Charles Mandell, MFT

ICEEFT Certified EFT Therapist

LMFT #0001795 (Colorado)- LMFT #119857 (California)

 

About Me

I am an ICEEFT Certified Emotionally-Focused Therapist, and I specialize in working with adults, ages 30-60, who are worried about the conflicts in their relationship and the uncertainty in their lives. Through a process of curious and kind self-exploration, I help clients find connection and joy in their lives and in their marriages and relationships. My work is founded upon ten years of study with skilled and talented healers, a number them leading lights in the fields of wellness and psychology. My approach to healing starts with honoring pain and suffering as the seeds for insight and transformation. Doing so allows us to move through the walls of our fears to reach the inner resources we all share, of wisdom, empathy, courage, and compassion. As we experience these resources in session, we naturally begin to create and bring about the change we wish to see in our lives.

In my work as a couples therapist, I have trained extensively to become Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a highly effective form of couples therapy, which research has shown to be very effective in helping couples experience greater connection and satisfaction in their relationships. I have also trained extensively in Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), an approach that complements EFT by providing couples with tools for connection that are clearly defined and easy to implement in their daily lives.

In my work as an individual therapist, I have trained in therapeutic models of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Somatic Experiencing (SE), each of which provide a framework for working with trauma. My work also draws from extensive training in mindfulness, as well as experiential and attachment-based therapies. In general, my style tends to be engaged and interactive. The internal moment-to-moment experience is very important to me, so I ask a lot of questions, and I provide clients with tools and insights for getting the most out of their relationships and day-to-day lives.

Background

My professional journey is rooted in over 10 years of personal experience and training.  Before becoming a therapist, I studied leading mindfulness from meditation teachers, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Pema Chodron, Sharon Saltzberg, Dr. Christopher Germer, and Dr. Kristin Neff. From 2012-2014, I co-facilitated groups for incarcerated youth in San Francisco’s juvenile hall through the national nonprofit Beat Within, helping the young people inside write about and process their life experiences; I also taught mindfulness to high-school students to help them experience greater calm and well-being in their day to day lives. From 2014-2015, I served as a secular volunteer chaplain at San Francisco General Hospital, providing healing spaces for patients to process their experiences. Between 2016-2018, I earned a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Dominican University in San Rafael, California. From 2017-2020, I received licensing hours through the Community Institute for Psychotherapy in San Rafael, and at the San Francisco Marriage and Couples Center, working with various populations, including couples, adults, and adolescents. I have also completed a number of other trainings in the leading therapeutic modalities, listed below.

 Degrees, Trainings, & Certifications

2024 - Completion of Imago Relationship Therapy Modules 1 and 2. (Imago Relationship Training)

2021 - Certification in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. (ICEEFT)

2021 - Completion of Immersion Training in AEDP (AEDP Institute)

2020 - Completion of Externship Training in EFT for Couples (ICEEFT, SF Center for EFT)

2020 - Completion of Core Skills Training in EFT for Couples (ICEEFT, SF Center for EFT)

2017-2021 - 130+ Hours of Supervision and Consultation in EFT for Couples

2020 - Completion of EMDR Basic Training (EMDRia)

2020 - Completion of 6-Month IFS Online Circle Training, Internal Family Systems (Center for Self Leadership)

2016 - 2018 - Completion of Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology (Dominican University of California)

2015-2018 - Completion of Beginner and Intermediate Level Trainings in Somatic Experiencing (SE Trauma Institute)

2015 - Completion of Mindfulness Self-Compassion Teacher Training (UC San Diego)