As taught in her book, Dr. Burgess specializes in treating the core anxiety, depression, and loss of self that can ensue when one is in problematic relationships with difficult or personality-disordered individuals. In addition to relationships and boundaries, Dr. Burgess specializes in couples counseling, EMDR, anxiety, stress, depression, bulimia, boundaries in the social media and group therapy. (To learn more about this psychologist and her private practice, please click on to the link, "Dr. Burgess's Private Practice" in the upper left corner of this page).

Dr. Burgess graduated with Honors and Distinction in psychology from The University of California at Berkeley. She received her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from The California School of Professional Psychology in Berkeley/Alameda. Her doctoral dissertation and undergraduate honor's thesis focussed on the topic of bulimia. As a San Francisco psychologist, she is a member of the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychologists.

Dr. Burgess is also a graduate from The Berkeley Psychic Institute in Berkeley, California, where she received extensive training in meditation, metaphysical principles and the healing arts. As a psychologist with both traditional and esoteric background, she reaches a wide audience with her approach to therapy. In her book, How to Grow a Second Skin for Your Soul, she eloquently bridges psychological theory with metaphysics, spirituality and meditation to guide the reader through the invaluable journey of individuation and developing healthy boundaries, thus emancipating your soul.

"How to Grow a Second Skin for Your Soul integrates the spiritual with a psychodynamic approach to suffering and healing. It is a necessary and helpful idea."

Frederic Luskin, Ph.D.
               Psychologist and Author of Forgive For Good:
               A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness
               Stanford University

From the BACK COVER OF HER BOOK, by psychologist, Alisa S. Burgess, Ph.D.:

How to Grow A Second Skin for Your Soul: For Those Who Feel Hurt, Judged, Criticized, Abandoned, Invalidated, When Someone Else Acts Like a Jerk (Oaklea Press, 2002) is for the openhearted and sensitive soul who is prone to losing his or her boundaries in relationships. Others may easily hurt this individual. Such a person may have difficulty expressing true feelings because of the fear that others will react negatively towards them. They may be afraid that if they speak their truth, others will become angry and abandon them, criticize, judge, invalidate, punish or send them on a guilt trip. As a result, the "self" or soul of this person may be imprisoned by dependency on others and the fear of how others may react. If this describes you,  "How to Grow a Second Skin for Your Soul" may offer the help you need to emancipate your soul. This book can help guide you through the process of the development of healthy boundaries so that you become solid within your "self." In short, this book may be just the tonic you need to set yourself free to live life fully, perhaps for the very first time...

                                                                ******

                 To learn more about Dr. Burgess's Book, Background, Private Practice, Groups/Workshops/Retreats, Publications, and Radio Talk Shows/Appearances, please click on to the specific links in the upper left corner of this page. 

                                                                ******

                                                     Alisa S. Burgess, Ph.D.                                                                                                                              Psychologist 

                           391 Sutter Street, Suite 614, San Francisco, CA  94108

                                     Office and Appointments: (415) 986-5078