Do you offer a free consultation?

Yes. I invite every prospective patient (or their parent) to a complimentary 15-minute video or phone call, so we can see whether we’re a good fit.

How do I book that call?

Fill in the contact-form button at the top of the page to request a time, or call +1-916-776-6089. I’ll follow up within one business day to confirm.

Where are you located?

My office is in Midtown Sacramento at 801 Alhambra Blvd, Suite 4. I also work with clients anywhere in California via secure telehealth.

What is psychodynamic psychotherapy?

Psychodynamic work explores the patterns—often outside conscious awareness—that shape how we think, feel, and relate. By bringing those patterns into focus, we create space for insight, relief, and lasting change.

What happens in the first session?

We’ll talk about what brings you in, your history, and your hopes for therapy. The meeting also lets you get a felt sense of how I work so you can decide whether to continue.

How long will therapy take?

Every person’s process is different. Some clients come for a few months to work on a specific issue; others choose open-ended depth work. We’ll revisit goals together as therapy unfolds.

Who do you work with?

• Adults and kids (10+) • Men exploring masculinity • Individuals, couples, and families • People navigating gender identity, transition, or LGBTQIA+ experiences • Anyone facing grief, anxiety, depression, or existential questions

Do you provide letters for gender-affirming care?

Yes. I can provide letters of support for HRT or surgery in line with WPATH guidelines.

What is psychedelic-integration therapy?

Integration work helps you make meaning of altered-state experiences—whether from sanctioned clinical use or personal exploration—so insights translate into daily life. While I don’t provide or refer for illegal substances, I support clients in integrating those experiences thoughtfully and ethically.

Individual therapy – $150 Couples therapy – $250 Sliding-scale spots are occasionally available—please ask.

Do you take insurance?

I’m an out-of-network provider. If you have a PPO plan, you may be eligible for partial reimbursement. I’ll supply monthly superbills you can submit to your insurer.

What if I need to cancel?

Cancellations with at least 48 hours’ notice incur no fee. Late cancellations or no-shows are billed at the full session rate. (No charge for same-day health-related cancellations.)

Is therapy confidential?

Yes. Everything we discuss stays between us, with a few safety-related legal exceptions that we’ll review in our first session.

Do you offer evening or weekend appointments?

Yes. I currently see patients only during evenings and weekends to support busy professionals and their kids. Let me know what you need, and I’ll do my best to accommodate.

What if I’m in crisis?

I’m not a 24-hour service. If you’re in immediate danger, call 988 (emotional support) or 911 (medical emergency), or go to the nearest emergency room. You can also text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support from trained crisis counselors.

This kind of therapy takes time

Jun 16

Written By Oliver Slate-Greene

We live in a world that prizes speed. Fast relief. Instant results. Same-day delivery.

So it’s no surprise that many people come to therapy hoping for a fix. A formula. A timeline.

But psychodynamic therapy doesn’t move on a clock. It moves with the psyche.

And the psyche doesn’t care about your calendar.

Depth Can’t Be Rushed

You can’t hurry trust. You can’t schedule a breakthrough.

Psychodynamic therapy is rooted in the belief that change happens not just from insight, but from the experience of being seen over time. It’s not about giving you answers. It’s about helping you learn how to hear your own.

That takes time. Not because you’re slow. But because you’re complex.

Insight Isn’t a Lightbulb. It’s a Dimmer Switch.

Sometimes people say, “I already know where this comes from - why do I still feel stuck?”

Because intellectual insight isn’t the same as emotional integration.

In psychodynamic work, we return to patterns again and again - not to wallow, but to metabolize. To bring what’s unconscious into consciousness. To let the wound feel what it couldn’t feel before.

It’s less like flipping a switch and more like slowly turning up the light in a room you’ve been afraid to enter.

The Therapeutic Relationship Is the Treatment

In psychodynamic therapy, the relationship between therapist and patient isn’t just the backdrop - it’s the alchemical vessel.

Old relational patterns show up. Defenses emerge. Attachments play out.

And together, we work through them. Not just talk about them.

This process - called transference and countertransference - takes time to unfold. It’s sacred, messy, and deeply reparative when honored instead of rushed.

In Sacramento, Time Is Its Own Kind of Rebellion

In a city that’s both state-capital fast and river-town slow, therapy becomes a strange kind of rebellion.

To pause. To feel. To not optimize every hour for productivity. To show up each week and make space for the parts of you that don’t want to be seen.

That’s not avoidance. That’s healing.

Why the Long Haul Matters

You don’t undo a lifetime of conditioning in 6 sessions.

You don’t build self-trust overnight.

Psychodynamic therapy takes time because it honors your interior world. It’s not concerned with how quickly you can appear to be better. It’s concerned with what kind of relationship you’re building with yourself - and whether it can hold you when things fall apart again.

Because they will. That’s life. And therapy isn’t about avoiding rupture. It’s about increasing your capacity to move through it with grace, clarity, and a bit more choice.

Looking for a Psychodynamic Therapist in Sacramento?

If you’re drawn to depth, to insight, to work that unfolds slowly and intentionally - I’d be honored to walk with you. I see patients both in-person in Sacramento and via telehealth across California.

When you're ready, we can begin.

Oliver Slate-Greene