Pamela Bates

Pamela Bates, MFT # 37488. Focus areas of practice are; client-centered, solution-focused, humanistic, psychodynamic, and Eclectic. I work with several psychology themes and am creative in my approach.

My approach

Hello, I am a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in Northern CA. As a practitioner I am guided by my first listening skill and then my intuition that together gives me direction as to how my client and I proceed. I would rather ask fewer questions initially and have them tell me what they would most like to get from a first session. I like Humanistic Psychology and adhere to want the relationship to not feel hierarchal and more relational, with two or three people joining together for a common goal.

My focus

I have worked with many children and focused on Play Therapy. Today, if a child 10 or 11 can dialogue I can work with them. I have seen adolescents, couples, and many men and women and these are the clients I'm most comfortable working with.

My communication style

I appreciate the Humanistic Psychology Approach, as 2/3 people joining to work on a conflict. I am interested in clients talking with me and that I do not lead. If a client stays in therapy, then understanding their first years and who were their models is very important. I have been guided by Stanford Compassion Inquiry in 2022 classes as well as Dr Gabor Maté whose classes I have taken regarding Trauma and Pathways To Wholeness. I resonate more with the feeling nature of conflict than thoughts.

My journey to mental healthcare

I first became licensed as a CA teacher. In my early 50's I began my graduate classes and started gaining hours to becoming licensed. It was a natural progression even though I am introverted, as I did love working with children and then wanting to learn more about the lives that people led, which included separate cultures, ages, and identities.

My goals for you

If there is more than one conflict that is brought to the session, then name as they arise and separate one from the other so that there can be more clarity about how to describe each. To also bring to attention that there needs to be room for not having black and white thinking to solve and that this includes resting with ideas, not having answers immediately, unknowing when serving. Said, this involves more depth and clients who are able to process in this way. A way that describes contemplation.

My first session with you

To have a clear thought about why they came for a first session. To be available to talk about what they think they need from a first session.