*Please note, all of these comments were offered voluntarily. I feel honored by such kind words and am grateful for the opportunity to have provided a helpful service to my current and former clients. Privacy is a foundation of good therapy, so I have removed identifying information to protect and preserve client anonymity.
Testimonials From Colleagues
“ Michael Quirke is a well respected authority amongst Bay Area therapists for his devotion to helping women and men learn how to resolve their trauma, and get control over depression, anxiety and anger. He is known for his Mindfulness Based Anger Skills groups, and his expertise goes well beyond what most people think of as “Anger Management”. He helps clients find and heal the deeper source of their feelings so that they don’t have to spend their lives “managing” them. He can help you stop the damage that painful emotions do to you and the people who mean the most to you.”
~ Sara Bunce, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Couple’s Institute -Menlo Park
“Michael Quirke is an experienced, thoughtful and committed therapist with expertise in anger issues. Currently, he facilitates individual, couples and group work focused on this topic. He has had significant success in changing clients’ attitudes toward themselves, their relationship with anger, as well as the personal relationships that are damaged by angers’ impact. Clients have spoken highly of the significance of his approaches. His tools have helped immensely, and many have gone on to lead a distinctly different and healthy life”
~ Jamie Moran, Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Menlo Park and San Francisco
Testimonials From Clients
Hi Michael,
My stress with my company doesn’t knock me out of whack like it used to when we started.
Yesterday I was talking with my wife and she thanked me for how attentive I was to her over the last few months. She said that she has noticed that I am longer seem distracted/ impatient, all over the place- like I have a million other things on my mind.
She also said, and I agree with her, that I am just more calm and present than she has ever known me to be.
I feel extremely satisfied and pleased. We have accomplished a lot together. I can’t think of a way that this therapy could have gone better.
My wife and I are on the same page now. I’m listening better to her and to my team and customers and not having to work to make myself listen. So we are having good productive conversations. I have gotten great results from our neurofeedback work, compared to my experience with ADHD medications and it was definitely a cool way to do therapy!
~ R. in San Francisco
“I was so nervous and was convinced even if I got in, I was going to be thrown out of grad school for being an imposter. I just received my Ph.D. and haven’t had a panic attack in two years. I even gave a presentation to the the board of directors for_______ and it was fun. I couldn’t have imagined this was even possible because for twenty years, I was filled with fear and self consciousness all the time. It’s kind of surreal that it’s over. Thank you.
~H. in San Francisco
The therapy and neurofeedback brain training work was pivotal.
Didn’t think it was possible to feel this good because I used to think everyone felt stressed always, and that was just the deal.
But no.
Productivity way up.
Piles off my desk.
Racing through the emails avalanche.
Way more organized than I was.
Complex projects don’t intimidate me.
Way less stressed.
Cool headed.
Remembering details more clearly from dense meetings.
Moodiness and over- emotionality stopped.
Head doesn’t feel like it’s going to pop.
Thanks.
~ J. in Woodside
I was short tempered, dominated by verbal explosions directed at those most meaningful to me. My anger is under control. I no longer hurt those I love. I am aware of the reasons for which I used my anger, unsuccessfully, and that awareness has helped me realize that the way I expressed my anger was inappropriate, unproductive, and harmful to those I love.
The awareness of what I was trying to get my anger to “do”, which I’ve grown to learn was an attempt to change and control people whose behaviors and actions I found to be objectionable, has helped me immensely. I never thought of trying to figure this out on my own. It never occurred to me that I was using my anger to “get” something, or change something about others in attempt to please myself. This awareness and realization has been instrumental in changing my attitude about anger, and has helped me to learn to express myself more appropriately.
~ D. in San Francisco
“I got the one thing that I wanted: the choice to be angry or not. When I choose to be angry about something, I can now manage my anger in a healthy way.
I used to have only one option: losing control of my anger/emotions. And I verbally hurt the people I love most. ‘Sorry, I just get angry. You have to deal with it. I can’t help it’. That was always my excuse.
The love of my life broke up with me because of the impact my anger had on her. I had been involved in self development work: therapy, seminars, workshops, for most of my life. In all that work, I never really dealt with or took full responsibility for my anger.
I was scared walking in. I had no idea what kind of people would be in such a group. I was quickly humbled. The caliper of people in our group is quite amazing. I am blown away by the the impact the group has had on me. It is a huge part of why I made so much progress.
After 21 sessions, my ex said to me “I have seen a real change in you. I’m proud of you and your progress”. She is in the process of forgiving me and is open to getting back together.
I think anyone can benefit from our groups and I will never , never get over them!!!”
~ K. in East Bay
“I met with Michael Quirke regularly for about a year. In every session he listened attentively and with patience, showing genuine interest in my well-being. His warmth and calm enabled me to feel comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings.
Minds, like fingerprints, are unique, and so are the experiences and issues that each person brings to therapy. Michael quickly grasped my situation and taught me the skills I needed. They have proved to be valuable in many and unexpected ways. I first consulted Michael due to months of insomnia; with his help I was sleeping well after just two sessions and felt fully cured within a month. Through gentle and artful questioning, Michael enabled me to recognize emotional blocks that had lingered for years. Removing them has given me more confidence in dealing with stresses of the present. We also talked about my career, which had reached a plateau. Through conversation with Michael it became clear that I should not apply for a particular position. This left me available for the right one when it came along later a few months later.
For years I was wary of therapy after a fruitless time with a psychiatrist. I’m very glad that I took a chance on it again, and that I chose Michael Quirke. I warmly recommend him to people seeking a skilled and sensitive therapist”.
~ M. in San Mateo
“Before we started working together, I was not the mother or wife that I wanted to be. I was doing all the things that I swore I would never do; the same things that I saw my own mother do. I was losing patience and getting upset about minor things. I was using my emotional reactions to get my kids to behave. This was happening every day and it was getting our family no where. The worst part was that I knew I was teaching my kids the wrong emotional lessons. Although I felt ashamed of my reactivity, I couldn’t seem to get out of it on my own. We were caught in a cycle of irritation, tension and grumpiness. Thank you. I now have the skills to keep my cool when my kids “are just being kids”. I am able to enjoy what should be the best years of our lives because I’m taking it in stride.
~ S. in San Francisco
“Your group training was a lifesaver for me. When I first began meeting with you, I was stressed out and frustrated with trying to balance kids, husband and a high octane career. My husband and I can actually talk productively now. That was somethings we had not been able to do for way too long. Things are so much better now”
~ P. in Burlingame
“Michael, my husband is a different person! Well, actually he’s back to the guy he used to be when we first met. He is much more patient and loving than he was before the group. The impatience and the arguing are a thing of the past. Your work with him helped. He is easier going now and we are much happier together”
~ L. in San Francisco
“I wanted to let you know that your group has made a positive difference in my life. When I was in it, I really liked it. But now that 4 years have passed, I see that it really made a bigger impact on my than I knew at the time. I am able to handle things that used to set me off. My life is better because I am happier and so much less reactive than I used to be. You helped me get perspective and not let all the little things ruin everything that I have to be greatful for”
~ P. Marin
“I want to thank you for the care you have shown with me. You know that I have had a lot of counseling before working with you. It always helped me somewhat. It helped me cope, but it didn’t really help me change very much. Now I get what is really going on when and why I am so upset. I can actually see a way out. That’s new for me. I’m so much less angry than I was before. I used to be in denial because I was so disconnected from myself. Now I usually know what’s happening with me and it has made me feel so hopeful. I think a lot about our sessions and my relationship with my son and daughter are close because of our sessions.”
~ F. in Palo Alto
“My husband insists that I continue to meet with you. He is seeing such a relief in our relationship since we began our sessions. He always says “You should talk to Michael about this”. Even if he didn’t insist, I would come because it has really helped :). It’s a shocker to see how I contribute to the conflict in our family. Who knew? I swore that it was all him, but the good part is now I can do something because I’m playing my part too. I’m feeling so much more hopeful because I used to say “that’s me I can’t change”. Now I know that’s b—–.
~ A. in San Mateo
“Thank you! Dr._____ was right when he referred me to you. I feel much better after talking to you. My depression has lifted, my anxiety is dropped and my anger problem is now fine. 15 years of anti depressants didn’t do that for me. I just wish I hadn’t been so stubborn and called you five years ago when he first gave me your card.
~ S. in San Francisco
“My husband talks gently to me now. For the past decade I was telling him to stop being being mean to me. Then I would freeze him out. He had no clue what I was talking about and I gave up trying to reach him. Because we trusted you we both made some changes. You helped us get through to each other. Now we get what each other is saying. I have the confidence to talk directly now instead of freezing him out. Because I know how to talk to him, he actually responds to me!”
~ K. in Palo Alto
Are You Interested In Living Your Best Life?
Whether you are looking to heal old wounds, repair your relationship, or discover the potential within you to enjoy a happy, healthy, and prosperous life, I want to guide you there. Like so many of my clients in the past, I believe you too can build the life that you want for yourself. So, if you are already committed to change and just looking for that spark, I invite you to set up your 90-minute intake session below.
NEW cLIENT? Book Your 90-minute intake here
If, for some reason, you are still not sure about my services and you have one particular concern you’d like to address that my website has not covered, you may be eligible for a free, 15-minute phone consultation. Although I prefer clients begin with an intake session (as my schedule doesn’t allow for many free consultations), you can set up a time to call once you have reviewed and met all the criteria.