Rob Daroff
I’m Robert Daroff, MD, a psychiatrist with more than 30 years of experience helping people navigate life’s challenges. From 1994 to 2026, I served as a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF and as an outpatient psychiatrist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. I completed my medical training at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and my psychiatry residency at UCSF. In addition to my civilian practice, I served as a psychiatrist in the U.S. Army Reserves until 2023, with deployments that included supporting frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis in Philadelphia and serving overseas in Kuwait.
I have a particular interest in supporting the mental health of people engaged in animal advocacy and animal sanctuary work.
My work is shaped not only by my clinical background, but also by decades of activism. Since 1983, I’ve been an activist in the queer community, and for more than 11 years, I’ve been active in animal rights. I have a particular interest in supporting the mental health of people engaged in animal advocacy and animal sanctuary work.
First session
In our first session, we’ll focus on clarifying your goals for seeking care and exploring ideas and options for how to reach them together. There’s nothing you need to do to prepare other than completing a brief intake questionnaire. My goal is to begin getting to know you—your experiences, your values, and what you’d like to see change in your life—so we can start building a path forward that feels right for you.
Strengths
I feel deeply honored to work in this profession, and my goal is that you never feel like just a number or a “case.” I want you to feel truly seen, heard, and valued for who you are, and to know that your experiences and your goals matter.
Ideal clients
Because my private practice is limited to a few hours per week and I work independently, I am not able to provide the level of support needed for severe mental illness or active addiction. Those clients are best served in larger or more intensive treatment settings. I work with adults facing a wide range of challenges, offering individualized care that draws from several evidence-based and creative approaches, including: • Support and coaching for managing life stressors and relationship challenges • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for mood and anxiety concerns • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for trauma and stress-related issues • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) • Mindfulness-based coaching • Expressive arts therapies • Nature-based therapy (ecotherapy) • Medication treatment options
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT is especially useful for clarifying personal values and reconfiguring behaviors to align with those values. It is one modality a client may choose when working with me.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT provides useful skills for managing unhelpful thoughts and emotions. It is another modality a client may choose when working with me, and may be interwoven with other modalities.
EMDR
EMDR can be useful for processing memories of difficult experiences that when unprocessed, can strongly negatively impact our current functioning.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness practices can be very useful for a wide range of mental health concerns, especially anxiety and depression. Mindfulness practices can be woven into other modalities of therapy or be a primary focus.
Motivational Interviewing
MI is useful for helping clients identify health related goals and for fostering motivation to make desired changes in life. It can be woven into other modalities of therapy or be the primary focus.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions14 Roslyn Ct, Oakland, CA 94618, (home office)
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense A 50253