About our Therapists

email us for an appointment today

Kaitlin Dougherty, MA, AMFT
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist # 134801 
​Supervised and mentored by Karen Wolfe LMFT #53878

I provide trauma informed, depth-oriented, psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults in Oakland and San Francisco. I work in a holistic manner, meaning that I not only tend to the mental aspects of self, but also the emotional, physical, spiritual, and cultural aspects as well. I aim to help my clients heal their relationships between these different parts of themselves, so that they can feel safe and at home internally, which hopefully leads to feeling that way more externally too. As an east coast native, my approach is direct, while also warm and kind, and a lot like picking up a rock to see what’s underneath. In other words, I work with my clients to bring to light the parts of themselves that have been hidden, so that they can experience their wholeness. I hold safety as a core value and also recognize it as a requirement in healing, therefore I aim to create clear, nurturing boundaries in our therapeutic relationship. 
I love working with symbolism, which is why I love play therapy. For both children and adults, I use play and expressive arts as a language for the nonverbal parts of oneself to also be expressed and known. I also draw from an array of interventions including DBT, yoga nidra, somatic experiencing, and North American Indigenous psychology approaches. 
I am a member of an anti-racist therapist organization, working to dismantle racism in the mental health system. As a therapist, I see myself as a protector of safe spaces and a steward of psychological health, and therefore obligated to work towards the creation of a society that is safe for all. 
I welcome people from all walks of life. I love working with children and supporting parents and families, teenagers, and of course, adults too. If interested, please reach out to schedule a consultation call, where we can discuss what you're looking for and whether or not I can provide it. In any case, take care, and best wishes.

kaitlindoughertytherapy@gmail.com
​Office Location: Oakland

Jennifer Cornell, MA, APCC & AMFT
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor #12222
​Supervised and mentored by Karen Wolfe LMFT #53878

Jennifer is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California, where she appreciated growing within a person-centered, trauma-informed counseling program, that also promoted social justice and cultural competency. She left her previous career in the textile sales world, where she learned to collaborate with many personalities and how to remain regulated in high-stress situations. She discovered what she enjoyed most was offering grounded and empathic support to co-workers and clients. A desire to help and support people (on a deeper level) grew within her and she couldn't fight the calling. She soon left her job to pursue graduate school full-time for counseling, and has not regretted this new journey one bit!
Jennifer most recently worked as a school-based counselor at an elementary school, supporting neurodiverse children. Many clients were diagnosed with learning differences, autism, ADHD, and sensory processing issues. Re-entering in-person learning, was particularly challenging for some families and required a lot of flexibility and patience. She helped to ease students, families, and teachers back into school, with warmth and encouragement. In addition to conducting weekly individual counseling sessions, she hosted weekly social-emotional-learning groups for grades K-5, offering games and art activities rooted in cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance & commitment therapy, and mindfulness techniques. The groups gave children the opportunity to build community with each other, and gain an understanding of mutual respect, awareness, and new coping skills.  
Jennifer’s approach is playful, collaborative, and relational. She is strengths-based, often using interventions from CBT/SFBT, imaginative play, and art therapy. She feels that healing begins in a safe, supportive environment created by solid relationships. Her main tools are curiosity, awareness, and focusing on the here and now. She is looking forward to working with families and children, offering to them a sense of worthiness, self-efficacy and belonging. 

jencornelltherapy@gmail.com
​Office Locations: San Francisco

---

Suzy Young, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #131869

My name is Suzy and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been providing therapeutic services for children, adolescents, adults, and families in the Bay Area over the past six years. I am passionate about helping children and their caretakers find new ways to communicate with one another in order to strengthen their relationship and better understand one another. I believe that at the end of the day, children want to be heard, seen, and validated by the adults in their life. My hope is to provide tools for caretakers to better understand their children’s wants and needs and to create space for children to express these needs in a safe and nurturing way.
My therapeutic approach is warm, relational, strengths-based, and collaborative. I draw from several different modalities depending on what my clients need in the moment. I offer a holistic approach to therapy and like to incorporate mindfulness and emphasize the mind-body connection. When working with children or adolescents, I use both directive and non-directive play therapy. I also incorporate narrative therapy, expressive arts therapy, and talk therapy. When working with any client, I meet them where they are at and let that serve as a guide for which interventions or modalities to use.
I have extensive experience working with children and adolescents who struggle with emotional regulation, trauma, anxiety, grief, learning difficulties, and life transitions. If my approach aligns with you and your needs, please reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Phone: (415) 498-0714
Email: therapywithsuzy@gmail.com
Office location: San Francisco

---

Sabina Anvari, AMFT  
​Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist  #127756
Supervised and mentored by Karen Wolfe, LMFT #53878​

Welcome! I am Sabina Anvari, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. My passion is in helping and providing a space to heal others. I have experience in working with children with ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, MDD, physical aggression, and aggressive outbursts. Collaborating and checking in with children's parents and or caregivers is of value to better support them in their needs. In working closely with parents and caregivers, I've been able to process their concerns, needs, and trauma or challenges to better support them. Sitting in nature, meditating and hiking keeps me grounded. Russian is a language I speak and I know Hindi, Dari, and Armenian. I am competent in Afghani, Armenian, Russian, and many other cultures. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you!

sabina_anvari@outlook.com ​
Office locations: SF and Oakland

---

Karen Wolfe, MA, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
​Founder and CEO of SF Bay Play Therapy
and Nandi, the therapy dog

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (California License # 53878) specializing in supporting families with children who struggle with social and behavioral challenges, anger management, shyness, anxiety, and sensory/learning differences as well as couples and women who want more connection and intimacy. I provide psychotherapy for adults, individual play therapy for children, parenting support, family therapy, social skills groups, and school-based support, including in-class coaching (aka "shadowing") and working closely with your child's teachers.

Whether working with individual adults, parents, or children, my style is warm, inviting, and proactive. I honor both exploration of what arises in the moment and goal-directed troubleshooting, tailoring therapy to what each unique individual needs.

My approach to therapy is strongly integrative.  I have extensive training in many varied modalities including Parenting by Connection (Hand in Hand Parenting), Floortime, Applied Behavior Analysis, Motivational Interviewing, Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Sandtray/World Play, Depth Therapy,  Mindfulness, Nonviolent Communication, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Positive Psychology.

Regardless of what approach is called for with a client, I emphasize the importance of developing a caring and supportive relationship in therapy, as I believe true change can only come about  through a deep understanding of one another. 

I thank you for being on this path to awakening, to seeking the harmony and understanding you truly desire, and
for taking the steps to make that a reality.

This path is not always easy, but it is certainly worth it.
I would be honored to support you along the journey.

Please contact me with any questions or to set up an appointment.
    KarenWolfeTherapy@gmail.com

If you are interested in my work with couples please visit www.EmbodiedRelationshipTherapy.com

---

At SF Bay Play therapy we believe in transparency in therapy and so we offer you our resume's below with information about our education, experience, and background. We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Modeling open communication is an important part of who we are and how we practice therapy.

Suzy Young, LMFT

Kaitlin Dougherty, AMFT

Karen Wolfe, LMFT

Sabina Anvari, AMFT

Jennifer Cornell, APCC