How to Choose a Therapist

How does one go about finding a therapist? Today we talk with Anicia Williams LMFT and Dylan Kersh LMFT and discuss the various pitfalls and strategies behind locating, interviewing and ultimately choosing the perfect therapist for YOU.  

 

Anicia Williams LMFT is a psychotherapist in Marin County, specializing in multicultural issues, trauma, addictions and the relationships that suffer as a result. Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Anicia received her undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her graduate degree, a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology, from Dominican University of California. While at Dominican University, Anicia was honored to receive the Dr. Robert Shukraft Award for Inspirational Leadership.

Anicia is an active member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) for the state and local levels. Anicia currently has a Private Practice in San Rafael and has held various titles and positions in the Greater Bay Area, including Program Director, Clinical Director of Outpatient Services, Primary Therapist, Coordinator and Assessment Specialist, and Clinical Residential Care Manager. 

Anicia is certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) utilizing Laurel Parnell's Attachment-Focused EMDR, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Mindfulness, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and Sensorimotor techniques. 

Anicia is determined to help reduce the stigma associated with alcohol and drug addiction and increase awareness around trauma, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues that contribute to addiction. She is committed to helping those afflicted with mental health and addiction issues, as well bringing healing, acceptance and compassion to those who love them. As a Marin native, she is dedicated to increasing local awareness around mental health, restorative justice, and multicultural issues in the community. She has been on the Marin Mental Health Board’s Youth Committee and has served as a commissioner on the court-appointed Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission. Anicia currently works with underserved Transitional Aged Youth via Wise Choices for Girls in Marin CIty and as well as bringing Mental Health Awareness to the Hannah Project's Freedom School, located in Marin City as well. 

Contact: aniciawilliamsmft.com

 

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Dylan Kersh LMFT spent over a decade teaching middle and high school students in Oakland, Maui, and Marin County. Although he found this career rewarding, he eventually realized that his greatest asset was the ability to connect with young people and inspire them to do positive things in their lives. This realization led him to go back to school to pursue his lifelong aspiration to become a psychotherapist.

After graduating from The Wright Institute in Berkeley with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, he began his career at FamilyWorks in San Rafael, California. While at FamilyWorks, he worked with individuals, teens, families, and couples from a diverse spectrum of backgrounds. He found that with an open heart, a sincere desire to connect, and clinical integrity, he could affect real change in his clients’ lives.

Concurrently, Dylan has started his own tutoring and mentoring business in Marin County. He has spent the last four years working with students ages 9-18 over a broad range of subject matter from 4th grade math to SAT/ACT prep. In addition, in 2015 he opened my own after school program, West America After Care, in Mill Valley to provide tutoring and enrichment activities to students grades K-8.

After completing his training at FamilyWorks and becoming a licensed intern, Dylan moved to the Mind Therapy Clinic in Corte Madera to work with individuals struggling with both severe mental illness and addiction. He also began working at A New Path Marin, a transitional program for men with substance abuse disorders which focused on recovery coaching as well as therapy. There, he cultivated his talent to connect with men and help them to identify and deepen their emotional experience.

Dylan then accepted a position as Program Director at Shine a Light Addiction Specialists in San Rafael. While at Shine a Light, He developed a strengths-based coaching program that teaches the tools and provides the support and motivation to help clients build the life they’ve always dreamed of. In addition, he coordinated and managed the treatment of up to twenty clients dealing with addiction and severe mental illness. He has also worked at the Muir Wood Adolescent Outpatient Program, and is currently running groups at the Foundations Recovery Network Outpatient Program in San Francisco. 

As a result of this wide range of professional experience and training, Dylan has created a private practice that offers a unique variety of services: psychotherapy, tutoring, and recovery coaching!

Contact: https://www.dylankersh.com/

 

Contact Benjamin Russack at benjaminrussack@gmail.com or visit my website at benjaminrussack.com.

 

 Shameless plug for my father's book on Animal Dream Symbolism: 

Animal Guides in Life, Myth and Dreams (Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts, 97)