Embodied Depth Psychotherapy
A Practice Rooted in Listening Beneath the Surface
Dr. Scott Gordon • Clinical Psychologist
In-Person psychotherapy in Berkeley, California.
Virtual services available statewide.
A Depth-Oriented, Embodied Approach to Therapy
In our work together, we'll slow down enough to listen to what has been shaping your inner life and sense of identity, often outside of conscious awareness. Therapy becomes a space to better understand your experience and develop a more grounded relationship with yourself.
What Brings People to Therapy
People often come to therapy because something no longer fits. They may feel:
A persistent sense that something needs attention
Anxiety, listlessness, or low mood
Disconnection or burnout
Relational strain
Loss of orientation
Questions of identity, gender, sexuality, culture or belonging
Rarely is it a single challenge, but more a growing awareness that familiar ways of coping, relating, or understanding yourself no longer sufficient. Our work begins here.
What Embodied Depth Means in Our Work Together
My approach is grounded in psychodynamic psychology and informed by somatic, transpersonal, and mindfulness-based traditions.
I am also a Certified Hakomi Therapist, a mindfulness-centered somatic modality that deeply informs my work.
To put it simply, depth-oriented psychotherapy recognizes that much of what shapes our lives exists outside of conscious awareness.
Patterns Formed Early
Carried Forward
Reinforced Through Relationships & Experience
An embodied approach brings attention to the ways experience is expressed through the body:
Thoughts · Stories · Emotions · Sensations · Impulses
Together, this work invites the following:
Awareness of long-standing internal patterns
Curiosity in place of judgment
Understanding rather than self-correction
We are not trying to override or eliminate parts of you. Instead, we are listening to them.
How Embodied Depth Psychotherapy Unfolds
Our sessions together are collaborative, relational, and paced intentionally.
At times, therapy involves talking to make sense of experiences, relationships, and histories. At other times, it involves slowing down and noticing what is happening in the present moment.
As we progress, we may explore:
How beliefs about yourself formed
How your body responds under stress
How relational dynamics repeat, often unconsciously
What emerges when we stop trying to force change
Change often unfolds through awareness, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of your experience. Rather than forcing change, we create space for new possibilities to emerge.
What This Work is Not
It can also be helpful to clarify what this approach is not
This approach is not:
Symptom management alone
Performance coaching
A directive or prescriptive model
Focused on quick fixes or optimization
While many clients experience relief through this work, the goal is a deeper awareness of what is happening and why so that change arises organically and sustainably.
Fit & Readiness for Embodied Depth Psychotherapy
Many people arrive with a sense that insight alone has not brought the lasting changes they hoped for. They may understand themselves quite well, yet find that familiar patterns continue to repeat.
Curiosity matters in this work, even when it feels uncomfortable. What often draws people here is a willingness to slow down, pay attention, and explore experience more deeply rather than searching for quick answers.
Uncertainty is always welcome here. There is no pressure to know, only to begin where you are.
Common Questions About Embodied Depth Psychotherapy
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Typically, I meet with people once per week. Some people find that meeting more often (twice per week) can feel supportive and accelerate the change process during challenging times. This is highly individualized and we can discuss a cadence that feels right for you during our initial meetings.
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Individual sessions are 50 minutes long.
Couples sessions are 75 minutes long.
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My rate is $200 per individual session and $275 per couples session.
I can provide a superbill for out of network reimbursement. Check with your provider directly to see if this may be available.
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This is highly individual. I see many clients in long-term weekly therapy over multiple years which can lead to deep and lasting changes. Other clients come looking for support regarding a specific issue and find several months of therapy helpful.
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Let’s schedule a 20-minute free consultation to get a sense of each other, discuss your hopes and goals from therapy, and I can answer any of your questions. Please send me a message with your contact info and we can explore getting started.