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Meeting Clients' Needs Key To Successful Practice For San Francisco Therapist

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marriage and family therapists have an annual mean wage of $56,810 in Santa Clara County, $69,000 in the Santa Rosa - Petaluma area, $60,370 in San Francisco - San Mateo - Redwood City, and $60,320 in the East Bay. While this may seem modest by Bay Area standards, successful private practices can earn far more. But, what does it take to grow such a practice?

SF-Psy
(Photo Courtesy of Jerod Gilbert)

Perhaps no one is more qualified to weigh in than Jerod Gilbert, a licensed marriage family therapist, of Palo Alto. With a master's degree in counseling psychology and somatic psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, Gilbert owns a growing practice. His specialties include couple's therapy, premarital, communication improvement, parenting and co-parenting, and navigating life's transitions through family developmental stages.

"My work recently has evolved to focus on work/life balance issues to improve my clients' quality of life through insight and understanding about which of their strengths work in one area of their lives and which fit better in another area," Gilbert said. "There is a strong focus on understanding anxiety's role and building self-esteem running through my practice at present."

Gilbert put a lot of years not just into earning his masters and setting up his practice, but also establishing his professional skill set. He was deeply involved in the YMCA from 2009 until 2014. He initially functioned as a program coordinator at YMCA San Francisco and then transitioned to associate program director, Reach & Rise Mentoring at YMCA of Silicon Valley before launching his practice.

"My approach, style and personality work well with therapy-resistant males," according to Gilbert. "The personal coaching aspect of my practice focus on a particular goal or issue." In addition to the practice that strives more in-depth, repeating sessions, he offers consultations for couples and families as shorter-term 'tune-ups.'"

In addition to his private practice, Gilbert serves as clinical supervisor with Adolescent Counseling Services, assisting interns develop therapeutic styles and overseeing their case assessments, treatment formulation, and plans. He is also site director at Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto.

Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Greg is a patented inventor, technology enthusiast and intrepid journalist. He finds inspiration in diverse experiences, organizations, people and places -- from restaurants to politics, movies, music and, most of all, his daughter.

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