Stress Therapy in Marin County & San Francisco Bay Area | Tamara Pancoe,LMFT, PMH-C

If you’re new here, I’m Tamara Pancoe, LMFT, a therapist supporting women across Marin County & the San Francisco Bay Area who feel overwhelmed by stress, pressure, or emotional overload. If you’ve been moving through life on autopilot handling everything, managing everyone’s needs, and quietly holding more than anyone realizes you’re in the right place. Stress therapy can help you understand what’s underneath your exhaustion and give your body a place to slow down, reset, and breathe again. Together, we’ll make sense of what’s been building inside you so you can feel more grounded, steady, and in control of your life again.

What is stress therapy?

Stress therapy is a supportive process that helps you understand how chronic pressure affects your mind, body, and relationships. Instead of pushing yourself into another coping strategy or productivity hack, this approach helps you explore stress at its roots your nervous system responses, emotional patterns, and the expectations you’ve carried for years. Through guided awareness, somatic tools, and compassionate exploration, stress therapy creates space for your system to decompress and recover. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress, but to help you meet life with more clarity, resilience, and inner steadiness.

Most common symptoms of chronic stress

  • Feeling constantly overwhelmed even with simple decisions or tasks
  • Irritability or emotional reactivity that feels out of character
  • Difficulty sleeping or waking up already tired
  • Muscle tension, headaches, or jaw clenching
  • Trouble focusing or making decisions
  • Feeling numb, disconnected, or easily depleted
  • Overthinking or spiraling thoughts
  • Increased guilt, pressure, or self-criticism

 How do I know if I need stress therapy?

Ask yourself:

  • Do I feel like I’m always “on” and can’t turn my mind off?
  • Do I collapse at the end of the day because I’ve pushed myself too far?
  • Do I often feel guilty when I rest or slow down?
  • Have I stopped recognizing myself in the middle of so much responsibility?
  • Does my body feel tense or overloaded most of the time?
  • Am I functioning, but not truly feeling present or at ease?

If these questions hit home, stress therapy can help you recenter and reclaim your emotional bandwidth.

How I support stress therapy in Marin County & the San Francisco Bay Area and nearby areas

My approach to stress therapy is gentle, steady, and deeply attuned to your nervous system. We start by helping your body feel safe enough to slow down from there, we explore the patterns, pressures, and expectations that keep you in survival mode. I integrate somatic awareness, mindfulness-based tools, emotional processing work, and attachment-focused therapy to help you understand where stress lives in your body and how to release it. Together, we’ll create a more sustainable way of moving through your days so you can feel grounded, clear, and connected again.

What topics we can talk about in stress therapy?

  • Understanding your stress triggers and nervous system responses
  • Slowing down perfectionism and high-pressure expectations
  • Creating boundaries that protect your energy
  • Releasing guilt around rest and self-care
  • Healing emotional exhaustion and chronic overwhelm
  • Exploring attachment, relationships, and internalized pressure
  • Rebuilding steady routines and inner safety

How it works

Setting the Foundation


This step helps us create a supportive framework that reflects your needs and intentions.

Building Awareness and Understanding


Together, we will explore where certain reactions come from and begin to understand what has been keeping you stuck. 

Creating Change and Cultivating Growth


As therapy progresses, we will focus on developing practical tools and new ways of responding that align with your goals.

Stress therapy specialist in Marin County & San Francisco Bay Area

I’m Tamara Pancoe, LMFT, a therapist who supports women navigating stress, overwhelm, and burnout. I understand how easy it is to keep functioning while feeling disconnected on the inside. Stress therapy offers you a space where you don’t have to keep holding everything together alone. My work focuses on helping you feel more regulated, emotionally supported, and in tune with what your body needs to recover.

Tips & resources for coping with stress

  • Practice short grounding exercises throughout the day
  • Build micro-moments of rest instead of waiting for a full break
  • Limit multitasking to give your nervous system space
  • Use breathwork to calm physical tension
  • Identify what drains your energy vs. what restores it
  • Reach out for support instead of carrying everything alone

Hi, I’m Tamara. I’m so glad you’ve found your way here.

I am a licensed therapist dedicated to helping my clients heal and find hope while navigating the waves of life.

Therapy investment

I help women who feel anxious, depleted, or emotionally stretched thin find steadiness, clarity, and a deeper sense of self-trust. 


Whether you’re navigating anxiety, a major life change, or simply trying to keep up with the demands of daily life, therapy with me offers a soft place to land and feel supported.

$200 per 50 minute session

FAQ

How quickly does stress therapy work?

Every person’s nervous system is different. Some women feel relief within a few sessions, while others need more time to unwind patterns built over years. We go at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.

Can stress therapy help with physical symptoms like tension or headaches?

Yes. Stress often shows up in the body. Through somatic tools, grounding practices, and emotional processing, many clients notice physical relief as their stress decreases.

What’s the difference between burnout and stress?

Stress is your body’s natural response to pressure, something we all experience at different points in life. Burnout develops when that stress goes unaddressed for too long, leaving you emotionally depleted, disconnected, and unable to access the resilience you once had. Stress therapy helps you understand what your system is trying to communicate before it reaches burnout, and offers support even if you’re already there.

 Is stress therapy only for people who feel overwhelmed?

Not at all. Many women begin stress therapy before things “fall apart.” It’s a space to slow down, listen to what your body has been holding, and prevent overwhelm from building in the first place. Whether you’re functioning well on the outside or barely holding it together on the inside, therapy can help you create steadier patterns and a more grounded way of moving through your days.

Can stress therapy help my relationships?

Yes. Chronic stress affects how present, patient, and emotionally available you feel with the people you care about. When your system is overloaded, it’s harder to communicate clearly, set boundaries, or feel connected. As therapy helps your body regulate and release tension, you naturally show up with more clarity, empathy, and steadiness improving connection in your relationships without forcing it.