Ernest Isaacs, MFT
Marriage and Family Therapist
Berkeley, CA
Online & In-Person
About me
I have been a licensed therapist for 41 years and a meditation practitioner for 45 years. I use mindfulness and inquiry to help people discover their blocks to leading a full life.
My basic stance toward life is that in our true nature, all of us know what is right action, and our suffering comes from not being in touch with who we really are. We are blocked from contact with our authentic feelings and desires. My work is based on awareness, which is the key to seeing through our blocks. In addition to helping clients explore their issues by talking, I also include experiential exercises that expand and open us to deeper understandings of ourselves. I offer a workshop called “Taming the Inner Critic” which helps people break free from self judgment and develop their self esteem. I teach classes on anger management, coping with stress, and communication for couples, and have led a group growing from divorce. Of course I offer these techniques to my clients as well when needed.
After a career in science, I dropped out in my 30's to become a therapist, stimulated by my own work on myself. I trained at the Gestalt Institute of San Franciso and attended John F Kennedy University to get my license. I was introduced to Buddhist meditation in the 1970's and have done many silent retreats at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County. I have been the teacher for a sitting group since 1989. I have been in private practice since receiving my license in 1981.
I have trained in EMDR, including the recently developed Flash Technique.
By opening ourselves with a gentle awareness to our behavior patterns, we can discover how we distance ourselves from our true nature, which is inherently wise and compassionate. Some of these misunderstandings arise from mistaken beliefs about who we think we are, some are the residue of unprocessed traumas from our childhood.
Inquiring skillfully into these beliefs very organically lifts the veils and allows us to manifest the qualities of our essential selves - strength, joy, compassion, etc.
License
License(s)
Education
John F Kennedy U
Fees and insurance
Cost per session
$65 - $130Sliding scale
YesAccepted payment methods
- Cash
- Check
- Paypal
- Venmo
Accepted insurance plans
- Medicaid
- Alliance
- Cigna
- Blue Cross/Blue Shield
- Optum
Specialties and clinical interests
- Anger Issues
- Anxiety
- Chronic Illness
- Depression
- Grief & Loss
- LGBTQIA+
- Men's Issues
- Phobias & Fears
- Self-Esteem
- Spirituality
Therapy types
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness
Faith-based specialties
- Buddhism
Licensed to see clients in
Years in practice
Service types
- Therapy / Counseling
Types of clients
- Adults (18+)
- Older Adults (65+)
- Individuals
Languages
- English
Website and social media