Do difficult circumstances interfere with your ability to feel good at work and home?

Do difficult circumstances interfere with your ability to feel good at work and home? Can’t see sky through the clouds? Do you have a long standing dream for your life to change? Does stress create everyday tension in your ability to understand yourself, your family and friends? Have you been struggling with blues? Are you in search for creative expression and passion? Looking for solutions to complex interpersonal problems?

In individual therapy I offer a safe and compassionate environment for you to reflect on the issues that interfere with balance and satisfaction in life.  

What kind of services I provide?

I provide therapy services for most emotional concerns and traumas that generally occur, often unexpectedly, and disrupt our daily lives and sense of well-being.You will receive support, guidance and counseling in the following areas of treatment, covering a wide range of emotional difficulties:

  • Anxiety, worry, panic attacks

  • Academic difficulties

  • Early emotional or physical trauma

  • Depression, isolation, lack of motivation

  • Eating disorders

  • Emotional extremes, irritability and anger

  • Grief and Loss

  • Intimacy and Sexual disturban

  • LGBTQ issues

  • Parenting difficulties

  • Personal growth and excellence

  • Relationship crisis, divorce, conflict-resolution

  • Health related stressors

  • Life transitions, such as relocation, separation, mid-life crisis

  • Self-esteem issues

  • Workplace-related frustrations

What are my specializations?

  • Chronic depression

  • Anxiety and worry

  • Personality disorders

  • Relationship difficulties

How long does psychotherapy usually last?

  • Short-term therapy: 6-12 months (frequency 1 session per week)

  • Intensive therapy: more than 12 months (frequency 2-3 sessions per week)

What benefits can I expect from psychotherapy?

  • Learn tools and techniques to resolve troublesome symptoms and traumas

  • Learn to identify reasons of stress and experiment with new less stressful behaviors

  • Set basic building blocks toward more stable mood

  • Improve communication with loved ones and people in general

What is my approach?

My interactive approach incorporates a decade of practice in the field of counseling. Coupled with the benefits of the extensive training, I work with deep devotion to your well-being and success in life. You can read more about my approach here.

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  • “ "I have known Mrs. Makarova since September 2008 and I have had many opportunities to observe her psychodynamically and psychoanalytically-oriented clinical work. Mrs. Makarova's intellectual curiosity and ability to process complex issues make working with her very gratifying. It is my pleasure to recommend Mrs. Makarova to physicians on Peninsula and South Bay most strongly and without any reservations.” ”
    — Adjunct Clinical Faculty Member at Stanford School of Medicine, 2011
  • “ "I worked with Mrs. Makarova for several years as a colleague at the intensive outpatient clinic in San Francisco and was so impressed with her professionalism, incisive intellect, emotional honesty, and advanced clinical skills in in-depth psychodynamic treatment. She is the most empathic clinician I have ever worked with!" ”
    — Amrita Narayanan Psy.D. Staff Psychologist, Napa Hospital, 2010
  • “ "I have known Mrs. Makarova's working on a clinical team at RAMS, and I can say that she is a warm, thoughtful, and insightful clinician. Mrs. Makarova takes a determined and focused approach to every case she treats and has helped many patients improve greatly." ”
    — Postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University, 2009.
  • “ "Mrs. Makarova is unique in her ability to attend to people; their feelings, their longings and their experiences. She is a true professional and an open-hearted individual. Over the years she has had great success counseling high conflict couples and families. I truly believe that working with her will tilt the scales away from divorce and toward ongoing loving exchanges. For many years I have referred many of my students and their family members to Mrs. Makarova and always got stellar feedback. She combines science-based approaches, having trained in relational patterns at Stanford University, with a unique humanistic style of intervening. As a psychodynamic therapist Mrs. Makarova helps couples see beyond their entrenched relational dynamics and encourages new, functional ways of interchange. I am convinced that Mrs. Makarova's strategic and warm approach is an ideal choice for couples and families in the Peninsula, Bay Area." ”
    — Alberto Varona, Psy.D. Core Faculty, Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Program at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, 2012.