Allison Gilbert
Life can be full of challenges that leave us floundering. Are you feeling a lack of self-confidence and questioning your purpose? Let me help you get back on track. For 40 years I have worked with people navigating postpartum depression/anxiety, grief, caregiving, illness, family upheaval, and the kind of loss that shapes everything. My own chapters: postpartum depression/anxiety, cancer in 2009, losing my husband to dementia in 2020, navigating adult children on my own, dealing with lots of time alone with no distractions. My own experiences have given me the depth of understanding that I bring directly into this work. I believe people are more resilient than they know. If you are ready to find that in yourself, I would be honored to walk that path with you. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in supporting women through some of life’s most significant transitions and challenges. I work particularly with seniors, postpartum mothers, and spiritually minded women who are searching for greater purpose, meaning, and direction. I wrote a book for new moms and also have taught Kabbalah. I have been practicing as a psychotherapist since 1985 and have gained lots of wisdom from my own experiences of being a widow and caregiver, a cancer survivor, a mother and a spouse. It seems that in my profession, the older we therapists are, the more we are able to help.
First session
My approach is both compassionate and straightforward. I offer a listening ear and a safe space to feel understood and validated, while also helping you recognize your strengths and providing honest feedback and practical suggestions for creating meaningful change. In our first few sessions, we’ll work together to get to the heart of what is troubling you most and begin identifying steps toward feeling more grounded and hopeful.
Strengths
What makes my practice unique is my background in integrating spirituality with psychology. As a certified Kabbalah Coach and the creator of a deck of cards designed to support personal reflection and growth, I’m passionate about helping women connect with their higher purpose while developing greater self-compassion, confidence, and trust in their inner voice. If you’re ready to move through a challenging transition, reconnect with yourself, and create a life that feels meaningful and aligned with your deepest values, I would be honored to walk alongside you.
Ideal clients
You may be navigating widowhood, retirement, becoming a mother, receiving a new diagnosis, or simply wondering, “What now?” Even when life looks fine from the outside, these transitions can leave you feeling lost, overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of yourself. The goal might be to just have a listening ear to walk with you through the difficult times. Or you may want some practical guidance from someone who's been there. Sometimes just being able to sort through your own thoughts and feelings can be the thing that you are looking for so that you can better hear your own intuitive guidance about moving forward.
Treatment methods
Supportive
The main techniques of supportive therapy include active listening, empathy, reassurance, and psychoeducation. You will receive support to create healthy behaviors, address distorted thought patterns, and manage stress effectively.
Transpersonal
My masters degree is in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology. Unlike most forms of psychotherapy that concentrate on improving mental health alone, transpersonal therapy addresses mental, physical, social, emotional, creative, and intellectual needs, with an emphasis on the role of a healthy spirit in healing. Transpersonal therapy integrates spiritual traditions and rituals into modern psychology. The holistic treatment is based on the idea that humans are more than just their mind and body, but are also composed of intangible, or transcendent, factors that make up the whole person.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I help you to identify the thoughts causing difficult feelings. Together we can find ways to challenge and replace those thoughts. Sometimes if you simply take a new action to change your behavior, life can change quickly and easily.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Identifying a critical inner voice can give you the ability to separate from it and challenge it. Listening to your feelings and relating that to an inner child can soothe you. Accessing your inner adult can help the inner child feel more supported and safe. IFS can help you strengthen your connection to your higher self as well when you can detach from the inner voices calling for attention and then offering them the support and guidance of the compassionate, wise part of you.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions35 Knollwood Dr, Aptos, CA 95003
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 24087