Suzanne Berens

I am excited to be writing this review as a colleague of Suzanne Berens. I’ve witnessed Suzanne in various settings; every time I am struck by her finely tuned ability to pay attention and deeply consider the impact she has on her clients and the community around her. The clients I have referred to her have also spoken very highly of her. I also appreciate the fashion with which Suzanne is able to creatively combine the theories she has studied, such as Hakomi and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and embody them in a way that feels congruent with who she is. If you are looking for a therapist in Berkeley, I highly recommend that you consider Suzanne Berens.

I’ve been with Suzanne (LMFT) for about three years now, and our work together has been truly instrumental in the huge changes I’ve seen in my life over the past few years… not just in how my life looks, but also (and maybe even more importantly) how I experience it. I found her online, liked how she wrote about her clinical perspective and approach, and emailed her to set up an initial phone consult to «feel each other out». After she succinctly– and i thought magically– paraphrased my jumbled hopes and challenges and goals, I knew that she «got it». She got where I was coming from and what I wanted, even if I was still too confused or scared to properly articulate it. I’ve seen a couple therapists before her, and what has set this therapeutic relationship apart from the rest has been the totally attentive, nonjudgmental, authentic, and body-​mind integrated style. Sometimes, she’ll pull something I said weeks or months ago to make a connection to our immediate conversation, and I’ll wonder if she has the memory of an elephant!
The nitty-​gritty: Suzanne has special training in EMDR, spiritual, and somatic work, which I’ve not only appreciated from an intellectual standpoint (there is a growing body of research that suggests that trauma, personal narratives, and strong emotions are stored long-​term in our body and neurology), but also felt their usefulness first-​hand. She has lots of tools in her toolbox, but of course will always gage your interest and comfort level before using them with you. I know she also has much experience providing couples therapy and group therapy in addition to individual therapy.