Myles Downes, MFT

I have been going to Myles for over two years and he has helped me make massive, positive improvements in my life. If you have tried therapy in the past and think that it cannot work, I recommend giving Myles a try. Most of what we’ve worked on is too personal to reveal here, but I will say that I am a life-​long asthmatic and hater of exercise, and he helped me to a point where I crave and seek out long outdoor walks.
Myles Downes is a kind, gentle therapist who truly cares about his clients. His method is to listen and help guide you to find your inner wisdom. He does not take notes in front of you on what you say, and he does not ask in a rote manner «How does that make you feel?» He listens with complete focus and works with you to create a safe space where you can say anything to him without fear of judgement or causing offense.
Myles helped me learn how to meditate (after many years of having tried and given up) and how to activate my para-​sympathetic nervous system (ie, how to strengthen the part of myself that is not the element that responds to stress). He has taught me to be less judgemental about myself, which has in turn opened the door to depths of healing I did not realize were possible.
Myles prefers to meet on a weekly basis so that he is up-​to-​date with your life story. He is flexible, and works with me when I have to miss appointments. But if you are looking for someone to meet with once a month, this is probably not the best fit for you.
Disability notes: his office has a flight of stairs. It is safe for those with animal allergies; I am severely allergic and have never had an allergic reaction in his office.
If you need someone to understand you and help you discover your power to heal yourself, give Myles a call.

Myles is a very thoughtful, engaged, and interactive therapist, who offers a blend of mind-​body, experiential, and mindfulness based approaches. As a colleague, he has shown insight. care, and integrity in his approach to therapy and his clients. He’s experienced with a wide variety of issues and can offer a safe, dynamic environment in which to grow.

I saw Myles a few times and thought he was great (I’ve been to 3 therapists in my life). My brother’s a therapist and told me something interesting (which I’m assuming is true…) — the biggest success factor for therapy is if you like your therapist. Following that, I’m not really as interested as much in degrees and credentials as much as I am about our connection. I also know (from meditation, yoga, acting classes — lifestyle stuff) that I prefer practical, body or physical experience as a «way in» more than intellectual approach like «talk therapy» therapy. Rather, I trust what my body tells me more than what my mind does. So, for me he as a great fit. I liked him, I trusted him, I felt like he was a good listener and that he genuinely cared. I thought he asked good questions and helped me figure out some answers. There’s really nothing more I could want from a therapist, and if the need arises, I would definitely see him again.

Myles is an experienced psychotherapist with a diverse background and range of interests. His work is somatic and experiential, with mindfulness woven in as a facilitation to healing and wholeness. He has significant training in the Hakomi Method — a particularly powerful and effective way of working, which can bring to light the limited sense of self and efficiently transform it!

He doesn’t take any kind of insurance, and says he’ll provide you with an invoice to give to your insurance company for reimbursement. He prefers to be paid in cash. His is a scent free environment.
All that aside, in the few meetings we had, he said very little and what he did say came across as somewhat arrogant. But, again, he said, very little. Over all, I didn’t hate him, or have any strong feelings toward him one way or the other. But $ 130 a week is a lot to spend on a therapist one doesn’t love.

Myles is a very committed, caring, effective and interactive therapist. As a professional, I’ve had the opportunity to observe Myles work with other clients in a variety of settings and also to experience his work directly. He is extremely engaged and engaging in his work. You would be in good hands with him. In addition to working effectively with anxiety, depression, and trauma, Myles has a special interest in working with alternative lifestyles and sexualities.

Myles has worked with me on a huge number of issues over the year or so I’ve been seeing him, and now as I move into the «as needed» stage of our relationship, I want to make sure that the world knows how amazing he’s been for me.
He’s kind and sympathetic, but also prepared to let me know when I’m fooling myself, which is really important for me. My time with him has been extremely important to me, and I really can’t say enough good things about him.
If thoughtful and encouraging are important to you, you owe it to yourself to give Myles a try.
One last thing that’s worth mentioning: I pretty seriously avoid anything that smacks of woo-​woo or new age or similar, and a couple of things on Myles’ website made me raise an eyebrow with respect to that issue. So, for other people like me: as a technical, intellectual, rationalist atheist, I found Myles totally comfortable (and comforting) to deal with.
–Robin

I’m a therapist in training and have access to dozens of therapists to see as my personal therapist. I’ve chosen Myles and am quite glad that I did. He’s friendly, empathetic and alternative lifestyle friendly.
While I fully understand the desire to not have clients exposed through Unilocal reviews but as a professional who understands the risks and benefits of being exposed in this way I would like to still recommend Myles without hesitation.