Hello!
Thanks for visiting
My name is Claire, and I'm a licensed therapist. I'm a huge nerd about mental health and psychoanalysis, and I love to make my clients laugh (and cry. Well, not make them cry. You know what I mean). Recovery from depression, anxiety and trauma is hard work that takes a long time, and I want to make that as pain free as possible by being an enjoyable and trustworthy person that you can depend on. This means that sometimes I'm off the cuff, crack jokes, or follow you down whatever intellectual rabbit or or hyperfixation you're currently thinking about. You'll also find me warm, sincere, empathetic and validating.
I was born and raised in San Francisco, where I attended small, weird hippie private schools. I've been influenced deeply by feminism, social justice and anti-racist activism, Buddhism (especially Zen Buddhism), academic life, literature, poetry, counterculture movements, art, and queer culture and nightlife. For hobbies, I like to make silly skits about therapy on my Instragram and Tiktok (feel free to snoop), and I'm also getting into standup comedy and improv. I like dancing ballet and salsa, being in nature, writing, and being in love. Oh yeah, and I love being a bougie bitch sipping a cute drink at a nice restaurant with a spread of amazing Italian or Japanese food. It's my Taurus rising, I swear. I need to be around nice things.
I hold a master's degree in Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies. I've spent 10 years providing spiritual care and working in community mental health settings. I also am currently completing a two year long training program in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis.
Silly little Instagram video. Disclaimer: this is obviously a joke! I actually want you to do therapy with ME.
Qualifications
Education
2019-2021
Masters in Counseling Psychology
California Institute of Integral Studies
Studied integral counseling theory and practice with an emphasis on providing culturally sensitive, embodied, and spiritually engaged psychotherapy
2016-2018
Masters in East Asian Studies
University of Southern California
Studied East Asian history and culture with an emphasis on post-colonial feminism and 13th century Japanese Zen Buddhism
Post-graduate trainings
● Ongoing psychoanalytic consultation with Dr. Adam Beyda
● EMDR refresher course, EMDR Institute 2025
● EMDR Basic Training I, EMDR Institute, completed winter 2023
● Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (ongoing)
● Weekly Psychoanalytic Case Conference with Jonathan Moss, MFT 2022-2023
● Trans Embodiment and Neuropsychoanalytic Approaches to Treatment- series of workshops on gender dysphoria and trans affirming care with S.J Langer, LCSW
● Yearlong case conference on transgender affirming psychotherapy and trans healthcare with Lisette Lahana
● Early Career Case Conference- Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (San Francisco, CA) 2021
Book publications
Greenwood, Gesshin Claire. (2019). Just Enough: Vegan Recipes and Stories from Japan's Buddhist Temples. New World Library.
Greenwood, Gesshin Claire. (2018). Bow First, Ask Questions Later: Ordination, Love, and Monastic Zen in
Japan. Wisdom Publications.