One team for therapy and nutrition

Poise is a San Francisco practice for adults whose eating has become hard to live with. A psychologist and a registered dietitian see you together, at your pace, with no weighing and no numbers.

Write to us See how we work

If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), any time. In an emergency, call 911.

One-to-one therapy
Nutrition counseling
Medical coordination
Higher levels of care
Office or video in California
No weighing, no numbers

50 min
Therapy session
Written
Your fee, before you book
Both
Office or video in California
Weekdays
When messages are read

What clients say

How a session feels, in clients' words.

“I never felt hurried. The room is quiet, and I was allowed to say things at my own speed.”
Maricela P.
“Nobody asked me to prove anything. I could talk about food without being corrected.”
Melissa R.
“The two of them talked to each other, with my say-so, so I never had to explain myself twice.”
Tyree J.
“She told me what each visit would be before it began, and that made it easier to walk in.”
Kristen L.
“The office is calm and nothing about it feels clinical. I was glad of the hour.”
Colleen W.

Sample reviews.

One team, at your pace

I'm Dr. Estrella Gallegos, a licensed psychologist. I see adults whose relationship with food and their bodies has taken up more room than they want it to.

Poise is a small practice built around a team: me for therapy, a registered dietitian in a partner practice for nutrition, and your own doctor for medical care. With your written permission we speak to one another, so you do not carry messages between us.

Therapy
Sessions with Dr. Gallegos, in the office or by video.
Nutrition
A registered dietitian in a partner practice, billed on her own.
Medical care
Stays with your own doctor. We coordinate, with your permission.
Pace
Nothing is weighed, measured or counted here.

A tall window with brown curtains in a quiet green room

How we can work together

Five ways to work together, on one team. You can begin with one.

Individual therapy

Therapy

Weekly sessions with Dr. Gallegos at a pace you set together. The work starts from how eating is for you now, not from a plan she brings in.

Two armchairs by a bright window among hanging and potted plants

Nutrition counseling

Partner practice

Sessions with a registered dietitian in a partner practice, who works alongside Dr. Gallegos with your permission. No food is called good or bad.

Hands arranging vegetables and pasta on plates in a home kitchen

Medical coordination

Your doctor

Your own doctor keeps your medical care. Dr. Gallegos can write to your doctor, with your written permission, and tell you when a check-up is worth having.

A coffee cup and notebook on a table by a window

Higher levels of care

When needed

Some people need more than weekly sessions. Dr. Gallegos will say so plainly and help you look into an intensive or residential program.

Levels of care

A glass cup of tea and a journal on a windowsill

Body image and self-trust

Therapy

Part of the therapy, not a separate course: listening to your body without scoring it, and learning what you want to eat and when.

An open book, a cup of tea and flowers on a windowsill on a rainy day

YOUR FIRST STEPS

How care begins

A short, plain path in. Nothing is asked of you that you have not agreed to.

01
Write to us
Send a short note through the form. Dr. Gallegos replies on weekdays with times, and the fee in writing.
02
Your first session
Fifty minutes to talk about what you want from the work. You choose what to say.
03
Your team takes shape
If a dietitian or your doctor would help, we ask first and speak with them only with your permission.
04
A level of care that fits
If weekly sessions are not enough, we help you find the next step.

Need more than weekly sessions?

Some people need a higher level of care, such as an intensive outpatient or residential program. If that is you, Dr. Gallegos will say so and help you find one.

Read about levels of care