Culturally Sensitive Therapists in 94609

My experience comes from 31 years of helping children, adults, couples and families in both Community Mental Health and Private Practice. My approach is eclectic and tailored to each individual's needs to facilitate healing and growth. Through my years of experience I have witnessed over and over again people coming into therapy with great pain, discomfort and despair but with time, (sometimes within a very short time) their symptoms diminish and a whole new person emerges. Crisis times can be extremely painful and distressful but they can also be opportunities for growth and healing through therapy.

If you are dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, trauma, life transitions- whatever you may be going through in life, you don’t have to do it alone. I am here to support you. Let's work together to build tools to manage the stresses of life and explore the connection to your authentic expressions of self today.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all of the urgency of life's to-do list? I specialize in working with Asian American professionals who grew up with demanding parents who caused them to have their feelings neglected. This caused a lot of indecisiveness and striving to be hard on yourself. It is easy to be overwhelmed when your love ones seem to rub you the wrong way. As a first generation Chinese American raised in the Bay Area, I am culturally sensitive to how to heal the childhood wounding that occurred when you felt neglected by your parents. Isn't it time that you start knowing your own voice and return to self-approval?

Do you struggle with depression, anxiety, and trauma? Do you experience difficulties managing family and relationship issues? I believe that healing happens when we pay attention to all the parts that make us whole—our mind, body, and soul. The subconscious mind controls most of our reality and choices, so building awareness and active presence can improve the quality of daily living and assist in not only surviving but thriving through life. As an intuitive & holistic therapist, I will assist you in strengthening your inner psyche and developing new tools to manage negative feelings and thoughts.

The impact of chronic pain often goes far beyond the body, and may leave you feeling depressed, anxious, angry, and isolated. As a pain psychologist, I can help you build effective coping tools to take back control over your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical symptoms so that you can live a meaningful life that is not defined by your pain. I emphasize a collaborative, solution-focused approach to therapy, and will work with you to create a treatment plan that takes into account the unique biological, psychological, and social factors that make you who you are.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2001, I am deeply committed to supporting the well-being of each client, providing culturally competent services and helping clients improve their quality of life.  I see older and disabled adults, often dealing with chronic illness or a new diagnosis.  I have an extensive history working in medical settings and am also available to assist caregivers with navigating the health care system. I believe that positive change is possible at any age and at any juncture in a person's life.  I believe you can have a more fulfilling life, and that I can help you.

Are you stuck somewhere? Did you hit a wall? Do you want to heal an old wound? Restore access to yourself? Cultivate a deeper understanding of the world around you? Explore repeating patterns? Break toxic cycles? Come as you are. Do you want to adjust to the changes in your life? Absorb a loss? Reassess your life goals? Overcome a challenge? Increase your self awareness? Be more present in the moment? Find your voice? Feel more empowered, more vibrant, more whole? Come as you are. I specialize in trauma, attachment wounding, adverse childhood experiences, dysfunctional narratives and toxic relationship cycles.

Life can be unpredictable and going through those valleys can feel overwhelming and lonely. I want you to know I'm glad you're here and have decided to give therapy a try. I am committed to creating a warm, open, emotionally safe and non-judgmental space for you to come and be your most authentic self. A space where you can drop your shoulders and truly lay down the weight of your traumas, anxiety, hopelessness, relational conflict, low self-esteem, PTSD, grief/loss, and every other personal issues you choose to explore. I will gently walk alongside you to support and guide you to finding relief from those painful experiences.

I am a queer relationship therapist dedicated to supporting partners in relating across difference from a place of loving wholeness. Maybe you want to feel more connected, authentic, and loving toward your partner, or you may need to repair from breaches of trust. You may not have met your “inner children” yet and want to develop a trusting relationship with them. I hold space as a compassionate guide to walk that path with you. I'm here to witness, support, and make space for you and your partner to feel, share, and nurture all parts of yourselves, so that you can experience more of your own agency, authenticity, and wholeness.

Are you nervous or hesitant to start therapy because you might not find a therapist you can relate with? Or, maybe you've tried several things to help how you've been feeling but it hasn’t quite helped enough, so it feels discouraging. You may be fed up with feeling misunderstood, unseen, disconnected, worrying too much, stretching beyond your boundaries, or like you will never feel better. Things have been hard lately, and you’re ready to feel something different. You’re ready to find more ease, build confidence, and live more in alignment with your values.

You've been holding it together, and even holding it together for others too. You are great at figuring things out, but now find yourself feeling distracted and exhausted by all that you're doing, and self-doubt is getting bigger and bigger. Others may not notice that you're struggling, but on the inside, you know that this feeling is impacting your relationships, and you so want to be your best self for yourself and your loved ones. You want a space to untangle all of the thoughts and feelings you're having without feeling like a burden or like you're dumping it on a loved one.

Welcome! I support my Clients' path to arrive at a freer, more empowered version of themselves. I am passionate about working through an intersectional and trauma-informed lens with everyone. I respect my Clients deeply and give them my genuine warmth and attentiveness. I am a good fit for people who are nervous about therapy, people working on boundaries, self love, finding their voice, embodiment, healing from trauma/complex trauma as well as folks from all parts of the LGBT+ family. I am here for gender exploration, questioning, arrival and take a non judgmental stance on all corners of consensual sex/sexuality/kink/non-monog+

Most people who reach out to me feel like there's some sort of a gap between what they want and what they have. This gap is uncomfortable, upsetting, or might be painful. And often it's unclear why this gap exists or what can be done to close it or at least narrow it down a bit. Each one of us has a set of life circumstances that need to be taken into account when attempting to improve on our lived-experience. Psychotherapy is the arena in which those personal circumstances, individual preferences, needs, wants, and struggles can be explored.

I am a trauma centered, queer therapist incorporating the body, family systems and collective liberation. I center the relational experience and hope for therapy to be a place of support to encounter all parts of yourself. I view therapy as a place to feel and be felt, one that can hold unknown territory. Our bodies know what they need even if for a multitude of reasons there is a not knowing. I orient the therapeutic container to hold the process of disentangling from the myriad systems influencing how we relate to ourselves and others.

Seeking help can be scary and exciting, and it takes a lot of bravery and courage to take the initial step. You may be feeling like you are depressed and anxious due to your trauma. I aim to meet you where you are mentally and emotionally and help you grow, learn skills, and adapt to new changes. We can work together to identify your goals and needs and address the emotional and behavioral challenges you experience.

Navigating life's challenges is never easy, but reaching out for help is a brave first step to living a more genuine and fulfilling life. I have expertise in working with individuals struggling with childhood trauma and trauma-related symptoms such as grief, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relational conflict. I believe every client is unique and deserves to be listened to and understood in an empathetic way. I am passionate about creating a safe, kind, collaborative and judgment-free space where clients can attain new insights, experience new feelings, and find a renewed sense of physical and mental well-being.

Do you struggle with feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt or low self-esteem? Do you find yourself avoiding social engagements or so preoccupied with excessive worrying? Finding ways to navigate these difficult feelings can help you get back on track. I use a psychodynamic approach and CBT that focuses on uncovering patterns of behavior and ways of relating to ourselves and others that are often outside of our awareness. I also consider how our past impacts who we are today. Through acceptance and empathy, we will establish a trusting therapeutic relationship and work together toward your personal growth and self-discovery.

My work with every client and family is personalized, trauma-informed, rooted in strengths, collaborative, neurodiversity-affirming, and culturally tailored to your needs and experiences. I believe that each client possesses the intergenerational heirlooms of innate resilience, spirituality, and introspection that serve as tools to assist in your healing journey. You are the expert of your experience and I am here to offer hope and support you as you share your narrative and author a new chapter of healing, continuing to grow into your best self, discovering balance, serenity, joy, and connecting with yourself and surroundings.

Change, healing and growth are no small tasks. I know this first hand and am here to help others find their own success overcoming the pain and obstacles they encounter throughout life. I work collaboratively with individuals to identify sources of stress, discover unsuccessful patterns, embrace difficult feelings and develop both internal and external resources for getting to where they want to go. I hope to foster greater self-awareness, acceptance and compassion in all of my clients. I work frequently with adults struggling with depression, anxiety, social anxiety, trauma, grief/loss, attachment wounds and life transitions.