Psychodynamic
·
Attachment-Based
·
Emotionally Focused
·
BIPOC
·
Queer
·
Gender-Affirming
·
In-Person in San Francisco
·
Online in CA & ID
·
Individual & Couples Therapy
·
Psychodynamic · Attachment-Based · Emotionally Focused · BIPOC · Queer · Gender-Affirming · In-Person in San Francisco · Online in CA & ID · Individual & Couples Therapy ·
The person behind the practice
About Key Bernard, LCSW
Key Bernard (they/them) is a Black, non-binary, and trans Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of Inward Roots Collective in San Francisco.
Inward Roots Collective
Shaped by
lived experience.
Key’s work as a therapist is shaped by their own experience of appearing high-achieving on the outside while feeling disconnected from their emotional world on the inside. From an early age, Key received messages that they were “too emotional,” which led to questioning their own experience and internalizing the belief that something about them was wrong.
At the same time, Key was navigating a broader cultural reality where pain is often held silently, emotions go unnamed, and survival takes precedence over understanding. Within that context, Key began to see how deeply people can feel while lacking the space or support to hold those experiences.
Over time, Key came to understand that emotions themselves are not the problem — it is the absence of safety, language, and capacity to hold them that creates disconnection.
That understanding led Key into therapy and continues to shape how they practice: gently, warmly, and with curiosity. Key offers a space where people are not asked to minimize or question their experience, but are supported in understanding both what they feel and how they move through the world.
How Inward Roots came to be
Built from a desire for something more human.
Inward Roots was created from a desire to build something more personal — something that didn’t feel confined by rigid structures, expectations, or ways of working that didn’t fully align. At its core, it began with a simple intention: to create a space that feels human, grounded, and reflective of the care people deserve.
Key noticed how hard it was to find queer, non-binary, Black therapists in San Francisco for both individual and couples work. And they were turned off by the idea that healing, love, and belonging must come through struggle. Inward Roots exists as an alternative.
Psychodynamic
·
Attachment-Based
·
Emotionally Focused
·
BIPOC
·
Queer
·
Gender-Affirming
·
In-Person in San Francisco
·
Online in CA & ID
·
Individual & Couples Therapy
·
Psychodynamic · Attachment-Based · Emotionally Focused · BIPOC · Queer · Gender-Affirming · In-Person in San Francisco · Online in CA & ID · Individual & Couples Therapy ·
Nothing within you needs to be fixed, only understood.
Inward Roots exists as an alternative
A space rooted in care, gentleness, and the belief that nothing within you needs to be fixed, only understood.
As the practice continues to grow, so does its vision — expanding into deeper relational work, including couples therapy, with an intentional focus on creating spaces where BIPOC individuals and relationships can receive support with the same level of depth, care, and understanding.
Training
Education & Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
State of California · Active
EFT Core Skills Certification
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
Juris Doctor (JD)
Barry University
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Arizona State University
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
Arizona State University
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
University of Kentucky · In Progress
the whole person
Outside the therapy room
Key plays bass guitar and violin, enjoys traveling (favorite destination: Scotland), performs spoken word, and believes every therapist should have a therapist.
our mission
All of you. Every feeling.
Rooted, held, free.
