Michal Sadoff, LMFT
Michal Sadoff, LMFT
I work with adults, teens and families. I help people who are at a turning point: a death, a divorce, job loss, or illness. I help people think about life in new ways, find relief from painful feelings, and find solutions to problems.
Each person needs something different from therapy. My therapeutic style is warm and collaborative and our work together will be custom-fit to your hopes, your concerns, your goals, your life.
Perhaps you have struggled for a long time, or perhaps a crisis in your life has overwhelmed your usual ability to cope. Perhaps you are looking for help to sort out sad, hopeless, angry or confused feelings. Therapy can provide support in rocky times, or new ideas about unsatisfactory relationships. Therapy can help you explore and clarify difficult life situations, or encourage you to reach for joy and purpose in your life.
I grew up in this area and saw Santa Clara Valley evolve from the Valley of the Heart’s Delight into Silicon Valley. In this transition, the beauty and energy of this area remains, but the additional complexity and demands can become overwhelming. I help individuals and families struggling with the unique challenges of living here.
Special Interests
- Grief and Loss
- Parents and Teens
- Neurodivergence
- Life Transitions, Lifespan
- Older Adults
- Caregiving Stress
Training
- Client Centered and Process Oriented Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Care Focused Family Therapy
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy
- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy
How I Think About Therapy
I think of therapy as a joint venture between between you and me – so it’s vital that what we do in therapy makes sense to you. What happens in therapy is that you talk to me about what is on your mind, and what is troubling you. I will listen carefully, and help you explore it from various angles. Together we’ll start to understand what’s going on.
Each of us will talk and listen during our sessions, although usually you will do more talking and I will do more listening. But it won’t be like conversations in the outside world. While we talk, I will help you become more aware of what is going on inside you that may be affecting how you feel, how you think, and how you act. As you learn about yourself, you will start to have more choice in the situations you are facing in life, and you may be happier with your choices.
How does therapy work? I believe that each of us is capable of solving our own problems, but that we sometimes get stuck. This is where therapy comes in. Sometimes just being listened to in the particular way that therapists are trained to do is enough for people to get unstuck and feel better. Or, as we talk and explore, you may find that you want to make some changes in your life. If that happens, then we will spend time identifying the specific changes you want, we will make a plan to reach your goals, and I will support you as you work toward them.
Psychotherapy is not always comfortable and is not without risks. The kinds of changes that are part of the psychotherapeutic process often relate to our long-standing ways of being in the world, and our ways of interacting with others. These changes are often difficult and can be disruptive. Often psychotherapy requires recalling and talking about unpleasant aspects of your life, which can bring up uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, anger, embarrassment or shame. My role is to support you with compassion and understanding. Your courage and determination will be an essential factor in a successful outcome for therapy.
Many people find that the potential benefits of therapy are worth the effort. These may include new-found joy and meaning in your life, deeper satisfaction with your relationships, and finding resolution for the specific problem that led you to seek therapy. However, I cannot guarantee a specific outcome of your therapy.