Meet Rain

Rain SussmanExperience and understanding are qualities you can expect from your therapist.  I bring fifteen years of counseling experience to our collaboration with specializations in anxiety, depression and eating disorders.  Having worked at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center for nine years, I maintain an advisory role on complex cases as a member of the hospital’s Ethics Committee.

In addition to practicing psychotherapy, I currently teach psychology and CBT at John F. Kennedy University and provide clinical supervision and consultation to mental health professionals.  I am a long-time mindfulness practitioner and student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, whose teachings on cultivating happiness deeply inform my work and life.

My early career centered on leading extended wilderness expeditions through programs including Outward Bound and Second Nature Wilderness Therapy.  I still enjoy spending time in wild nature, especially the Sierra Nevada mountains, and have a profound appreciation for the healing power of the great outdoors. For interested clients, I am able to offer nature therapy from the comfort of my private office-plus-garden in Berkeley.  Feel free to contact me if you are curious about nature therapy, mindfulness, CBT, or any other aspect of my work.