(she/her)
My name is Inna Kuchmenko and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in San Francisco, California and working with clients statewide via telehealth. I decided to become a therapist after a fulfilling 15-year career in health, fitness, lifestyle and wellness coaching. I have always wanted to help people in every possible way I could and addressing the mind-body connection made a lot of sense to me. In preparation for this moment of my professional life I have consistently said yes to multiple roles and settings. I have worked in foster care mental health, as a school-based counselor, family therapist in a private practice setting, parenting coach in a wilderness program, social-emotional counselor with kids on the Autism spectrum and, most recently a couples therapist and relationship coach in a large agency. I love to learn, to bring my whole being into the room with clients, to be of service and to watch my clients grow into the most complete and thriving versions of themselves.
One of the best ways to describe our first session is as a time to get to know each other. We will begin with an emotional check in and a mindful moment to regulate your nervous system, because, a regulated autonomic nervous system is flexible and open to connection, creative possibility and problem solving. We will then spend a good chunk of our time talking about what brings you into therapy, your symptoms and challenges, your life circumstances and how your mental health challenges are impacting your life and relationships. I will ask you a series of holistic questions about your mental/emotional/spiritual health, your intimate relationships, your work and career-related stress and your physical health. This is what we, in shrink-talk, call a biopsychosocial assessment, meaning all of your symptoms and all the ways your environment, both internal and external, impacts how you interact with yourself and others and how you feel about yourself and the world around you. Each one of us is different and unique and our presenting concerns are as one of a kind as our finger prints. I am curious about your unique presentation and you and I together will define a series of goals in this first session.
My approach to therapy is deeply rooted in a client-centered and holistic understanding of each and every client and their presenting concerns. My therapeutic style is influenced by positivity, hope, meeting folks where they are and guiding them to a place of thriving in their lives. I like to work collaboratively from a full-respect model with each client that I see and use my presence that is rooted in unconditional positive regard plus my experiences of having lived and worked in a wide range of cultural contexts. I am trained in so many different modalities that it would bore you to read all the acronyms. Here are some of the most influential ones: Relational Life Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol (Polyvagal Theory), Diabolical Behavioral Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and so many more. My style and approach is a good fit for clients of all ages who are interested in taking an introspective look at their presenting challenges. Over the years I have developed a specialty of working with folks who are going through impactful life transitions such as changing careers, getting married, becoming parents, leaving a partnership, starting a business, becoming empty nesters, retiring from a long career, experiencing a physical illness, getting diagnosed with a health condition, loosing a loved one and other impactful life events. In these challenging times my clients present with symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and a general feeling of "stuckness". I work to help my clients navigate these transitional periods and to build skills that allow them to feel better about themselves and develop a more positive outlook on life.
I enjoy working with individual adults and couples and specialize in treating anxiety, depression, stress, and relational challenges, using an eclectic approach of Relational Life Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment, Polyvagal and Solutions-Focused Therapy to help my clients make progress and start feeling better.
Other specialties
I identify as
Attachment-based
Together, we will take a look at your relational experiences growing up. We will dive into identifying and understanding your unique presenting concern through the lens of attachment theory. Attaching to a select few caregivers (parents, grandparents, foster parents, coaches, mentors, friends) throughout our development is an experience that is fundamental to how we experience attachment as adults. There is nothing more human than the need to attach, to feel safe and to relate. When we experience difficult or inconsistent attachment patterns in our early years, adult relationships (romantic, friendships, professional) can be challenging. And, here is the hopeful punchline -- attachment styles are not set in stone. Through the power of introspection, awareness and a willingness to change we can evolve our capacity to safely attach and thrive in relationships.
Polyvagal Therapy
Dr. Steven Porges coined the term "neuroception" (our Autonomic Nervous Systems "talking" to each other and impacting each other at all times). One of his brightest students Deb Dana brought polyvagal theory to the world of psychotherapy and healing. She pioneered an approach of making sure that our nervous systems are safe and regulated in a therapeutic setting. Makes total sense, doesn't it? In order to make the changes we need to make in therapy and in life we need to feel safe. "Safe before sound" is the expression used in the Polyvagal community and it means that a regulated nervous system is calm, open and ready for change. When in an emotionally regulated place we can see and take in many perspectives, think creatively, engage in play, have capacity to learn new things and build positive interpersonal relationships. Think of the Polyvagal Therapy as your roadmap to JOY and I, your therapist, am your guide on the journey there.
Strength-Based
I believe a strength-based approach is less of a modality and more of a state of mind and a way of being. Think of a friend, family member or a co-woker who has the type of presence that makes you want to be around them... What is it about them? You may think they are a good listener, or a "glass-half-full" kind of a person, understanding, loving... You may be able tell them things about yourself you are less likely to share with others. My guess is that they know and value your strengths and are able to point them out just when you most need to hear it. A strength-based approach, with its roots in Positive Psychology shares that same belief that even in our darkest moments when problems are in the forefront of our minds we can reach deep within and pull out our strengths. Think of those strengths as training wheels on a bike. We use them to support ourselves to make the journey of change just a bit more doable.