Group therapy
We often feel alone in our struggles. Group therapy offers a simple and elegant solution.
Experiences of togetherness and commonality are fortifying. Our burdens become easier to bear when shared; group members often leave feeling lighter. Surprising and unexpected breakthroughs emerge in the matrix of multiple perspectives.
Together, we create something to which we all belong. We belong, together. This never fails to move me.
My approach to group work is grounded in contemporary psychoanalysis and existential humanism, and integrates techniques from Gestalt therapy and mindfulness-based practices.
Learn more about the therapy groups I facilitate below.
“We are built for connection, and nothing is more important to our well-being and health than deep and meaningful relatedness.”
Irvin D. Yalom & Molyn Leszcz
The Theory & Practice of Group Psychotherapy
Current Groups
HOT MESS
Harm Reduction Group
Virtual group therapy
Wednesdays, 6 - 7:30 PM
Jan. 14 - Feb. 18, 2026
When life gets messy, we come together.
This is an open-minded, non-judgemental space where members can get curious about their relationship with drugs and alcohol.
We’re taught to see substance use as the problem, when it’s often an attempted solution to deeper challenges. Together, members will take a closer, more compassionate look at what’s really driving their use. We’ll make room for both the personal benefits and drawbacks of drugs and alcohol, and try to get clear on what members want for themselves — defining goals that are shaped by their own desires, not just external expectations. From safer use, to cutting back, to targeted or complete abstinence, all goals are welcome and respected. Success is any movement towards positive change or safer substance use.
In the mess, there is a message: vital information about ourselves, our needs, and what we must do to create the lives we long for. With a little support, life’s messiest moments can be fertile ground for remarkable transformation.
Rate:
6 weeks, $70 / session
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This group is for anyone curious about exploring their relationship with drugs and alcohol, or thinking about making changes to their substance use. You don’t need to have a defined goal, or be committed to stopping or reducing your use to attend — this group offers space to explore, with no expectations or commitments required.
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Harm reduction psychotherapy aims to reduce the harms associated with drug and alcohol use. It embraces a wide range of possibilities for positive change, including but not limited to abstinence. Harm reduction reminds us that change isn’t a zero-sum game — it’s incremental, and any step towards the life you want matters. Goals are client-driven — we’re focused on tapping into intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, rather than telling you what to do.
Harm reduction also acknowledges that people are adaptive, and takes into consideration the social, cultural, intergenerational, and psychological forces that influence substance use. We approach drug and alcohol use with curiosity and compassion, rather than stigma or moral judgement.
Past Groups
Emotions & Mindfulness Group
Co-facilitated by Courtney Stack and Nakhter Ahad (AMFT 129330), this harm reduction group at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation is for queer, gay, bisexual, and same-gender-loving men; trans and nonbinary folks; and other men who have sex with men. We explore the connections between emotions, mindfulness, and substance use for those considering changes in their relationship to drugs and alcohol. Sessions include meditation, somatic awareness exercises, and psychoeducation on mindfulness practice.
Tipping Point Group
Co-facilitated by Courtney Stack and Drew Hockman (LCSW 126299) this group at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation is for queer, gay, bisexual, and same-gender-loving men; trans and nonbinary folks; and other men who have sex with men. The group focuses on supporting those considering changes in their relationship to alcohol, emphasizing harm reduction and providing psychoeducation.