Albert Pignataro
Psychotherapy
Helping smart people get out of their own way.
Therapy based in San Jose, and online throughout California
If you’ve found yourself scrolling therapy websites at 11:47 pm thinking, "Something’s gotta give," you’re in the right place.
You might’ve caught yourself wondering, “Why am I like this?” or “Shouldn’t I be past this by now?” You’re not broken — you’re just tired of doing it alone. You’re sharp enough to see your patterns and human enough to keep repeating them.
You’ve done the books, the podcasts, the late-night overthinking. Insight’s nice — but it’s not the same as real change. That’s what we’ll work on, together — therapy for anxiety, stress, perfectionism, relationships, and whatever keeps you stuck in your own head.
I help smart people get out of their own way.
Therapy with me skips the sugarcoating but keeps the compassion. It’s real talk, not just polite nodding while you spiral.
We’ll name the patterns, challenge the old rules, and laugh sometimes — because if we’re going to dig into shame, burnout, and generational baggage, we might as well keep our sense of humor.
Take a look below — you’ll see the issues I help people tackle every day.
Ready to stop getting in your own way? Let’s schedule a consultation.
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Pure O / Intrusive Thought OCD Therapy
A thought invades your mind. Your brain mistakenly codes it as a threat — and suddenly you're spiraling. This is Pure O. The thought isn’t the problem. The coding glitch is.
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High-Performance Anxiety & Burnout Therapy
You’re killing it — and it’s killing you. You run on caffeine, panic, and sheer willpower. Your brain’s stuck in spreadsheet mode, your body’s begging for a break — no productivity hack is gonna fix this.
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Therapy for Depression, Anxiety & Overthinking
You’re stuck in your head, you’re stuck in bed, and you’re missing out on what could be ahead. Something’s always buzzing in the background—worry, dread, sadness, all of it. You can’t relax, but you’re too exhausted to care. It doesn’t have to be this way.
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Imposter Syndrome & Perfectionism Therapy
On paper, you’ve arrived. But, in your mind, you’re one bad email away from total exposure. You rewrite texts, overthink compliments, and feel like your entire self-worth depends on keeping people impressed and not screwing up.
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Therapy for Relationships, Loneliness & Disconnection
You’re surrounded by people but still feel alone. Maybe you’re the one everyone leans on — or the one who drifts, wondering who’d notice if you stopped trying. Let’s get you out of connection purgatory.
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Therapy for Men
You were taught to keep it together, push through, never let ‘em see you sweat. The cost of that silence? Heavy. You don’t have to live under the old rules.
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Therapy for Gay, Bi & Queer Men
You’ve spent years translating yourself or managing other people’s awkwardness. You don’t need therapy that just “accepts” you — you need therapy that gets it. We’ll talk about the real stuff: shame, sex, family, fear, and what it means to actually feel good in your skin.
Meet Albert
I’m Albert Pignataro (he/him), a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in San Jose, CA and working online throughout California. I work with thoughtful, high-functioning adults who look fine on the outside but carry way too much underneath — stress, anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, maybe a dash of existential dread. You know — just the usual.
I’ve been doing this since 2007, helping people break old patterns and finally feel more like themselves again. I primarily use Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I’m affirming of sexual and gender diversity — and proud to stand with my clients.
Curious how this actually works? You can read the full story here.