EXPERIENTIAL psychotherapy:
ERICKSONIAN, mindfulness-based
Josie Valderrama, PsyD
I am a psychologist based in San Francisco specializing in gender, sexual & relational diversity + ethnic diversity + neurodiversity with a focus on addressing anxiety and related issues through an integrative mindfulness-experiential lens.
Background
A San Francisco resident for 30 years, I was born and raised within the historic Filipino community of Echo Park in central Los Angeles, with Pangasinan and Scandinavian family roots. Living across different cultural worlds from an early age gave me firsthand familiarity with adaptation, code-switching, belonging, and the complexity of identity.
My clinical orientation is grounded in direct-lineage Ericksonian psychotherapy and informed by decades of study and experience across contemplative, experiential, and cross-cultural traditions. My broader training includes formal study of shamanic traditions, practicum experience working with Indigenous communities, and training in Vipassana meditation; I have maintained a meditation practice for more than 25 years.
Outside my clinical work, I am an independent author and have longstanding ties to Bay Area alternative culture and the exploration of consciousness. These influences contribute to a therapeutic approach that welcomes complexity, difference, and unconventional ways of understanding human experience while remaining grounded in psychological practice.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Journal: Prompts and Techniques to Practice Acceptance While Building the Life You Want (Callisto Media) is a self-help book I authored in 2022.
Bay Area Open Minds: Kink Aware & Poly Friendly Psychotherapists Founding Member
Headway Profile-Verify Benefits (for Clients using Insurance)
Kink Aware Professionals - National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
Therapinay.com - Therapin*y Directory: Therapists & Healers for Filipino/a/x People
Outcare Health- LGBTQ+ Health Directory
A Note About Online Listings:
You may come across my name or profile on websites or directories where I have not personally chosen to be listed. Some of these sites may even include buttons to message or contact me, but please know that I may not receive those messages—and these platforms are not affiliated with my practice.
If you’re ever unsure whether a listing is legitimate, a good rule of thumb is this: if I haven’t linked to it here on my website, it’s best to contact me directly. I want to make sure your message reaches me and that your privacy is respected.
Healing Space
My office is an urban sanctuary in the heart of the vibrant Mission District in San Francisco
"Dr. Josie's office is a cozy and comforting space that makes you feel at home. It's at a great location, has a private waiting room and nice eclectic furnishings. I look forward to my time there."
For cliENTS
Interested in the experiential and trance-based approaches I use in psychotherapy?
Learn more about Conscious Trancework, my developing third-wave Ericksonian approach to psychotherapy.
drjosie@drjosievalderrama.com
415-320-8173
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Josie Valderrama, PsyD (she or they) Clinical Psychologist, License PSY27913
Mindfulness-Based & Ericksonian Psychotherapy
"I go by 'Dr Josie, Dr V, Josie, Dr Valderrama' - whichever feels comfortable for you."
BLACK LIVES MATTER
For Clinicians
I am a Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) continuing education provider and will be offering live trainings in Conscious Trancework, my third-wave Ericksonian-based approach to experiential psychotherapy.