Janine Darwin, MFT Psychotherapy

This review is long overdue. I met Janine back in 2010. It was my first time going to therapy. Based on what I had read about therapy, I was expecting to meet 4 – 5 therapist before finding the right person. Janine was the first therapist that I met. I was absolutely blown away and didn’t bother going to anyone else.
I had heard great things from friends about therapy. However, I never understood what a therapist could offer that honest and intelligent friends can’t provide. At a minimum, you gain the freedom to selfishly focus only on your own problems for an hour. But in my case, I got a lot more because I got Janine. She asked/​told me things that none of my smart worldy friends have ever said. She moved our conversation along so it definitely wasn’t the stereotypical tv therapy in the Mad Men days where you speak endlessly to yourself. In less than a year, she helped me with a major breakthrough that materially improved my friendships. I went from being an invitee grateful to attend events to a material participant and at time, host that connects my current friends to one another.
Like the other reviewer here, I would recommend her to anyone. Finding the right therapist is an individual exercise where there are no educational or referral markers. So while I cannot guarantee that she’s right for you, I would say that she’s a good start because she is naturally gifted, ethical, and besides not being judgmental, she genuinely cares about you. Who can’t use a therapist who’s willing to be on your side vs. the world?

Therapy is expensive but Janine was able to work with my budget so that I can to get the help I needed. She gave me the tools to learn to manage stress. She helped me cracked the numbness inside myself. I am not perfect, but I have so much more tools and awareness now. I have laughed, cried, and learned so much through therapy with her. I definitely recommend her to anyone who needing therapy services.