About me.
Since 1994, I have practiced psychotherapy in a variety of settings, including a maximum security penitentiary, an outpatient adolescent drug and alcohol program, a community mental program, a mandatory counseling program for DUI offenders, a Kaiser child and adolescent psychiatric clinic as well as several outpatient psychotherapy clinics working with adults, adolescents, children and couples.
I received a M.S.Ed. in Community Counseling from Duquesne University in 1995 and a Psy.D. in Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Alameda, in 2002. I have been in private practice since 2003. I have also supervised practicum and intern students at Haight-Ashbury Psychological Services and The Psychotherapy Institute. I also have received psychoanalytic training at the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California. Please see my CV for more detailed information as to my experience.
I am an Editor with the online journal Critica, a journal focusing on psychoanalysis, the arts, poetry, criticism, and more. Please click here to check it out!
Education
Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California
San Francisco, CA
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Post Seminar Candidate in Psychoanalysis
September 2013 – September 2021
California School of Professional Psychology
Alameda, CA
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Psy.D. in Psychology
August 2002
Duquesne University, School of Education
Pittsburgh, PA
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M.S.Ed in Community Counseling
December 1995
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
New York, NY
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B.F.A. in Film Production
May 1990
Experience
The Psychotherapy Institute | Supervisor
Berkeley, CA
September 2024 - Present
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Supervising doctoral and master’s level students in training
Kaiser Permanente Oakland Psychiatry Residency
Program | Supervisor
Oakland, CA
April 2022 - July 1, 2025
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Supervising psychiatric residents in psychodynamic treatment
Private Practice | Psychologist
San Francisco, CA
April 2020 - Present
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Conducting psychotherapy with adolescents, couples, and adults
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Treating depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, ADD, substance abuse and addiction, LGBT issues, personality disorders, trauma related disorders, bipolar disorder.
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Providing reports for court mandated treatment, for disability reports, and for court cases involving patients
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Supervising psychologists in training
Private Practice | Psychologist
Alameda, CA
May 2013 - April 2020
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Conducting psychotherapy with adolescents, couples, and adults.
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Treating depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, ADD, substance abuse and addiction, LGBT issues, personality disorders, trauma related disorders, bipolar disorder.
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Providing reports for court mandated treatment, for disability reports, and for court cases involving patients.
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Supervising psychologists in training.
Private Practice | Psychologist
San Francisco, CA
May 2012 to June 2014
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Conducting psychotherapy with adolescents, couples, and adults
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Treating depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, ADD, substance abuse and addiction, LGBT issues, personality disorders, trauma related disorders, bipolar disorder
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Providing reports for court mandated treatment, for disability reports, and for court cases involving patients
Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California | Co-Chair of Community Membership Committee
San Francicso, CA
April 2012 to August 2015
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Coordinating events for PINC’s Community Membership
Haight-Ashbury Psychological Services | Supervisor
San Francisco, CA
July 2011 to September 2021
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Individual supervisor for doctoral and master’s level interns
California Counseling Associates | Psychologist
Alameda, CA
October 2003 to April 2013
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Conducting treatment for children, adolescents, couples, families, and parents
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Treating depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, ADD, substance abuse and addiction, LGBT issues, personality disorders, trauma related disorders, bipolar disorder
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Providing reports for court mandated treatment, for disability reports, and for court cases involving patients
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Co-owner of group practice
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Child Psychiatry | Psychological Assistant
Santa Clara, CA
September 2002 to August 2003
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Conducting individual treatment for children, adolescents, families, and parents
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Co-leading time limited group treatment for children, adolescents, families, and parents
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Assessing children and adolescents with psychological assessments such as Rorschach, Roberts Apperception Test, Figure Drawings, MACI and MMPI-A
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Completing written evaluations of children and adolescents
C. A. T. S., Counseling Services for Drinking Drivers | DUI Treatment Counselor
San Francicso, CA
March 2001 to July 2002
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Conducted group and individual treatment for DUI offenders involving psychoeducational groups for substance addiction and abuse as individual treatment for substance abuse
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Conducted random breathalyzer tests for DUI offenders
Pathways Counseling Center, Girls, Inc. | Doctoral Intern
San Leandro, CA
September 2000 to August 2002
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Conducted individual therapy with children, adolescents, and adults
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Conducted family therapy
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Assessing clients for treatment
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Conducted time limited counseling for adolescents and parents through school program
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Conducted therapy with adolescents at Skyline High School and Life Academy High School in Oakland
O.M.I. Family Center | Practicum student
San Francisco, CA
September 1999 to July 2000
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Conducted weekly play therapy with children and adolescents
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Co-led weekly group therapy for adolescent boys
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Conducted weekly individual therapy with mentally ill adults
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Assessed incoming clients and completed all necessary paperwork
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Assessed incoming clients
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Completed treatment plans
Haight-Ashbury Psychological Services | Practicum student
San Francisco, CA
August 1998 to August 1999
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Conducted weekly long-term and short-term individual therapy with adults from various multi-cultural backgrounds on a variety of issues
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Co-led weekly group therapy for gay men
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Completed histories and treatment plans
Mon-Yough Corrections Program, Ielase Institute of Forensic Psychology | Drug and Alcohol Therapist
Pittsburgh, PA
June 1995 to July 1997
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Conducted long-term individual and group therapy with inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh involving inmates with substance addiction and abuse issues
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Taught psycho-educational classes about substance addiction and abuse for inmates
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Assessed incoming clients
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Completed psycho-social histories and treatment plans
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Conducted individual and group therapy with psychotic inmates
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Conducted individual treatment with sex offenders
Family Resource | Intern
Pittsburgh, PA
April 1994 to July 1995
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Conducted long-term individual and group therapy with adult and adolescents relating to issues surrounding sexual, emotional, and physical abuse
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Assisted supervision over children in preschool
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Completed case histories and formulated treatment plans
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Completed assessments for incoming clients
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Conducted telephone intakes
St. Francis Outreach for Chemical Dependency | Intern
Monroeville, PA
November 1994 to May 1995
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Conducted individual and group therapy with adolescents with substance addiction and abuse issues
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Co-led group therapy with families of adolescents with substance addiction and abuse issues
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Assessed incoming clients
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Completed psycho-social histories and formulated treatment plans
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Conducted psycho-educational classes for adolescents
Pineapple Alliance AIDS Caregivers | Volunteer
New York, NY
November 1990 to December 1991
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Co-organized social events for AIDS patients at Roosevelt and St. Vincent’s Hospitals
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Co-hosted parties for AIDS wards and served patients who were physically unable to leave their rooms
Publication
Perna, S. (2022). Psychotherapy, Hermeneutics, and Relationality: Certainty Is a Dangerous Commodity. In Philip Cushman (Ed.) Hermeneutic Approaches to Interpretative Research: Dissertations in a Different Key (pp. 165-172). Routledge.
References
Available upon request
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