Jessie Curtner, LMFT # 153146
I’m Jessie Curtner, a Marriage and Family Therapist in Marin County, California. I help couples and individuals take big risks for more satisfaction in love and life.
My Approach
I treat couples in relationship distress and individuals with anxiety. My work with couples is to help partners identify, and work through emotional blocks that get in the way of closeness. Many people were not given the tools they need to engage in mutually satisfying relationships. Couples therapy with me balances intimacy building with practical communication skills. I also work with individuals who find themselves stuck in anxious thought patterns. Understanding how the past influences the present is one of the great gifts of good therapy and is extremely effective at reducing anxiety. From there, I challenge my clients to dig deep and make lasting changes in their lives and in their relationships. I have openings both virtually and in-person in Kentfield, CA.
“People need people – for initial and for continued survival, for socialization, for the pursuit of satisfaction. No one – not the dying, not the outcast, not the mighty – transcends the need for human contact.”
-Irvin Yalom
Individual therapy
Do you ever wonder why you find yourself stuck in similar dynamics or thought patterns that cause suffering? If so, that’s great. That question is the first step toward change. Therapy can help you understand why you get stuck. Most people substitute real understanding with harsh self judgements that actually inhibit change. Being deeply understood is therapeutic and is the first step toward lasting change.
Couples therapy
There is a magical quality to the partners we choose and how they mirror back to us aspects of ourselves that need healing. In couples therapy with me, we’ll work towards exposing the hidden fears and hurts that lie underneath the repetitive arguments. From there, I challenge couples to relate with more vulnerability, compassion and teamwork. I’m often deeply moved by the intensity of love that can be unearthed in couples therapy after years of conflictual, or avoidant relating.
Men’s therapy
Men face unique challenges in creating fulfilling relationships. Most men were given confusing and contradictory messages about what it means to be a successful man. This has left many men feeling unsure about how to meet the expectations of their partners and/or how to get their own needs met. I work with men to cultivate relational skills, to increase emotional intimacy and to reduce reliance on emotional blocks such as rigidity, anger and workaholism.
About Jessie
My approach is warm, direct, sometimes funny and always curious. I try to understand on a deep level how a person was molded in the world. I balance true empathy with honesty and don’t shy away from saying the hard thing.
I have extensive training in psychodynamic therapy which means I am curious about how a person’s unique past influences their current relationships and functioning. Many of my clients have histories of childhood trauma, abuse or neglect. Complex histories leave behind emotional blind spots that really can’t be understood without another person. Therapy is a unique opportunity to feel understood in a way many of us never have.
I completed a post-master’s internship at APA accredited RAMS Outpatient Clinic where I worked with individuals, couples and children struggling with more severe mental health challenges. I received a masters degree in integral psychology from CIIS, where I was exposed to a variety of evidence-based therapy methods from which I draw. Previous to working as a therapist, I worked for many years as a business coach. I integrate the practicality of coaching into my therapy practice.
Being a therapist is one of the great honors of my life. To witness someone’s inner world is something I take seriously. I always strive to offer my clients the very best of my presence, education, empathy and insight.
Marriage and Family Therapy License #153146