Raphael Amir, MA, AMFT, APCC

Raphael K. Amir comes to the field of psychotherapy to collaborate with his clients and honor their inner wisdom which, while appearing to be overshadowed by unwanted thoughts, feelings, and sensations, is ever-present and accessible. Especially if traumatized, it may seem reasonable to do anything to get rid of negative thoughts and feelings by taking drugs, alcohol, eating, obsessing over something, or isolating. These behaviors may appear reasonable because, when we are confronted with danger in the “outer world,” it would be wise to leave the scene or fight to protect ourselves. However, what works in the “outer world” does not really work in the “inner world” since any fighting or avoiding is against us. For our “inner world,” the adage often applies: “What you resist, persists.”

Raphael works with adults, teenagers, and children to help with relational issues, anxiety, depression, self-image, and self-esteem. Years of studying psychological and spiritual systems gives Raphael an informed and experiential understanding of the power of directing awareness, and of spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation. Raphael listens compassionately, implementing “process” work which examines the counseling relationship to understand and improve therapy. This brings insight as well as highlights relational patterns with others outside of therapy. Regular feedback on the counseling process is important to his work to move clients toward their goals. Therapy with Raphael can reveal the true and authentic aspects of oneself compared to unquestioned and often unconscious conditioned beliefs, thoughts, images, and feelings. To illustrate this point, Raphael’s clients might be encouraged to compare the simple curiosity and joy one had as a little child to the now often confusing and complex layers of mental and emotional habits. This exploration gives meaning to the idea that what is important is not so much a situation, but the interpretation of it.

Raphael graduated from Sonoma State University with a master’s degree in counseling and has a B.A. in communications from CSU Sacramento. He has found a unique approach in helping his clients become more aware of the power of automatic thoughts in the form of images which, for many, rule their lives by creating an imaginary future or replaying memories of their past. His prior counseling experience included long-term psychotherapy, substance and alcohol detox counseling, and group counseling. His prior corporate experience in insurance, IT training, and hotel management and his bachelor’s degree in communications make him a good resource for learning effective communication skills as a parent, partner, manager, or worker.

Raphael is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor under supervision of Dr. Thomas Lucking, PhD.

Clients: Children, adolescents, adults, older adults, couples (Neurodiverse and Neurotypical) and families.

Modalities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness practices, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Locations: Telehealth, Los Gatos

Raphael is a member of Therapy InMotion