Shira Appell
 
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Let’s work together

does this sound like you?

Do you sometimes feel like you aren’t enough? Do you compare yourself to others and feel like you don’t measure up? Do you feel guilt and shame about your shortcomings? Do you feel lonely and want to find a relationship where you can be yourself, or feel more comfortable in your current relationships? Do your own high expectations get in the way of loving yourself?

It can be so painful to feel alone in your feelings of sadness, loneliness, depression, fear, nervousness, high stress, anxiety, overwhelm and so much more.

And yet, you are not alone. Everyone feels some version of this at some point. If you are wanting to find wholeness and learn to lean into your imperfections, let’s work together.

We will utilize connection to body, heart, mind to identify how you best need nurturing, and then will offer that nurturing. So many people often have not gotten their underlying needs for love and connection met, so we work to find a way to do that together.

I work with adults, couples, families and adolescents who identify with, or have experienced one or more of the following:

  • Complex Trauma

  • Highly Sensitive

  • High Achievers / Perfectionism / High Stress

  • Anxiety / depression

  • Low self-esteem / identity

  • Codependency

  • Support with Relationships / sexual pleasure

  • Chronic Pain or Illness

  • Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating / Disconnection with Body

  • Grief / Loss

  • Life Transitions

Shira Appell

 
 

 

Shira Appell, MA, LMFT

 
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Hey there,

I am a holistic and evidence-based psychotherapist working in person and virtually out of the San Francisco Bay Area. I am a highly sensitive person, very passionate, and I care deeply about people in my life including my clients. I strive to show up as my authentic self at all times - this includes my playful nature, and use of comedy and sarcasm to humanize myself. I’m a people-lover, partner, daughter, sister, friend, pilates instructor, foodie, nature lover, singer, photographer, poet and artist.

I’m also a recovering perfectionist, self-compassion champion, and holistic health advocate. I’ve struggled with chronic pain and the belief that I am good enough throughout my life. These experiences have taught me that emotional suffering is often stored in the body. I’ve learned to work holistically with mindfulness meditation, yoga and pilates to give attention to mind, body, and spirit. I am constantly working to develop a balanced relationship with my body and to stay grounded within myself. I enjoy helping individuals who have struggled on their own journeys with chronic pain/illness and center work with my clients on body awareness and cultivating self-worth.

I am also an advocate & an activist for many movements including Black Lives Matter, Disability Justice Movement, Anti-Diet Culture (Health at Every Size, Intuitive Eating) and Intersectional Feminism. I am a proud Jewish woman and activist and am here to support other Jewish people on their journey as well.

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How it works

A common saying is, “Whatever we resist, persists.” Doing this work alone might feel scary. I will sit with you as we explore. You are allowed to be exactly as you are at all times in my therapy room. I may challenge you to explore what’s underneath as we excavate what makes you who you are!

We will center our work around self compassion as a practice. It doesn’t come naturally for many, and so we will practice this skill together. If you are like me, you might struggle to believe you are “doing” or “being” enough. 

 
 
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Recognize

Together we will get curious about your past and present. We can look at any reoccurring experiences, feelings, imagery and symbols that may give us a better idea of the ways that your life is or isn't working for you. We will explore what is happening right here, right now. We will use mindfulness and body awareness to notice and put words to your present experience (feelings, thoughts, sensations) to be there without resisting.

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allow

Come as you are. The key is to truly allow your present experience. As you notice what you feel, we will make space for all of your complex parts with compassion. Together we will begin to unravel, explore, understand, and allow all parts of yourself to be expressed. When you are ready, we will stop ignoring or pushing away the painful parts. We will invite them in, in an effort to find more acceptance and wholeness of being.


 

Nurture

What does your heart need? We all need to be loved and cared for by others and ourselves. How can we connect to this need in our hearts and bodies? From this present and allowing place we begin to feel more connected to ourselves. From this place we can connect to our intuition and begin to cultivate trust with ourselves. Only when we regularly practice compassion for ourselves can we develop meaningful, authentic, and mutually beneficial relationships with others.

 

get started

 
 

 

Private therapy sessions

 

 

Group therapy coming sooN

 
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