fit.