Susan Moore, MFT

Understanding Yourself More Deeply. Living More Fully.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate how complex it is to be human, and how deeply our early experiences and relationships shape us. We develop ways of understanding ourselves and navigating the world that may serve us for a time, but can eventually leave us feeling stuck or disconnected. Therapy can help us understand how we came to live as we do, and whether those ways of living still serve us.

Psychotherapy offers a place to slow down, make sense of your experiences, and understand the patterns that shape how you live and relate. Over time, this understanding can open up new possibilities for connection, growth, and change.

My Approach

My approach is relational, attachment-based, and trauma-informed. I understand our early relationships and experiences as shaping how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we respond when we feel threatened, disconnected, or vulnerable.

I have been practicing psychotherapy for 26 years, including 20 years in private practice. My training includes a two-year program in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, along with extensive study and consultation in trauma. I have also completed advanced training in an interpersonal neurobiology-informed approach to relational trauma and IFS, with particular attention to attachment, the origins and treatment of shame, and the ways early relational experiences shape our sense of ourselves and our relationships throughout life. This work has deepened my understanding of how these experiences can be held emotionally and implicitly, even when they are not accessible through explicit memory.

I integrate these perspectives in a way that responds to the person rather than fitting someone into a particular method.

I bring warmth, curiosity, honesty, and acceptance to my work. I believe the therapeutic relationship can be a powerful part of change, offering an opportunity to understand familiar patterns, experience a different kind of relationship, and explore what may be difficult to see on our own. I pay close attention to each person’s experience and to the timing of the work.

The Possibility of Change

Therapy can help us understand not only why we struggle, but how we have learned to live—and whether those ways of living still serve us.

Our early experiences and relationships shape how we see ourselves, what we expect from others, and how we respond to life’s difficulties. Patterns that once helped us cope may eventually leave us feeling stuck or disconnected.

I believe that much of being human involves learning to live more fully in accordance with what we know deep down to be true and needed, rather than who we think we should be. We can come to understand ourselves with greater compassion and find new ways of living and relating. Acceptance does not mean that nothing needs to change. When we no longer have to reject parts of ourselves to feel acceptable, meaningful change becomes more possible.

Who I Work With

I work with adults navigating relationship difficulties, anxiety, childhood trauma, and complicated family relationships, including family estrangement. Many of the people I work with function well in their professional and everyday lives but struggle with patterns that leave them feeling stuck, disconnected, or dissatisfied in their relationships. Some are working through the lasting effects of early experiences, while others are facing questions about identity, intimacy, or how they want to live at different stages of life.

I have a particular sensitivity to the questions that can emerge in midlife and later life, when relationships, identity, priorities, and our sense of who we are may be changing.

In my work with individuals struggling in their relationships, I help them understand their own needs and patterns while also developing a fuller appreciation of the experiences of those they love. Greater understanding can create room for more genuine connection without losing sight of oneself.

A Little About Me

I have lived in San Francisco for many years. Outside of my work, I am a singer with a daily creative practice, a mother and grandmother, and someone who values close friendships and time outdoors. I enjoy hiking and biking. My own life has included significant transitions, including the ending of a long marriage and the building of a new long-term relationship.

I value the ways we continue to learn about ourselves, deepen our connections, and find new possibilities at different stages of life.

Getting Started

If you are considering therapy, I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about what brings you here and what you hope might change. We can explore whether working together feels like a good fit.

Contact Susan Moore, LMFT

In-person psychotherapy in San Francisco & Telehealth