San Francisco · Depth-Oriented Psychotherapy
The Gerdenio Manuel Center for Psychotherapy is a practice devoted to the slow, careful work of understanding — helping individuals and couples meet what is difficult and move toward a more alive and integrated life.
The Work
We practice psychotherapy as a relationship — a sustained, attentive collaboration in which insight and lived, embodied experience open the way to change.
Our orientation is psychodynamic and depth-oriented, informed by attachment, contemporary research on the moment-to-moment process of change, and an abiding respect for each person's history, culture, and meaning. We integrate evidence-based methods for communication and repair where they serve the work. The aim is not the temporary removal of symptoms but a return to their root — and the freedom that follows.
Areas of Practice
Depth-oriented psychotherapy for adults navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, life transitions, addiction and recovery, questions of identity, and the search for meaning.
Learn more →A space for partners to understand recurring patterns, repair rupture, and rebuild trust — combining depth psychology with practical tools for communication and connection.
Learn more →Thoughtful, collaborative assessment that clarifies diagnostic questions and treatment direction — translating findings into language that is useful and humane.
Learn more →“ He isn't the kind of therapist to merely work on temporarily removing symptoms but rather, he follows the symptom to the core and affords his client space for a corrective experience so that the root simply no longer produces said symptom. — Beau Scott, PsyD, on Dr. Manuel
About the Name
The Center is named in honor of our founder and senior mentor, Dr. Gerdenio "Sonny" Manuel. The name was chosen as a tribute to his life's work as a psychologist, teacher, and guide — and to the tradition of compassionate, rigorous care we carry forward.
Read our story
We welcome your questions about psychotherapy, our practice, and whether our work might be a good fit. Reaching out is a first step, not a commitment.
Contact the Center