# [Business Name] Michelle Baumgartner Psychotherapy, founded by Michelle Baumgartner (LCSW #21472), a psychotherapist providing psychotherapy services in San Rafael, CA, specializing in Women's Midlife Challenges, Trauma Therapy, Anxiety Therapy, Health Issues, Somatic Therapy, Perimenopause, Menopause Transition, Midlife Transitions For Women, Grief Counseling, Sensorimotor Therapy, Cancer Survivor Support, In-Person Counseling, and Online Counseling Bay Area since 2022. ## Local Business Information - [Contact & Hours](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/contact): Mon: 11:30AM - 06:00PM, Tue: 11:00AM - 07:00PM, Wed: 10:30AM - 06:00PM, Thur: 09:00AM - 05:30PM, Fri: 09:00AM - 12:00PM, Sat-Sun: Closed. Located at 1330 Lincoln Ave #310, San Rafael, CA 94901, near Pacheco St. Call us at: (415) 286-5336 to schedule your free 20 Minute Phone consultation. - [Service Areas]: We serve San Rafael, Marin County, Novato, and California. - [About](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/therapist-san-rafael): Michelle Baumgartner is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist (LCSW #21472) based in San Rafael, California, with more than 35 years of professional experience supporting adults through a wide range of mental health and life challenges. Her work integrates an extensive background in neuroscience, human development, psychology, and creative arts with clinical psychotherapy to foster lasting healing and personal growth. Michelle’s therapeutic approach is relational, experiential, and somatic, integrating mind-body-spirit frameworks. She uses mindfulness and compassion practices, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for trauma, guided imagery and hypnotherapy, expressive arts, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and other evidence-informed tools to support clients dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, complex medical issues, and adjustment to life transitions. ## Our Specialities - [Trauma Therapy](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/trauma-therapist-bay-area): If you’re tired of feeling anxious or on edge, or depressed, disconnected from yourself and others, there is a way forward. If you are ready to learn to pause and observe your experience, practice new skills, do meaningful healing work, and integrate all parts of yourself, I can offer you Trauma Therapy in person in San Rafael, or online throughout California for adults. Start your healing journey today. Schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation with a trauma therapist in San Rafael or online in California here. You don’t have to carry this alone — together we can create healing. - [Somatic Therapy](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/somatic-therapist-bay-area): Begin Compassionate Somatic Therapy for Healing in San Rafael or Online in California. If you’re ready to listen more deeply to what your body and inner parts are trying to tell you, somatic therapy can help you find the missing piece in your holistic healing journey. I offer in-person sessions in San Rafael, CA, and online therapy throughout California. Contact Michelle here — I’d be honored to walk this journey with you. - [Grief Counseling Bay Area](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/grief-counseling-bay-area): Caring, Insightful, Resourceful Grief Counseling Bay Area Online and In Person San Rafael, CA. Whether the loss of your loved one is recent or long ago, you don’t need to walk this path alone, schedule your free 20 minute phone consultation. We will develop a compassionate plan that best meets your needs for healing. - [Cancer Survivor Support](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/cancer-therapist-san-rafael): Cancer Therapist San Rafael: Empowering Cancer Survivors to Cope and Heal. If you are facing a cancer diagnosis, need support during cancer treatment, or are ready to integrate and heal from your cancer experience, you need a place that honors your experiences with compassion and presence. Contact me for a FREE 20 minute phone consultation. We will develop a plan that supports your healing journey. - [Women in Mid Life Transition](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/therapist-san-rafael-womens-health-wellness-midlife): If you need compassionate, intuitive guidance and grounded support as you transition through midlife and the perimenopause to menopause transition, then schedule your free 20 minute phone consultation. We will develop a collaborative plan that supports your coping and self-development during this important midlife transition. I can help you to understand and explore five phases of the transition through the perimenopausal to post menopausal journey. To view this important transition as a “threshold, a rite of passage.” To turn inward…healing the past… and re-evaluating goals, priorities, gaining insight to emerge fully outward with a new identity and purpose. ## Other Information - [Resources](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/resources): This curated collection of mental health resources provides information, support, and tools across a range of emotional well-being needs. It is designed to connect individuals with high-quality references for coping, growth, and healing. The resource categories include Grief & Hope, Mindfulness, Guided Imagery, Trauma & Traumatic Psychotherapy, Expressive Arts, Menopause Transition, Perinatal Support, Eating Disorders Support, and Shamanism / Indigenous Wisdom. ## FAQ - [FAQ](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/faqs): Frequently asked questions about therapy services, sessions, and practices with a licensed therapist in San Rafael, CA. Q: How long do sessions typically last? A: Michelle Baumgartner (LCSW #21472) offer 55 minute sessions. Q: What happens during the first therapy session? A: The first 1-2 sessions will be a chance for us to get to know each other. We will explore what brings you to therapy, what you are struggling with, obtain some history, and your goals for therapy. We set initial goals and then periodically re-evaluate those goals. Q: How often will I need to come to therapy? A: I see clients weekly. Research shows that weekly sessions support the best outcomes in therapy. It allows us to get more traction around making changes, and dive deeper more quickly in order to get the results you desire. Q: How long will I need to therapy? A: The length of therapy is a very individual need and desire. The work can be short-term, with a focus on support and solutions. Or we can engage in deep exploration to identify and heal the root causes of your current challenges. Q: How much do sessions cost? A: $220 for an individual session. Groups or workshop rates are determined based on the content and length of offering. Rates are reviewed periodically and subject to change. Q: Are sessions covered by my insurance? A: I do not take health insurance. However, I am an out-of-network provider for many PPO insurance plans. I can provide a monthly statement for out-of-network insurance billing, called a Superbill, at your request that you can submit to your insurance company. Please be advised that an insurance company requires a mental health diagnosis, and that a diagnosis will be listed on your Superbill. Q: How do I seek reimbursement from my insurance company? A: It is your responsibility to determine what your insurance carrier provides for mental health services. We prefer payment by check if meeting in-person, and for online sessions we will bill a debit or credit card that you have submitted. We do ask all clients to submit a debit or credit card through the encrypted portal to have on file in case an appointment needs to be switched to online or for late cancellations in which you are charged. Q: Where do sessions take place? A: In person in San Rafael on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Online sessions are offered Monday afternoons and Tuesdays. Q: Who do you work with? A: I work with individual adults of all ages. I specialize in trauma informed care/trauma focused therapy-Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, cancer survivor support, coping with chronic illness, coping with grief and loss, and women’s health and wellness with a focus on the menopause transition. ## Blogs - [Blog](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog): Insights and articles on therapy, mental health, trauma, anxiety, grief, health issues, menopause, cancer survivor support, life transitions, women's health, and emotional well-being from a licensed therapist in San Rafael, CA. - [Understanding Complex Trauma: A Compassionate Guide to Healing from the Inside Out](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/understanding-complex-trauma): Many people are familiar with the term PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which occurs from experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. But fewer are aware of Complex Trauma or C-PTSD—a form of trauma that arises not from a single event, but from prolonged, repeated interpersonal trauma, especially in early life with primary or important relationships. The trauma often occurs in situations where the ability to escape is impossible or difficult. - [Menopause as a Rite of Passage: A Psychospiritual Perspective on Midlife Transformation by a Menopause Therapist San Rafael and the Bay Area](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/menopause-as-a-rite-of-passage): Menopause is a threshold, an initiation that marks the end of one stage of life and the beginning of another. Like all meaningful rites of passage, it has the capacity to reshape identity, purpose, and presence. The perimenopause to menopause transition is not just a biological event—it’s a spiritual and developmental milestone. A turning point that invites us to pause, reflect, and reorient toward what truly matters. It is a sacred unfolding in the landscape of a woman’s life. - [The Top 5 Myths about counseling, psychotherapy, or therapy in San Rafael, CA or Online in California](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/top-5-myths-about-counseling-psychotherapy): Hopefully, you have a better understanding of the difference between a counselor, psychotherapist, therapist, and coach; how to find one; and what questions to ask from my other blogs. However, when looking for a counselor or therapist, you might also bump up against some of the myths or misunderstandings about counseling or psychotherapy that are out there. - [What to expect from counseling, mental health, psychotherapy, therapy in San Rafael, CA or Online in California](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/what-to-expect-from-counseling-mental-health-psychotherapy-in-san-rafael): So you have some names of therapists and are ready to make some calls. You have a better understanding of the difference between therapy and counseling after reading my blog on “FAQs about counseling, therapy, psychotherapy, and coaching”. But now what should you expect? You may have some thoughts or images based on what friends or family have told you or even what you have seen on TV, in the movies, or on social media. You may be eager to get started, or hesitant to make the call. My name is Michelle, and I am here to help you understand more of what to expect and to find a therapist in San Rafael, CA or online in California. - [FAQs about counseling, coaching, or psychotherapy and finding a therapist in San Rafael, CA or online in California](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/faqs-about-counseling-coaching-psychotherapy-and-finding-a-therapist): So you have determined that you want to feel better and that you want support in doing so. That is a great first step! You may have started researching and looking into options. You want support that feels right for you and is the best use of your time and money. However, it is often confusing and overwhelming to know what type of person can help you with your problems and heal from whatever life has thrown you. What are these people even called- perhaps a counselor, therapist, psychotherapist, coach, doctor? What is the difference in each of these people who are willing to help you and how do you know which one is best for you? - [Questions to ask a psychologist,counselor, therapist in San Rafael, CA or Online in California](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/questions-to-ask-a-psychologist-counselor-therapist-in-san-rafael): So you now have a few names of therapists in San Rafael or Marin County you have been given by friends or family or have found on your own from a Google search. At a time when you are feeling vulnerable and not at your best, it can evoke anxiety about knowing how to proceed. - [Finding a psychologist, counselor, or therapist in San Rafael, CA or Online in California](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/finding-a-psychologist-counselor-or-therapist-in-san-rafael): Living in Marin County, CA, offers a unique blend of natural beauty, outdoor recreation, excellent schools, and a high quality of life. It supports a healthy and active lifestyle. It is a safe, family-friendly, community-driven place to live. San Rafael offers some diversity in its people, history, and culture which makes it a great place to live. Despite all of its benefits, the people who live here can struggle with the high cost of living, overwhelming life experiences, health issues, losses, aging, relationship issues, and parenting challenges, just to name a few. Sometimes people need additional support than what family and friends can offer. Although San Rafael is the largest city in the county, the choices in finding the “right therapist” may seem overwhelming. I’d like to help you find a professional who can help, be it a psychologist, therapist, counselor, or coach in San Rafael or in Marin County in general. - [Navigating Grief After Sudden Loss: Finding Healing Through Grief Counseling Bay Area and In-person San Rafael, CA](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/navigating-grief-after-sudden-loss): Losing someone you love through death is heartbreaking. Losing something like a home, a job, or experiencing a break-up or a new medical diagnosis is also very challenging. However, when any of these losses come suddenly, unexpectedly, and without warning, it can leave you feeling numb, in shock, confused, disoriented, emotionally overwhelmed and uncertain about how to move forward. To complicate matters, if the sudden loss was connected to an overwhelming or life threatening event like a medical emergency, accident, natural disaster, or violence then one may experience even more symptoms of distress in addition to the loss itself. The weight of such a loss can feel unbearable, and you may wonder how you will ever feel “normal” again. - [The Healing Power of Somatic Therapy: Finding a Trauma Therapist in the Bay Area](https://www.michellebaumgartnertherapy.com/blog/healing-power-of-somatic-therapy): Have you just experienced an overwhelming or life-threatening event, an invasive medical treatment, a sudden loss of a beloved, or is your past childhood history of abuse leaving you with challenges in coping or in relationships?