Dr. Meg Earls

Approach

My therapeutic style is relaxed, engaged, warm, and non-judgmental. I am a psychodynamic therapist whose thinking and approach is informed by understandings of how the mind develops and how it relates to our bodies, our worlds, and our relationships. I work collaboratively with you to understand your particular struggles and patterns in order to help you examine your reactions and develop more flexible responses and resolve conflict- whether internal or external. I believe listening to the particulars of your unique story with deep curiosity is crucial to our work, but I am also pro-active and engaged in sharing my thoughts and observations. Kindness and compassion are vital, but so too are active help and feedback.

 

Background

I came to the field of clinical psychology after ten years working domestically and internationally for non-profits in health programming and advocacy. I hold a BA from McGill University in Montreal in English Literature and Comparative Religious Studies, a Master's Degree from the New College of California in Feminist Clinical Psychology and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley.

 

I've been practicing as a clinician for over twenty years and have completed internships at Mission Mental Health, San Francisco Mobile Crisis, the Wright Institute Clinic, California College of the Arts (San Francisco and Oakland), and both pre- and postdoctoral years at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), where I worked with both the inpatient and outpatient units. At CPMC, I was part of a team starting a "Women's Mental Health and Wellness" program throughout the hospital system- focused on delivering perinatal psychiatry mental health services. I served as Program Director of this new initiative for almost three years, triaging and treating patients from throughout the hospital and community, running a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) support group, coordinating a multidisciplinary team of medical providers with nurses, OBs, and Pediatricians, and helping de-pathologize the need for extra mental health services during the perinatal period. I remained involved at CPMC by serving as the Chair of the Postpartum Depression Task Force and by teaching a monthly "Transitions to Parenthood" class through CPMC's Newborn Connections. I also enjoy speaking at conferences and events on maternal wellness for organizations like the Junior League of California and the statewide Maternal Wellness Summit. My expertise in perinatal health has led me to be featured in the Huffington Post and on NPR.  In addition to my private practice, I also teach mental health professionals in training, and have worked as an independent contractor providing psychotherapy services for Newborn Solutions and The Ovarian and Reproductive Cancer Recovery Program at CPMC.