Lloyd Center Services - Counseling

Counseling and Psychotherapeutic Services

The Lloyd Center provides professional counseling and psychotherapeutic services for individuals, couples and families.These services are available to the community at large.  Services are available to all persons regardless of racial, ethnic or religious tradition.  The Lloyd Center does specialize in therapeutic work that integrates the personality sciences and the client’s faith resources and spirituality.  We believe that this wholistic perspective gives an added dimension to therapy, which deepens your healing and sustains your growth over years.

Our Center does not specialize in any particular school of psychotherapy.  Our Center’s approach to therapeutic work might be termed generally humanistic in nature, but each staff counselor or therapist has his or her own unique approaches and areas of specialty.

Neither does our Center specialize in any particular theological tradition or persuasion.  While located on the campus of San Francisco Theological Seminary and various Protestant congregations, the Center is open to a variety of religious traditions and wisdom traditions.  Our job is not to impose upon our clients any particular theology, morality or denominational preference, but to work with you, in the context of your spiritual journey, to bring to bear upon your issues the resources of faith.

What is counseling or therapy like?

Counseling, psychotherapy or pastoral counseling normally occurs on a weekly basis and is structured around a standard 50 minute session.  Therapy works because you take this time to be as transparent as possible about the feelings, thoughts, impulses and visions you are experiencing.  The job of your therapist is to listen carefully to your concerns, help you reflect in deeper ways upon your issues, explore inner and external conflicts that keep you stuck, and to suggest behaviors and action steps to facilitate the change you desire. 

Confidentiality and privacy is of the upmost importance in this process.  One of the ways that we protect your privacy is that your therapist does not speak to or release any information about you to anyone outside of this center without your permission.  For more information about privacy policies, click here.

This is your “set apart space” in your week to be totally yourself, to look deep within, explore the origin of your troubles and find a sense of peace and healing that will allow you to move forward toward a healthier life.

There is no set timetable to therapy.  You may realize benefits as quickly as a few sessions, or feel the need to stay in therapy more long term to sustain and support your growth.  You are under no obligation to continue therapy beyond the next agreed upon appointment.

Counseling or therapy may be done either as an individual or with loved ones, i.e. couple therapy or family therapy.  All of the above guidelines apply to conjoint therapy.  However, when individuals come to therapy as a couple or as a family, then the primary client is the relationship, not the individual.  The focus of therapy shifts away from the individual to the relationship’s health and well being.  The task of such therapy is to enhance the health of the relationship.

Our Professional Staff
We have a variety of professional staff available.  Some of them are certified pastoral counselors with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.  Others are state licensed Marriage, Family Therapists or Psychologists.  All of them are dually trained in both psychology and spirituality/theology, often with academic degrees and clinical training in both subject areas.

For further information about our staff, see menu selection, Staff and Faculty.

The Kinds of Issues that We Can Help With
Counselors at the Lloyd Center work with individuals, couples, families and adults in addressing different issues, including:

• Anxiety and Stress
• Depression
• Communication
• Couple and family conflicts
• Premarital preparation
• Grief and loss
• Death and dying
• Addictions and Compulsive Behaviors.
• Physical and sexual abuse.
• Perfectionism
• Faith and Spirituality
• Moral and Ethical Decisions.
• Divorce
• Parenting
• Career and Job Transition
• Career burn out.

Fees
The Lloyd Center strives to provide services to people of varying socioeconomic circumstances.  A fee scale of $85-$125 per hour is used to determine a client’s fee.  Fees are determined in consultation with your counselor/therapist. The Center offers a discount fee structure for SFTS students.  If you cannot afford these fees and wish to receive services at the Lloyd Center, you may consult with the Director about financial aid.

Locations
The Lloyd Center counseling services are available at three locations throughout the Bay Area.  Those locations include:

San Anselmo (on the campus of SFTS)
Phone: 415 258 6652

Berkeley (on the campus of First Congregational Church)
Phone: 510 225 5595

Burlingame (on the campus of First Presbyterian Church)
Phone: 650 342 3118