Andrew Butler-Pothast, LCSW
I come to this work with a passion for helping people to align with what’s important. I aim to create a space where you can feel heard but also challenged. To not only make sense of what you’re experiencing but to work with it to do what matters.
It requires courage to say ‘this isn’t working’ and to try something new. This is especially true when seeking help may bring up uncomfortable feelings and beliefs. I admire the courage it takes to step out of what you’ve been doing even though it may be daunting and uncertain.
The average person makes tens of thousands of decisions in their day, many of them automatic and unexamined. This creates a multitude of opportunities to shift what you are doing in any given moment. I believe that anyone and everyone is capable of cultivating change with guided intention, understanding, and dedication.
training
I have a master’s degree in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. My post-graduate training is in cognitive behavioral and contextual behavioral therapies. This includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based therapy, as well as other evidence-based treatments. Specialized training includes Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) for the treatment of OCD and Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for the treatment of PTSD and trauma disorders. See ‘Services’ for further information on interventions. I am continually adding to my skill set with ongoing supervision and training based on prevailing scientific evidence to offer effective and empirically-supported therapy.
Recent Training
6-Month Relational Frame Theory cohort, Matthieu Villatte, PhD, 2022-2023
Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences World Conference, 2022
Evidence-Based Treatment for OCD (ERP and ACT) 6-hour training, mindfulSF, 2021
Experience
My graduate training was with Veteran Affairs in treating veterans with PTSD and with University of California, San Francisco where I worked with dually diagnosed individuals. I have also worked for the University of California, San Francisco in emergency psychiatry and in community mental health with the City of San Francisco.
My experience is informed by working with a variety of people from diverse backgrounds. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Panama working with youth and in community development and have worked with older adults, teens, veterans, LGBTQIA+ identified individuals, amongst many others of varying intersectional identities. I am committed to examining my own privilege and knowledge with humility, respect, and openness, considering how you are an individual within the larger context of these identities you carry with you each day.
Professional affiliation
Northern California Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Network, Member
Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences, Member
Andrew Butler-Pothast, LCSW 