Therapy in San Rafael, CA
Compassionate Support for Anxiety, Grief/Loss, Trauma, Cancer, and Women’s Life Transitions
Your anxiety, stress, grief, trauma, or life transition has you looking for therapy in San Rafael or online in the Bay Area
You often feel anxious and on edge. You get overwhelmed easily, sometimes even with the simplest tasks. You may struggle with feeling down or often feel bad about yourself, convinced you are to blame for the way things are. You might also find yourself irritable and reactive in close relationships.
There is so much emotion and stress inside you that the weight of it has become a burden. You may be grieving a loss, living with cancer, navigating an acute traumatic event or childhood trauma, or trying to make sense of the changes that come with an important life transition, including navigating midlife as a woman. Deep down, you know you need support and healing.
You have tried to cope in the best ways you know. You may not know exactly what you need. You only know that you need something more than what you are doing now, and you want to feel whole again.
You are ready to heal your body, your mind, your emotions, and your spirit.
San Rafael Therapy in person and online therapy in the Bay Area for adults
Michelle Baumgartner, Therapist Specializing in Trauma, Anxiety, Health Issues, and Life Transitions in San Rafael, CA | Bay Area
Warm, intuitive, collaborative therapy that honors your unique needs.
My name is Michelle Baumgartner, LCSW. For more than 35 years, I have helped people through many life transitions, grief/loss, cancer, health issues, traumas, and the accompanying anxiety, depression, or stress. I support the mind, body, and spirit through a warm, experiential, and intuitive approach. Together, we will explore what truly makes sense for you.
My clients often tell me that I am kind, caring, intuitive, insightful, and resourceful. They say that I understand them and meet them where they are. Many share that I help them become more aware of their body and begin to heal from old traumas. They also appreciate that I welcome their connection to Spirit, or what feels larger than themselves and what gives them meaning.
Through weekly therapy sessions, you will have the space you deserve to focus on yourself. You will learn mind-body tools, new coping skills, ways to express and accept emotions, and an integration of all parts of yourself so you feel whole.
Whether you are looking for therapy in San Rafael, CA or in the Bay Area as online therapy, I am here to support your growth and healing.
Areas I specialize in
San Rafael and the surrounding community
San Rafael offers a unique combination of natural beauty and cultural life. Many people come to therapy here because it feels like a place where they can slow down, breathe, and begin to listen to themselves. Whether you live near downtown San Rafael, Terra Linda, Dominican or anywhere in Marin County you can access therapy that honors your inner wisdom and supports your healing. Many clients find that being close to nature and community resources helps them feel grounded and ready to do meaningful work in therapy.
Online therapy throughout Marin County and the entire Bay Area
If you live anywhere in Marin County, or within the Bay Area, including Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, or Sonoma County, you can receive online therapy that offers flexibility and accessibility. Telehealth services allow you to receive support wherever you feel most comfortable. Many adults prefer online therapy because it fits easily into a busy life and still provides a strong therapeutic connection.
Online sessions follow the same experiential, present moment approach as in-person work. You will learn skills to feel more calm, present, and connected to yourself no matter where you live in California.
Click on the therapy specialty below to learn in detail how I help!
In-person and remote therapy options
My therapy office is located in San Rafael, CA or remotely through telehealth in any location in California
FAQs
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Therapy can help with anxiety, depression, stress, grief, trauma, relationship issues, and challenges related to health or life transitions. Many adults seek support when they feel overwhelmed or disconnected, or when they want to develop new coping skills and create greater well-being in their daily life.
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Individual therapy gives you a safe place to slow down, notice what you feel emotionally and in your body, and understand the patterns and parts of yourself that shape your life. It supports your mental health by helping you manage symptoms, build resilience, and feel more grounded and confident in daily situations.
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It is completely normal to feel nervous when meeting a therapist for the first time. The first step is a simple twenty-minute call so you can feel comfortable, ask questions, and see if the therapeutic relationship feels right. We continue this process in the first couple of sessions as well. There is no pressure and no commitment required.
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Online therapy sessions follow the same warm and collaborative approach as in-person care. Adults and young adults explore thoughts, emotions, and body sensations with mindfulness and curiosity. You will learn tools and strategies that support emotional regulation, healing, growth, and more ease in daily life.
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Yes. Many symptoms such as negative thinking, sleep issues, irritability, or emotional shutdown are connected to unresolved trauma or long-held stress. Therapy supports your healing by helping you feel safer, calmer, or brighter in your body and mind, and giving you the tools you need to respond with choice instead of reactivity.
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Yes. Many people seek therapy when they are experiencing a loss of any kind, including the death of a loved one; living with cancer or health related stress; or navigating a life transition-a relationship, job, or home change, a new baby, midlife, or retirement. Therapy helps you to cope, to process the mind, body, spirit changes, and to trust the inherent wisdom inside you. It also supports your resilience and sense of meaning and purpose during challenging times.