What is the Name of your Business?
Green Psychotherapy, PC
Tell Us About the Company
At Green Psychotherapy, PC, we work with people who are searching for inner peace, but who all too often feel overwhelmed by eco-anxiety. It’s easy to get inundated by news reports of the latest climate disaster and to feel helpless and hopeless. After all, what can we do as individuals to cope with a global crisis? The key is to recognize that we need to take responsibility for the actions under our control while mindfully recognizing that we each have limits.
What is the Size of the Company?
We have offices in the Northern Califoria cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Walnut Creek.
Where is the company headquartered?
Berkeley, California
What is one thing your company learned early on?
As long as we stay true to our mission of giving the best psychotherapy service we can, following our vision that links the healing of people with the healing of our planet, both our clients and our business will thrive.
What are the values your company upholds?
We believe that the foundation of successful psychotherapy is providing a safe space where people can be heard, understood, and accepted.
How would you describe the company culture?
We are committed to discovering innovative ways that we can engage with nature—in the midst of our hectic urban lifestyles—to provide a greater sense of serenity and fulfillment.
What is one trend in your industry you think will become mainstream?
As the coronavirus forced therapists to work with clients virtually, new opportunities arose for working outside the traditional therapy office. Increasingly, our clients engage in psychotherapy through telehealth sessions, which may well become the mainstream method of seeking therapy in the coming years. Many clients choose to have sessions outdoors when weather permits, letting us use elements of ecotherapy and mindfulness to feel more connected to the natural world.
What is a book that represents your company?
At Green Psychotherapy, PC, we are taking the lead in bringing together experts in eco-anxiety from around the world, seeking their guidance to identify practical steps we can take as individuals to foster a sense of personal resilience and to overcome the feeling that we’re isolated in the face of a planetary crisis. We share these insights through books edited by our Founder and Director Dr. Douglas Vakoch, including the recent _Eco-Anxiety and Pandemic Distress: Psychological Perspectives on Resilience and Interconnectedness_ (Oxford University Press, 2023) and _Eco-Anxiety and Planetary Hope_ (Springer, 2022). Links to these books follow:
What does success mean for your company?
Our vision for success is summarized in our company’s motto: “Your Life. Your Future.” Our goal is to help each client identify what they want out of life, and how to get it.
What is one thing everyone should know about your company?
It takes courage to start working with a new therapist. The very fact that a potential client is considering starting therapy probably means they’re getting ready to make some significant changes in their life. At Green Psychotherapy, PC, we work with clients as they make the sometimes tough (and rewarding) changes that will give them better lives.
What is the next big goal for your company?
As we stay true to our roots in Northern California, we’re also exploring options for expanding more broadly into the Pacific Northwest.
What impact does your company want to have?
We’re already having the impact we want: to offer help to each individual who comes to us as they decide how to make their life even more rich and more fulfilling than it has been so far.
In three sentences, summarize your company’s experiences and learnings.
- Learn to see the world through the eyes of your client.
- Don’t try to be everything to everyone.
- Once you’ve said what you need to say, be quiet and listen.
