Life can be a challenging experience which can be compounded by our unique identities and circumstances.  Through no fault of our own we can sometimes feel ill-equipped to handle the challenges that life brings us.  Some of us have adapted by becoming perfectionists and having a harsh inner critic or by becoming more withdrawn and feeling lost and confused.  As a man of color and a son of immigrants. I can relate to these experiences, and I feel that I can offer an alternative perspective to provide a greater sense of freedom.

 As a result of my personal and professional experiences, I tend to work well with:

•people who are wanting to find their “voice” in life and in relationship

•people going through life transitions such as the “mid-life crisis”

•BIPOC individuals who are struggling in professional environments

•Inter-racial / Inter-cultural couples who are having communication issues


I have awareness of my social identities and am open to working with all ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations with curiosity and humility. If you feel drawn to my perspective and experience, I would be happy to schedule a brief consultation call to see how I can help.

I am a Filipino American somatic psychotherapist, and I use conscious awareness of our body experience to help discover a sense of freedom and empowerment. I take a compassionate and holistic view towards healing that is informed by Buddhist psychology, social justice, and a belief in our inherent preciousness and inner capacity for healing and wholeness.  

My personal development background includes experience in insight meditation, men’s work, diversity, equity and inclusion work, martial arts, and health, wellness and fitness.  I also have a creative background as a former DJ and producer, and I enjoy live music,  physical movement, the arts, and nature.

I have a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with a focus on Somatics from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in addition to having completed training and certification in Hakomi Mindfulness-based body-oriented psychotherapy and Brainspotting. Prior to Grateful Heart, I worked as an MFT Trainee at the Center for Somatic Psychotherapy. More recently, I worked as a Mental Health Clinician for StarVista, serving high school students during the pandemic. In addition, I have experience as a teaching assistant in training of the Hakomi method and at CIIS.

I believe psychotherapy is a conscious and supportive relationship of inner healing and empowerment. People come to therapy for many different reasons, such as anxiety, trauma, and life dissatisfaction, and I feel that through a collaborative and compassionate approach towards your struggles we can collectively discover new perspectives to approaching life.

Through a body-based approach, I use mindfulness, or conscious awareness, to explore your experience, which may show up as tension in the body, or even a particular posture or movement. By exploring the tension with curiosity and compassion, we could potentially allow the tension to release and relax.  From this new place of relaxation, it could potentially give you a new perspective and insight on the situation.

When working with couples, I use a similar approach where I help partners understand what comes up for them in relationship and in conflict. I move beyond surface-level behavior changes to actually addressing the deeper emotions and wounds that get triggered when we’re in relationship. When these deeper wounds and needs are addressed, more compassion, intimacy, and understanding is possible.

Through exploration and discovery of unconscious limiting beliefs, mindful somatic psychotherapy can open up the possibility of having new perspectives and new ways of being in the world.

• Adults: 25-65

• Individuals
• Couples

• Activists
• Artists
• First Responders
• Men
• Persons Experiencing Grief and Loss
• Persons Recovering from Traumatic Events/Experiences
• Persons Struggling with/Recovering from Addiction

• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Relational Psychotherapy
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
• Somatic Experiencing
• Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy

I'm a Certified Hakomi Therapist and Certified Brainspotting Therapist.

• Credit Card

$190

$180-$190

No

(415) 638-9260

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davidjavate.com

Telehealth in California only

Please email me at dj@davidjavate.com to schedule a consultation.

Grady Fort, LMFT 90047

11/09/23