Howard Gershenfeld is a Board-Certified Adult Psychiatrist with 25+ years of experience. He enjoys working with clients motivated to improving the quality of their lives. Many clients come in when they feel anxiety, depressive, or problems in living issues that are holding them back, feeling disappointed or frustrated. Therapy clients are usually committed to ~ 15 min./day between sessions to try out new skills & ways of being.
Howard is a Stanford trained (MD, PhD, & residency), pragmatic, caring clinician-scientist, who uses an evidence-based, whatever works framework. Often, this approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as measurement-based care to monitor progress. In general, measurement-based care provides better outcomes & ensures getting completely well, not just better. In sessions, Howard focuses on what’s troubling you most now, adaptive coping, reframing, questions to challenge unhelpful or unrealistic thoughts, improved self-talk, and active tasks between session. Most clients receive time-limited therapy of 8-20 sessions, depending upon severity. This individually tailored approach empowers clients to become their own therapists, flourish, and "try on" new skills, behaviors, and mindsets, learning to adapt and overcome.
Howard’s style is active, engaged, curious, kind, & down-to-earth. An initial comprehensive evaluation visit (2 x 50 min.) consists of telling your story, sharing your current issues, concerns, & desired imagined future. Also, current stressors, past experiences, prior treatments, developmental backgrounds, values, strengths, weaknesses, interpersonal world, hobbies, etc. are gleaned. Usually, a diagnosis & problem list emerges from these visits plus your preferences for the “job to be done”. Then, psychoeducation with alternative treatment options are explored, Then, shared decision making on the priorities and next steps is formulated. Howard is dedicated to providing a collaborative relationship that is empathic, non-judgmental, and helpful. In his free time, Howard enjoys hiking, exercise, reading, and sports hassling.
