CREDENTIALS/DISCIPLINE: Psychologist
BOARD CERTIFIED: Yes, CA Board of Psychology
Number of years treating patients with eating disorders: 8-10 years
Number of patients with eating disorders I treat annually: 5-10
EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERTISE: Dr. Robin Ruth, Ph.D. specializes in treating eating disorders, and has experience in all levels of treatment from residential, IOP, PHP, to outpatient and private practice. Her experience includes treating adolescents, adults, and family members affected by an eating disorder (parents/partners). In addition, because the most predictable symptom of having an eating disorder is negative body image, Dr. Ruth have developed customized therapies that address body image, with one of them using photographic portraits.
TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY: I consider my treatment philosophy to be eclectic, incorporating elements of Internal Family Systems, Depth Psychology, Photo and Art Therapy, Exposure and Response, CBT, and Narrative Therapy. I am a warm, compassionate therapist who practices therapy with a “power with” rather than a “power over” approach, and feel it is important that your voice (both inner and outer) be heard and honored as you remain an active agent in your therapeutic mission. “Together” we can discover you deepest pain and desires, and move towards understanding and integrating parts of ourselves that have been disconnected. In my lifetime, I have experienced marriage, divorce, single parenting, financial hardship, the care and death of my parents, and overcoming a family history of eating disorders. I am a lover of animals, especially dogs, and continually support the rescue centers in the bay area. I enjoy being in nature, and my biggest desire is to have therapy sessions outdoors in the natural environment with furry friends in tow! One of my missions is to close the gap between what we want to see and what we do see when looking at our own image; a kind of re-building the relationship between self and self-image. Through the use of photographic portraits, we can reconstruct the internally adopted stories about self by changing perspective to one that is more holistic and healthy. I calls this individualized therapy the Photo Identity Process (see my website for more details).
FEES: Cash, Credit Cards, Personal Checks, Sliding Scale.
INSURANCE: None accepted. Out-of-network provider, superbills provided.