Home › Psychotherapy
Collaborative, insight-oriented therapy to navigate personal and professional challenges, improve relationships, and build lasting emotional resilience.
The Work
Psychotherapy is a shared, collaborative effort between patient and therapist aimed at the alleviation of suffering and the improvement of health and well-being. Together we work to understand the patterns — conscious and unconscious — that shape how you think, feel, and relate to others.
Often, the solutions we developed to navigate early challenges become counterproductive when our circumstances change. We continue applying them out of habit, even when they no longer serve us — creating frustration in work and relationships. Exploring these patterns with a trusted therapist can open the door to new ways of understanding yourself.
Treatment may be brief and problem-focused or longer-term and exploratory, depending on your individual needs and goals. All appointments are conducted via secure video conference or phone call.
Areas of Focus
Psychotherapy addresses a wide range of personal, emotional, and relational challenges.
Understanding and managing anxiety, depression, and the underlying patterns that sustain them.
Recognizing and shifting recurring patterns that create conflict or disconnection in personal and professional relationships.
Navigating major changes — career shifts, relationship changes, loss, or periods of uncertainty and personal reinvention.
Building a clearer, more stable sense of self — and developing greater confidence in personal and professional settings.
Addressing obstacles to career satisfaction, leadership effectiveness, and sustainable high performance at work.
Developing stronger, more flexible coping skills to manage stress, setbacks, and life's inevitable challenges.
Philosophy
At the heart of this work is a trusting and respectful therapeutic relationship. Dr. Gardner brings a genuinely collaborative spirit — listening carefully, working together to understand your unique experiences, and co-creating solutions that fit your life.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, treatment is tailored to each individual: their history, goals, and pace. The aim is not just symptom relief — it is greater self-knowledge, increased confidence, and a fuller, more satisfying life.
Treatment may range from focused, brief therapy addressing a specific concern to longer-term psychodynamic work exploring deeper patterns in your life and relationships.
"Working together, we listen, understand, and create better solutions."
— Dan Gardner, MD
Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst · Del Mar, California
Individual sessions, typically weekly
Brief, problem-focused therapy available
Longer-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for deeper work
All sessions via secure video or phone
Explore Further
Deeper, longer-term exploration to uncover unconscious patterns and foster profound transformation.
Learn moreBuild on your core strengths to overcome obstacles and achieve greater fulfillment.
Learn moreTargeted coaching to communicate more clearly in personal and professional settings.
Learn moreTelehealth Appointments Only
All appointments are conducted via secure video conference or phone call — providing convenient, private care from wherever you are in San Diego and beyond. Dr. Gardner is not currently accepting new patients. Existing patients are welcome to reach out directly.
For existing patients and professional inquiries. All appointments conducted via video conference or phone.