Andrea Hindes, Ph.D.

I am a licensed psychologist based in the Folsom and Sacramento area. I have been licensed in California since 2007. I primarily work with adults in both short- and long-term individual and family therapy. My approach is collaborative, thoughtful, and grounded in both clinical training and real-world experience. I am specifically trained in clinical psychology. I have a particular interest in working with physicians and healthcare professionals coping with burnout, vicarious trauma, and the unique stressors that come from balancing the demands of medical, legal, and organizational systems. Additionally, I often work with individuals navigating a variety of life challenges and transitions, including: • Career changes, relocations, and returning to school • Relationship and family concerns • Experiences of trauma and grief • Anxiety, depression, anger, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships • Workplace and career-related stress • Parenting challenges • The demands of caring for aging parents I strive to create a supportive and compassionate space for clients facing these concerns, helping them find clarity, resilience, and a path forward. I do not take a prescriptive or advice-giving stance. I believe that understanding why we think, feel, and behave in certain ways is key to meaningful change. Many people come to therapy wanting to change patterns they’ve identified as unhelpful or painful but find themselves repeating the same cycles despite their best efforts. This is often because even the most painful emotions or unwanted behaviors serve a function. I take the approach that these patterns developed for a reason and, oftentimes, are deeply rooted in past experiences. Thus, I believe therapy is not about giving advice—it's about helping you make sense of your internal world so that you can live more intentionally. About My Approach to Therapy For the most part, my approach to therapy draws from four frameworks: Family Systems, Relational, Insight-Oriented, and Acceptance-Based. Each of these perspectives offer unique, yet interrelated lenses through which we can understand and work with the concerns you bring into therapy. I aim to provide a warm, safe, and supportive space where we can explore: • Patterns in your thoughts, behaviors, and relationships • The impact of early life experiences and family dynamics • How cultural, social, and systemic factors have shaped you • The assumptions you make about yourself and others • The expectations you have about relationships and the way that interactions with people will go ________________________________________ Insight-Oriented My work is deeply informed by insight-oriented principles. I help clients slow down and take a closer look at the patterns in their thinking, emotions, and behaviors—especially those that feel automatic or difficult to change. Gaining insight into the origins and purposes of these patterns often makes room for more conscious choices and opens the door to lasting change. This approach often involves exploring the links between past and present: How did your early experiences shape your sense of self? What messages did you internalize about your worth, needs, or emotions? What dynamics might you be repeating in your relationships today? Insight is not about blame or “dwelling” on the past—it’s about making meaning of your experiences in a way that helps you feel more empowered and intentional in your present life. ________________________________________ Acceptance-Based Alongside insight, I incorporate acceptance-based ideas that help clients work with, rather than against, their internal experiences. Many people come to therapy with strong ideas about how they “should” think or feel—and judge themselves harshly when they fall short. Taking an acceptance-based involves learning to relate to yourself with greater compassion and curiosity. This might mean recognizing painful emotions—like fear, sadness, or anger—not as problems to be eliminated, but as signals to be understood. Rather than trying to control or avoid certain emotions, we focus on increasing your ability to tolerate and respond to them more flexibly. This can help reduce reactivity and make space for more values-aligned choices. By accepting what is, rather than constantly striving for what “should” be, people often find themselves more capable of creating meaningful and lasting change. ________________________________________ Family Systems I view people not in isolation but as part of larger systems that can have profound and long-lasting effects. Families-of-origin, in particular, are typically our earliest and most powerful source of learning about ourselves, others, and the world around us. Through daily, often subtle interactions, families shape our beliefs about who we are, what emotions are acceptable to express, how we should relate to others, what to expect from these relationships, and what roles we are expected to play (e.g., the helper, the peacekeeper, the scapegoat). These roles and rules are often unspoken and reinforced over time. Because these patterns are so subtle yet ingrained, they can be difficult to recognize and change—even for the most self-aware person. In therapy, I help clients explore the ongoing impact of these early systems on their present-day lives. We may focus on patterns of communication, experiencing and expressing emotions, and taking on roles passed down through generations and make links to your current day functioning. In some cases, we may use tools such as genograms (family trees that map relationship dynamics) to illustrate these patterns on paper to help you view yourself in context. ________________________________________ Relational In line with relational therapy, I believe that many of the difficulties people face are interpersonal in nature. As suggested above, our sense of self is shaped through relationships, and healing also happens within the context of relationships—including the therapeutic one. I place a strong emphasis on creating a safe, collaborative, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel seen, heard, and understood. In therapy, as part of helping clients to learn about their approaches to people, I invite clients to explore their reactions to me, the therapy process, and the therapeutic relationship itself. This includes noticing assumptions they may make about what I’m thinking or feeling, or how they imagine I’m responding to them. In turn, I may share some of my own responses (within appropriate therapeutic boundaries) to help clients gain insight into the relational dynamics they may experience outside of therapy. In this way, therapy becomes a “real-time” opportunity to examine and shift interaction patterns. Relational work is especially valuable in helping people practice new ways of connecting, setting boundaries, expressing needs, or tolerating discomfort within a supportive environment. ________________________________________ Integrative, Personalized Care While I draw from these four conceptual frameworks, I do not take a “one-size-fits-all” approach. I tailor therapy to each individual, depending on their goals, needs, and readiness for different types of work. Some people come to therapy for brief, solution-focused support around a specific issue. Others engage in longer-term therapy to understand deeper relational or emotional patterns. Both are valid and valuable. No matter the duration, I see therapy as a space for reflection, exploration, and growth. Together, we will work to understand how your past and present experiences shape your current challenges—and how you might begin to relate to yourself and others in new, more fulfilling ways. ________________________________________ My Background I grew up in the Midwest and earned a psychology degree from Grinnell College. Early lab work in neuroanatomy and neurology at the University of Iowa sparked my interest in the mind–body connection, leading to graduate training in clinical psychology. I completed my doctorate at Georgia State University, with clinical experience across diverse settings, followed by an internship at Vanderbilt and a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Davis. My training consistently focused on individuals from diverse and under-resourced backgrounds. As an Assistant Professor at UC Davis, I provided therapy, evaluations, and supervision in county clinics, and taught courses to psychology and medical trainees. I later worked at Kaiser Permanente, offering therapy to children and adolescents. Since 2007, I’ve maintained a private practice, now my primary focus. I also teach as a lecturer in the Psychology Department at Sacramento State, where I enjoy helping students connect psychology to everyday life. ________________________________________ The Importance of Fit Finding the right therapist can be a difficult and sometimes overwhelming process. The fit between a therapist and client is one of the most important factors in determining the success of therapy. You are welcome to contact me with questions or to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. You may also find it helpful to visit the American Psychological Association (APA) or the California Psychological Association (CPA) websites for additional information on finding a provider and understanding different approaches to therapy. ________________________________________ Starting Therapy – What to Expect 1. Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation We'll briefly discuss what you'd like to work on and your goals for therapy. 2. Initial Session (75 minutes) A chance for us to get to know each other. I’ll learn more about your background and current concerns, and you can ask questions. We'll assess whether we're a good fit, and I’ll share my impressions or suggest referrals if needed. I don’t provide a set timeline for treatment, as it varies by individual. We'll regularly check in to evaluate progress and make adjustments as needed. 3. Ongoing Therapy We typically start with weekly 50-minute sessions for the first few months. We can adjust frequency over time. It may take a few sessions to determine fit, and I may refer you elsewhere if I feel I’m no longer the best person to help. 4. Referrals When Needed If urgent issues arise or if either of us feels another provider may be a better fit—even after therapy has started—I will support you with appropriate referrals.