Peter Kehoe

Hello! My name is Peter Kehoe, LMFT. I am licensed in CA since 2002 and have a strong commitment to serve my community in numerous ways. MFT38880. Providing mental health services is one of the ways I give back for all I have received. I believe in self-determination and using support teams, community/ medical /and spiritual resources to create positive outcomes.

My approach

I am accepting of all faith and all manner of people who are interested in moving forward and upward. I have been using DBT, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing therapies to support the journeys of my clients in the past few years. I also value problem-solving therapy and solution-focused therapy (Jay Haley et al).

My focus

My focus would be to assist you to understand the nature of your problem and support you to take on the challenge of meeting the moment, of genuine discovery, of creating a valid response, and of taking control.

My communication style

I believe the focus should always be towards allowing you, the client, to choose the direction of therapy, with assistance and if I may, guidance, from the therapist. I used to be more directive but rarely go that way today. More suggestive and positive reinforcement. I like to be warm and sometimes funny; laughter is always a very good medicine. Empathy, mindfulness, and acceptance are key positions I believe in teaching and practicing. I believe in work (going deeper) and homework (reasonable) to reinforce goals and objectives.

My journey to mental healthcare

I was placed into the foster care system as a child. Later on, many difficulties integrating into society and coming to terms with anger and personality / behavioral issues. Military service in Viet Nam led to homelessness/ addiction to alcohol for a significant period. After my son was born, I made the decision to receive treatment for my issues and I became a believer in the power of empathy, compassion, and love to inspire growth and recovery from problems that sometimes seem insurmountable. A commitment to my education led to a desire to do social work and provide therapy to others in need. In 2001, I joined the Santa Clara County DFCS as a CPS social worker and focused on uniting children with families until 2014. Subsequently, I have studied many forms of intervention that led currently to DBT, CBT, and MI. Initially, I started my journey in this field working with alcoholic adults in a group setting in the early '80s and later moved to long-term residential settings with adolescents with drug and alcohol issues. My internship was treating families that had substance use and behavioral disorders within their systems. Last few years until COVID, I worked with severely mentally ill clients in a restricted residential setting. I have treated families and children in the foster care system, homeless and runaway youth, and for the past 6 years, adults with complex profiles. If you are feeling down or anxious about something in your life and feel in need of professional support, I welcome you to take a transformative journey with me for a while and together we will invoke solutions and new perspectives to address your concerns.

My goals for you

Goal setting is a collaborative effort and is best reached by attuning to the needs and desires of the client, providing occasional suggestions and adding new or different goals as appropriate, and documenting progress.

My first session with you

Information on the process, informed consent, and answering questions with honest, full answers. Being sure the scope is discussed and listening carefully to the reasons you are willing to seek support for personal progress in life. Safety will be addressed as to exigent needs, past history, history of problem-solving (including previous treatment and/or medications), and addressing any concerns you may have. Scheduling,