I'm a Humanistic psychotherapist seeing individuals both in-person in Mill Valley, CA, and online for people anywhere in California. My approach encourages people to meet each moment with their full capacity. In session, work includes bolstering emotional regulation, practicing awareness of mind and body, and getting curious with what may be possible. I love to work with people who are creative, motivated, and independent.
Client Focus
Age Specialty: Adult, Senior, Young Adult
Demographic Expertise: Buddhist, Hispanic / Latino, LGBTQ+, Men, Native American, Persons with Disabilities clients.
Treatment Approach
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Helps people accept difficult thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, while committing to actions that reflect their values. It blends mindfulness with practical behavior strategies.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) One of the most widely used approaches, CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with healthier patterns. It is effective for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns.
- Gestalt Therapy Encourages awareness of thoughts, feelings, and actions in the present moment. It helps people integrate different parts of themselves for wholeness.
- Hakomi Method A mindfulness-based approach that helps clients notice unconscious patterns in their body and mind. It emphasizes compassion and non-judgment.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps clients heal by working with different ‘parts’ of themselves, like inner critics or wounded children. It fosters harmony within the self.
- Jungian Therapy Draws on Carl Jung’s ideas about archetypes, dreams, and the collective unconscious. It helps people explore deeper layers of meaning.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Combines mindfulness practices with CBT to prevent depression relapse. It helps people notice thoughts without judgment and respond more calmly.
- Transpersonal Therapy Integrates spirituality and higher states of consciousness with psychology. It encourages growth beyond the individual self.
Approach Description: My approach begins with awareness: In this moment, what are you aware of? This is not simply a question of what your mind is able to trace in your life at that time. It also builds into a practice each week by repeating the inquiry and tracking not just what you are able to experience but how you experience over time. In that way, psychotherapy starts with you sitting in a chair talking, then asks you to witness yourself speaking, feeling, listening, and perceiving from a secondary point of view. This is a practice that, when cultivated, can increase consciousness and a sense of choice.
Education & Credentials
Chris Doorley AMFT, MA
- Male
- License # 161336
- Licensed in CA
- Practicing Since 2018
Finances
Fees
- Average Session Fee $160
- Affordable sliding scale therapy: apply if you may be eligible.
- I always have 2-to-3 sliding scale openings in my practice. For clients asking for that, I offer thoughtful dialogue with you to hear what your budgetary needs are relative to your (approximate) income. The sliding scale rate we agree on will come from that discussion.
- Out of Network
Chris Doorley Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Mill Valley, CA 94941 and Sausalito, CA 94965
- Available Online for residents of California
- Online Therapy Details: Doxy.me
I believe that some moments during the human lifespan when each of us would benefit from extra support of some kind. To me, psychotherapy— which I would define as exploring with another human being emotions, sensations, thoughts, and memories— is a unique type of support. Therapy can transform mind-body experiences into growth and change in a way very few other interventions can.