Called this therapist after reading his Yelp reviews and business description. However, his…read morevoicemail referred me to another agency because he is not accepting any new clients at this time.

I'm not one for writing reviews, as you may not know. I'm also not one for communicating very…read morewell, as you may shortly discover. So, I will try to keep things brief. My partner and I found a desire to cultivate better communication in our relationship. By searching the Internet, she found an interesting class that promised "better tools for a happier relationship." The class was hosted at the Relationship Skills Center in Sacramento, a place that I had never heard of. I was a bit weary about how valuable this course would be because, well,... it was Free. Adding to my concerns, the class started off very basic and was led by two young (but well intended) individuals. We did some "exercises" that I thought were too elementary. Such as: "Stand in this corner if you like to be loved. Stand in that corner if you like to argue." I almost walked out of the door because I didn't want to play games all day... I actually wanted to learn something. But, I swallowed my pride and tried to go along with the class... mostly because I promised my girlfriend I would. I'm glad that she helped me keep that promise. The "exercises" were a warm-up to the actual class discussion. The discussion was lead by David Clark and after about 15-minutes I was grateful that I stayed. David has the ability to teach by what others may call "word pictures". I don't know how else to describe it. But, he teaches a new concept that may be hard to understand at first and, then, quickly explains that concept with familiar examples. Most of my notes consisted of drawings of these examples and a few words so I could remember the new concepts. I know... sounds remedial, doesn't it? For me, however, I needed it to be basic. After all, I was not having very good success with communication because I was over-complicating it. I'm sure David noticed that we all needed his help. But, he never once made us feel "dumb" or otherwise uncomfortable. He mostly adapted to our class and was able to find time for humor and he noticed when we were tired or overwhelmed. I appreciate that for each 6-hour (or more) session, he kept pace with a large binder of material. We went through every page, wrote in it and we got to take it home. Even tonight (the reason I write this review), David sent me a follow-up email asking about my progress after nearly 2-months had passed!!! That follow-up email he sent is one of the reasons I gave him 5-stars. Other reasons why I believe David deserves a 5-star review is that his classes ACTUALLY helped me and my relationship. I am happier. I do have less stress. And, I find it easier to have conversations and ACTUALLY listen to people. All of the lessons I learned from David help me at work, at home and in every day life. At this point in my life, I'm beginning to learn how to communicate all over again. I would highly recommend David Clark for improving relationship/communication skills. I personally was not disappointed, so perhaps you may have the same experience. It was certainly worth my time and effort.

It is odd to write a review for something as personal as a psychologist (and I'm sure that's why…read morethere are no other reviews for this business). Even *more* awkward to be the duchess of said business... YAY, my massive mental dysfunction landed me a dukedom! :p At any rate, I recently started seeing David Shoemaker and I'm very pleased with him so far. His office is in a lovely 'painted lady' Victorian home-turned-office building on J Street. The office itself is elegant but relaxed, decorated in jewel tones and dark wood. I like the comfy loveseat and the dim indirect lighting; it makes me feel comfortable and not like I'm under an interrogation lamp. A comfortable environment can really help the counseling process. I can't describe the actual sessions for obvious reasons, but I will say that David is a very good counselor. My main kvetch with counselors en masse are the ones who practice what I call the Dr. Drew approach: any time a woman has a problem, the first things the counselor asks is "Were you ever raped or abused?" and "What is your relationship with your father?" Luckily there is none of that lazy, ineffectual counseling with David. Thank you, Dr. Shoemaker, for your help so far.

Kind of weird to be writing a review for a Psychologist, right?…read more I feel compelled to, though, because Dr. Shoemaker is amazing. And I know when you're looking through your insurance list of in-network providers, it's hard to get a real grasp on if a therapist would be a good fit. I saw Dr. Shoemaker for joint therapy as well as individual therapy for several years. He is just awesome. He's very goal focused.....when you go in, you'll talk about what you want out of therapy and each session will be designed to help get you there. He's just amazing at tactfully bringing up issues that may need work. He's really insightful. And he remembers everything from your previous sessions so you don't waste a lot of time going over the same things over and over (a problem I have experienced). He's kind, thoughtful, and really easy to talk to. I never felt judged. And I always felt like he truly had a goal of helping me improve my life. I gained a LOT of really valuable tools from working with him. Overall, I really really really recommend Dr. Shoemaker.

Danielle stood with me in the darkest chapters of my life--moments that stripped everything down to…read moresurvival. I had just moved to California from Connecticut, leaving behind everything familiar and knowing no one. There were times I could not see a future for myself, times when the weight of everything felt final. She met me there--a literal stranger in every sense--without hesitation, without judgment, and without ever turning away. What she offered wasn't surface-level support. It was steady, deliberate, and deeply human. She didn't just listen--she understood. She didn't just respond--she guided with precision and care. And somehow, in the middle of everything that felt irreparably broken, in a place where I had no roots and no safety net, she helped me begin to rebuild something solid. Her consistency anchored me when I was unmoored--not just emotionally, but geographically, completely adrift. Her clarity cut through the fog when I couldn't see beyond the next hour. But more than anything, her presence reminded me that I was worth showing up for--that my life still held meaning even when I couldn't feel it myself, even when I was alone in a new state with no one else to turn to. She created a space where I could be honest without fear, where I could fall apart without being dismissed, and where I could slowly, painfully, courageously find my way back to myself. Not to who I was before--that person was gone--but to someone who could carry what had happened and still choose to live a good life. There are therapists who help you manage. Danielle does more than that. She helps you confront what feels impossible and walk through it without losing yourself in the process. She doesn't do the work for you--but she makes absolutely certain you're never facing it alone. And when you truly are alone, when you've left everything behind and are starting over in unfamiliar territory, that certainty becomes everything. I'm writing this as someone whose life is still here because of her. That's not exaggeration. She pulled me back from what felt like an ending. Not a figure of speech. The truth--plain, stark, and impossible to overstate. Thank you, Danielle.

I am a huge believer in therapy and self discovery, and historically only sought therapy in…read moreresponse to crisis. I found Danielle when deciding that it would be helpful to go for mental health maintenance. Throughout the several years that I've been blessed to have her in my corner, she's challenged me to heal even further, and often times when I least expect it. Danielle is so inquisitive and helpful in guiding me to my own answers...she helps to keep me on track when I don't necessarily realize I'm veering. If you want a therapist who is engaged and willing to meet you where you are, I can't recommend her enough. The work with her is powerful when you show up ready to dig in

Dr. Jessica is wonderful. I highly recommend her. I always knew there was something different about…read moreme, my whole entire life and it affected my schooling and so many other things. These problems helped created a lot of anxiety and depression. I found Dr. Jessica online after much research and spoke with her on the phone. She was so understanding and knowledgeable. I met with her in her office and she did a whole battery of psychological testing on me and evaluated me for autism. I finally got my diagnosis after all the years of pain and frustration. I am Autistic. That was a watershed moment for me to finally get my diagnosis and answers to what I have been struggling with for a lifetime. Thank you Dr. Jessica!

My son had severe behavior issues. We didn't know if it was depression, drug use, mental illness,…read moreetc. At age 18 he got a diagnoses of Paranoid schizophrenia after a 5150 hold. He tried medication for a short time and then refused to take it. He decided he wanted to join the military and he found Dr. Jessica online to get a reversal of diagnosis. We didn't think this was realistic but we're interested to get someone else's opinion. After about 7 or 8 sessions with Dr. Jess her opinion was there was nothing wrong with him. My first reaction was they were both crazy! However we started seeing a significant improvement after she told him that. She gave him the reversal and 6 months later he joined the military and just successfully completed 6 months of training. We are so proud, shocked and grateful that my son found Dr. Jess online. She may have saved his life.

Great place! went here over the years. And back recently for self work. Working with Ava currently…read moreand shes kind and compassionate.

My partner and I have been going here for now a year seeing Pam and she is absolutely amazing. She…read morehas helped us regain our understanding of one another with our communication, She really knows how to talk to couples properly and with compassion and love and she's very sweet and understanding. At first, we were seeing Chad I believe his name was and he was extremely hostile towards me and didn't know how to properly talk to not just myself but my partner and I felt very uneasy and uncomfortable with him as I have told the manager here they were more than understanding and gave us Pam as a replacement for our therapy sessions. She has been outstanding, compassionate, caring, respectful and has given us a lot of understanding of peace within our relationship and we fell back right in love all over again and continuing to see her as we speak if you need a good therapist for Couples Therapy, I definitely highly recommend her. She's an absolute gem. We appreciate everything she has ever done for us as we have put in so much work to better our relationship, she gave us tasks to do and come back to talk to her within our sessions to explain our feelings to another, and we have had such a better relationship than ever before. And we couldn't thank her enough for helping. Pam is the best therapist. There is again. We highly recommend her for couples who likes someone who has patience and guidance and has a zest for life.

I have known Felicia professionally since 2014. She is one of the most compassionate and self…read morehonest people I know. She practices unconditional positive regard with all of her clients. Felicia is strengths based and is able to keenly identify the unique positive aspects of each client and assists them in using their strengths to overcome their challenges. I highly recommend Felicia as a therapist. Kathleen Bishop, LCSW

Felicia is an amazing therapist!! Has excellent insight, is extremely thoughtful in her answers,…read moreand really helps the individual find the best solution to the situation. I have really appreciated the work I have done with her! I would absolutely recommend Felicia!!!!

Angela was my college professor in Sacramento City College. One of the best professor I've ever…read morehad. I still remember her and I will never forget her. She is very honest and great human.

Doctor Angela Curiale offers a refreshing approach in a therapeutic setting. She offers a…read morejudgement-free approach. Her many years of practice in the mental health field provides an advantage of knowledge and wisdom while maintaining her compassion. Without reservation, I highly recommend Doctor Angela Curiale.

I've only been working with Joey for a couple of months now, but he's probably the best therapist…read moreI've ever tried. His sense of humor makes our meetings much less angsty than they could be, and his ability to pull me back from the stream-of-consciousness edge, coupled with his keen insight into what I'm not saying outright, has helped me realize a few things I'd been hiding from myself for years. While I have no idea right now how long I'll need his help, I already know I'll miss him when our sessions inevitably end.

Joey is awesome. I have known Joey in a professional capacity for over 6 years. We worked at the…read moresame organization providing therapy to youth, adults and families. His dedication to learning is unmatched by anyone I can think of. He is open with his own experiences with anxiety, depression, and ADHD, and in my opinion, the best therapists are ones who have experienced, at least to some degree, what their clients have experienced and found the tools for well being. If you are searching for a counselor who provides therapy to his clients in a respectful, kind, empathetic, and adaptive manner, Joey is one of the best I know.