Svetlana Kreimer

Who Am I?

As a humanistic, client-centered therapist I welcome people interested in improving their lives through introspection, self-awareness, creative expression, and genuine human connection. I believe in person’s inherent worth, resilience, and underlying drive for aliveness and well-being, even in the grip of very painful emotions and self-sabotaging behaviors. While you are your own main authority on your journey’s direction and choices, I see myself as an attentive non-judgmental companion for this part of your life adventure.

My practice is informed by my Expressive Arts training, as well as gestalt, experiential, psychodynamic, process- and mindfulness-oriented approaches. I received an MA degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in 2007; licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California, since 2013 (MFT#53525).
Completed EMDRIA-approved 3-part EMDR training with Parnell Institute in May 2019.

Since 2018 I train and supervise pre-licensed clinicians at the Process Therapy Institute, where I currently serve in a role of a Clinical Director.

Couples and Partners

All gender identities, sexual orientations, and relationship configurations are welcome in my practice, and no issue is a taboo.

Couples and families frequently come to therapy complaining they feel “trapped” – in unresolved conflicts, hurt feelings, frustrations and resentments, sexual difficulties, luck of trust and intimacy (especially if there is a history of infidelity)… Disrespect, dishonesty, and disconnection are hard to live with and difficult to challenge.

So, we will often start with a reality check and communication: learning to say what you mean and mean what you say, to hear out your partner non-defensively, to ask for your desires openly without guilt or shame, to express your anger, disillusionment, and disappointments still in a way that is respectful to both/all of you.

In the process, we might discover issues you bring to the present from your families of origin and past relationships, hurts not forgiven and losses not grieved, ways in which your conflicting attitudes, values, believes, and choices affect the situation… and how all these challenges can help you grow, personally and as a unit.

Some differences are just too great to reconcile; for the partners who choose a path of separation I offer the experience of closure, divorce and co-parenting counseling.

I am passionate about collaborative conflict resolution practices, and invite you to consider them first, with a goal of reaching lasting agreements that address everyone’s interests, including, very importantly, that of any children involved. As your journey continues, I welcome both your pain and resilience, and hope to be a resource for you and your family.

People and Places of Influence

The following list of people and organisations had an important impact on my professional and personal development. I highly recommend everyone on this list as a resource on your quest for both personal healing and education.

California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS) (San Francisco)
Expressive Arts Program taught me the art and craft of counseling psychology, but most importantly, gave me the deepest joy, respect, and fascination for the mysterious power of human psyche and creative process.

Process Therapy Institute (PTI) (Los Gatos), especially its founders and my long-time mentors Don and Carol Hadlock, taught me to trust my authentic self, my client’s inner drive to get better, and the process of therapy, no matter how scary or difficult the prospect seems: “Allow everything, expect nothing, do anything”.

Parnell Institute for EMDR with its founder Dr. Laurel Parnell is an inspiration to continue learning and growing as a professional, and to bravely follow the light in the darkest of places. Let’s “go with that”.

Collaborative Practice Silicon Valley
When there is a will, there is a way – to solve even the most adversarial of conflicts, such as divorce or financial dispute, in a collaborative and respectful manner. It’s all in the teamwork.

Couples Therapy Institute (Palo Alto) – enforced my view of relationships as a naturally unfolding developmental process. To become aware of its growing pains, crises, dead ends, and possible breakthroughs is to acquire hope where there was none before.

Living Arts Counseling Center (Oakland), specifically its founder Armand Volkas, the creator of Healing the Wounds of History project, and my long-time Drama Therapy teacher, taught me to direct and be directed by the inevitable unfolding of the healing play. And a chutzpa to be my biggest, boldest, and best self.

Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS inc, San Francisco) – my first internship gave me a chance to work with severely mentally ill, traumatized, dually diagnosed, and underprivileged population – and see how, no matter what the circumstances, the person is always bigger than their illness. It is never my place to judge; everyone is doing their best at the time.

Kara (Palo Alto) – a non-profit grief support agency for adults and children. While volunteering for several years with groups of children whose parent or relative recently died, I’ve learned a lot of things – how to be truly honest, and open, and punctual, and not to flinch facing life’s most cruel surprises or its twisted sense of irony, and not to use euphemisms… And most importantly, the meaning of the word “resiliency”.