--- title: "My Approach | Fanshen Thompson, LCSW" description: "An integrated approach to couples and individual therapy drawing from Gottman Method, EFT, IFS, attachment theory, and somatic work — online across California." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": [ "ProfessionalService", "MedicalBusiness", "MedicalClinic" ], "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#business", "name": "Fanshen Thompson, LCSW", "url": "https://fanshenthompson.com", "logo": "https://fanshenthompson.com/og.jpg", "image": "https://fanshenthompson.com/og.jpg", "email": "fanshen@fanshenthompson.com", "priceRange": "$$$", "medicalSpecialty": "Mental Health", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Berkeley", "addressRegion": "CA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "State", "name": "California" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer service", "email": "fanshen@fanshenthompson.com" }, "founder": { "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#practitioner" }, "employee": { "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#practitioner" }, "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday" ], "opens": "09:00", "closes": "18:00" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/fanshen-thompson-lcsw-672425216/", "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086164215212", "https://pin.it/5enxDfD" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#practitioner", "name": "Fanshen Thompson", "honorificSuffix": "LCSW", "jobTitle": "Licensed Clinical Social Worker", "url": "https://fanshenthompson.com", "image": "https://fanshenthompson.com/og.jpg", "email": "fanshen@fanshenthompson.com", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Berkeley", "addressRegion": "CA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "worksFor": { "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#business" }, "hasCredential": [ { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "License", "identifier": "LCSW #25004", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "California Board of Behavioral Sciences" } } ], "knowsAbout": [ "Couples Therapy", "Relationship Therapy", "Sex Therapy", "Individual Therapy", "Intimacy", "Communication", "Attachment", "Sexual Shame", "Desire Discrepancy" ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/fanshen-thompson-lcsw-672425216/", "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086164215212", "https://pin.it/5enxDfD" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#website", "url": "https://fanshenthompson.com", "name": "Fanshen Thompson, LCSW", "publisher": { "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#business" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://fanshenthompson.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Approach", "item": "https://fanshenthompson.com/approach" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/about#person", "name": "Fanshen Thompson", "honorificSuffix": "LCSW", "jobTitle": "Licensed Clinical Social Worker", "image": "https://fanshenthompson.com/og.jpg", "url": "https://fanshenthompson.com/about", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://fanshenthompson.com/#organization" }, "knowsAbout": [ "Couples Therapy", "Sex Therapy", "Intimacy and Relationship Counseling", "Individual Psychotherapy" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://fanshenthompson.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Approach", "item": "https://fanshenthompson.com/approach" } ] } ] --- [![Fanshen Thompson, LCSW](/assets/logo-mark-DCWEUPFA.png)Fanshen Thompson LCSW ](/) [Home](/)[About](/about) Services Specialties [Approach](/approach)[Notes](/blog)[FAQ](/faq)[Resources](/resources) [Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation](/contact) Approach # Honest, warm, and rooted in _what actually works._ I draw from several evidence-based frameworks, but the real work happens in the relationship between us — and in your willingness to look inward. What's important to you is that you do not waste your time or money and that you work with a therapist who actually helps you make lasting change. That is what you will find here. The approach may or may not matter to you, but in case it interests you, here are some ways my work is informed: I am a certified Gottman trained couples therapist and draw from Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, attachment theory, and somatic practices. But more than any single modality, I bring myself: a real human who has done — and continues to do — this work. I believe lasting change comes from honesty. From being willing to look at what's underneath the conflict. From practicing new ways of relating until they become natural. That's the work we'll do together. ## The frameworks _I draw from._ ### Gottman Method A research-based framework for couples work that maps the strengths and strain points in a relationship and offers concrete, pattern-based interventions. I use this as one structural foundation, especially when couples want to understand and change recurring conflict cycles. [Read more about Gottman Method →](/approach/gottman-method) ### Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) EFT centers the attachment bond between partners. It helps couples name the longing and fear underneath the fight, so the same conflict stops playing out on repeat and partners can begin to reach for each other differently. ### Internal Family Systems (IFS) IFS offers a way to understand the different parts of ourselves that show up in relationship — the protective parts, the wounded parts, the parts that manage, and the Self that can lead with curiosity and compassion. This is especially useful when one person's reactions seem bigger than the moment warrants. ### Attachment Theory Our earliest experiences of love shape what we expect, fear, and reach for in adult relationships. Understanding your attachment pattern — and your partner's — makes sense of reactions that otherwise feel irrational or destructive. ### Somatic & Mindfulness-Based Work Change doesn't happen only through insight. It happens when the nervous system learns it can slow down, tolerate discomfort, and choose a new response. I bring attention to what is happening in the body in real time, because that's where old patterns live and where new ones get practiced. ## What you can _expect._ - A thorough beginning. We'll clarify what's bringing you in, what you've already tried, and what you want to be different. - A real human in the room. I am direct, warm, and unafraid of difficult material. I will not sit silently while you spin. - Work that goes beyond talk. We will slow down activation, name patterns as they happen, and practice new ways of relating in session so they become available at home. - No one-size-fits-all formula. The modalities are tools; the relationship in front of me is what guides which tool we use when. Begin ## Curious if this is the right fit? The first step is a free 20-minute consultation — a low-pressure conversation about what's been hard and whether my approach supports what you're looking for. [Schedule a Free 20-Minute Consultation](/contact) ![Fanshen Thompson, LCSW logo](/assets/logo-mark-DCWEUPFA.png) Relationship therapy for people who are ready for real change. Licensed Clinical Social Worker · LCSW #25004 [](https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/971893) Affiliations ![Gesher Community Care affiliate provider](/__l5e/assets-v1/7e4684e6-648d-48d4-892e-5c8678e89c88/gesher-community-care.png) Online Therapy Sessions held via secure video for clients across California. Hours Tue–Fri, 9am–6pm PT Contact [fanshen@fanshenthompson.com](mailto:fanshen@fanshenthompson.com)[Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation](/contact) [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fanshen-thompson-lcsw-672425216/)[](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086164215212)[](https://pin.it/5enxDfD) Explore - [About](/about) - [Therapy](/therapy) - [Therapy for Couples](/therapy/couples) - [Therapy for Individuals](/therapy/individuals) - [Sex Therapy](/therapy/sex-therapy) - [Notes](/blog) - [FAQ](/faq) - [Resources](/resources) - [Relationship Therapy in Berkeley](/relationship-therapy-berkeley) - [Find an Online Sex Therapist](/how-to-find-an-online-sex-therapist) - [Contact](/contact) Specialties - [Infidelity & Affair Recovery](/specialties/infidelity-affair-recovery) - [Desire Discrepancy](/specialties/desire-discrepancy) - [Sexual Shame](/specialties/sexual-shame) - [Communication Breakdown](/specialties/communication-breakdown) - [Anxious Attachment](/specialties/anxious-attachment-couples) - [Parenting Conflict](/specialties/parenting-conflict) In crisis? If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call or text [988](tel:988) (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call [911](tel:911). This site is not a substitute for emergency care. [Privacy](/privacy.html)[Terms](/terms.html)[Cookies](/cookie.html)[Disclosures](/disclaimers.html)[Good Faith Estimate](/good-faith-estimate.html)[Accessibility](/accessibility)[Cookie Settings](/cookie.html) Contacting this practice does not establish a therapist–client relationship. Individual outcomes vary. Nothing on this site guarantees a specific clinical result. © 2026 Fanshen Thompson, LCSW. All rights reserved. Photography by Allison Busch Website by [Automaus.ai](https://automaus.ai) Your privacy matters Functional cookies are required. Analytics and marketing cookies are off by default — you choose. 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