About
Joseph Kaiser
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Specialties
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Couples Specialist
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Neurodiverse Couples Specialist
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Life Experience
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Experience in a neurodiverse relationship
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Married 16 years
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Father of a teen
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Former creative in the advertising industry
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Art Director, Copy Writer, Creative Director
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Small Business Owner
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US Patent holder
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Artist/photographer/writer
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When not working, I fumble around on the piano or guitar trying to make it sound like I know what I’m doing.
Education
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BA, Psychology, University of California Berkeley
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MA, Clinical Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
License
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Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT #151271
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Certifications
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Diversity: Inclusion in the Modern Workplace
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Sexual Harassment and Abusive Conduct Prevention for Mental Health and Social Workers (California Department of Fair Employment and Housing)
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Certification Data Security and Privacy
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Suicide Assessment (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists)
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California Child Abuse Mandated Reporter
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Main Areas of Focus
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NEURODIVERSE COUPLES
Some couples have yet to realize they are neurodiverse. When they finally do, a diagnosis can feel like a relief after years of pain and contention. One common complaint from a partner may be that they are being "gaslighted” by the neurodiverse partner; accused of being irrational and not having their experience or feelings validated. The neurodiverse partner can feel overwhelmed and misunderstood. Common differences in communication are logical vs. emotional, concrete vs. abstract, absolute vs. relative, and avoidant vs. insistent.The first step is to help couples identify just how differences in their wiring affect their interaction cycles. Next is to break blame and shame patterns and find acceptance in differences through a structured step by step process that helps you rediscover love and acceptance.
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COUPLES
De-escalation and healthy communication are a crucial place to start but only one dimension of couples work. Uncovering deeper unspoken truths and patterns by creating an environment of trust and acceptance is at the core of the healing process.
Exploring and validating each partner's unique experience is essential to connecting. I help clients work past blame and shame. Major life changes like the loss of a job, the arrival of a child, or grief and loss, can bring about a shift in dynamics. My goal is to help couples grow together instead of apart while retaining their own identity.
I provide a structured approach to couples therapy using elements of EFT, Gottman Method, CBT, Attachment Theory, Relational Life Therapy, Internal Family Systems and more.
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AFFAIR RECOVERY
Unfortunately, affairs transcend race, culture, sexuality, age, and socio-economic background. Whether it be emotional or sexual, infidelity is traumatic. The betrayed partner can develop depression, anxiety, and symptoms similar to PTSD while the unfaithful partner can be plagued with guilt. My first step is crisis management to stabilize your lives so the therapeutic work can begin. Once the immediate crisis has settled, the real work begins.
If partners are willing, compassionate, and persistent, it can be an opportunity for tremendous growth. Affairs may be a reflection of long-standing wounds or struggles that pre-dated the marriage as well as patterns that developed during the relationship. Understanding why the affair occurred is critical to getting on a productive path to affair recovery. Using a step-by-step process, I will compassionately steer couples through this difficult minefield.
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INDIVIDUAL
My customized approach will help you tap into your inner teacher and help you heal yourself. As a compassionate professional, I am committed to helping individuals find healing, growth, and relationship transformation. This begins with building rapport which I believe is the wellspring of effective psychotherapy. I provide support and guidance for highly driven men and women going through challenges such as depression, stress or anxiety, self-esteem, and career. Whether it is the cycle of life, health crisis, a move, a loss, relational struggles or change of circumstances, we can become overwhelmed. All too often there is a confluence of things that happen all at once. We thought we could handle it all but our body and psyche say no. I have a compassionate, accepting, curious approach that melds joining the client with various therapeutic methodologies and evidence-based practices.
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PARENTING AND CO-PARENTING
It is in the best interest of their children for parents to move from an adversarial relationship to a cooperative and collaborative one. After 15 years of parenting and co-parenting of his own, I leverage my training and personal experience to help couples develop co-parenting plans and maintain a safe, secure, nurturing environment for their children to thrive. When done successfully, co-parenting counseling can improve the child’s confidence and self-esteem.
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Other Areas of Focus
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Depression & Anxiety
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Life transitions
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High achievers in high stress careers
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Trauma-informed therapy
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Discernment Counseling
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Pre-marital Counseling
Clients
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Couples of all ages
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Couples of all ethnic backgrounds
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Adult Individuals. Men, Women
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LGBTQ+
Modalities
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Internal Family Systems (IFS)
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Emotionally Focuses Therapy (EFT)
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Narrative Therapy
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Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
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Person-Centered Therapy
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Gottman Method
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Family Systems
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Positive Psychology
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Attachment-based
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Culturally Sensitive
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Existential
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Humanistic
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Mindfulness
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Motivational
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