"Therapy is a place for inquiry and finding meaning. If you are hoping to better understand your relationship patterns, process past and/or ongoing trauma, explore shifts in your identity, make a difficult decision or choose your next step(s), I bring a curious and warm presence to your exploration. I use trauma informed, mindful, and somatic approaches, which means we will let your process unfold at your own pace. "

"I work to build a warm, empathic relationship with my clients to create an environment where we can think together about the issues that bring you to therapy and how best to resolve them. I am informed by psychodynamic theory and utilize this rich tradition to explore unconscious defenses, maladaptive patterns, and underlying schemas that can cause a person to repeat problematic behaviors despite their best efforts to change. I also draw from Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfullness practices to support clients with acquiring the tools they need to make those changes."

"I am a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in psychological testing with children and adolescents. I have been practicing in this area for over a decade and have trained with experts in child assessment. My evaluations assess the presence of attention challenges, learning struggles, and emotional difficulties. I conduct thorough, comprehensive assessments informed by the Therapeutic/Collaborative Assessment model. In this model, parents and children are team members in the process and we work together to answer the referral questions. At the completion of the process, adolescents receive a feedback letter explaining the testing findings in accessible language and children receive an individualized picture book."

"Every day I meet with individuals and couples who are in the process of overcoming worry, depression, conflict and dissatisfaction to find greater joy, fulfillment and meaning in their lives. Therapy works. If and when you decide to take that first step, I think you will find me to be an insightful, responsive and non-judgmental individual with an extensive therapy "tool kit." My approach is interactive and personal. Together, we will engage in a process of exploration to clarify your concerns, access deeper layers of understanding, and find more effective answers to new or recurring life issues."

"I am passionate and committed to helping you break free from emotional eating and poor body image. Through my own recovery journey with emotional eating, I understand your journey very well and I'm here to tell you that there is relief in sight. This is not necessarily about getting skinny, losing weight or fitting into those size 6 jeans (though that could be a side effect). This is about letting your body recalibrate to it's natural weight by becoming a mindful, intuitive eater and healing the pain that caused you to overeat in the first place."

"Berkeley Office: I am not taking any new referrals at this time. Fairfield Office: Our practice is currently full and we are not able to accommodate new patients at this time. I will update this notice as soon as this changes."

"I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with an office in Berkeley, CA, serving the needs of the East Bay (including San Leandro, Oakland, Albany, Richmond and Piedmont). My private practice provides individual therapy and couples counseling for people from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and a wide variety of concerns. I offer therapy in English, Spanish and Portuguese. As an immigrant from Brasil, I also understand firsthand cross-cultural issues so I can help people who are having difficulties adapting to a new country. "

"With experience, compassion and humor I provide a safe place for adults to get help with personal situations such as relationship/work and school stress, break-ups, retirement, chronic/ life-threatening illness and disability, depression, anxiety, dementia, care-giving of people of all ages, and "coming out". Life transitions have a common thread - loss and grief. Even joyful experiences can be difficult. You may feel stuck, out-of-control or have worrisome regrets and anxiety. You may feel "at a loss", "at the end of our rope", or feel "it's taking a toll" on you and others near you."

"***Video/phone sessions are available to anyone in California*** Initiating the process of therapy can understandably feel overwhelming. I strive to provide a supportive, non-judgmental, and confidential space for clients to explore difficult parts of their lives. At one point or another many people find that their familiar patterns and habits of relating to others, coping with stress, and being in the world no longer serve them. Clients who see me often feel anxiety, distress in relationships, dissatisfaction at work or school, overwhelm with life transition, and have a wish for more connectedness and intimacy. "

"You might be grappling with grief, stress, relationship troubles, or a separation and the aftermath of loss. Maybe you're an adult who was once a neglected or traumatized kid, trying to have close relationships. Or you're a teacher with intense perfectionism, an artist whose self-criticism blocks creative projects, or an athlete plateauing in sport. Maybe you're a therapist struggling to navigate her personal history and clinical work, or a white person wanting to address racism and privilege. Coping mechanisms like food, alcohol, exercise, are your "game face," but you wish you could let people know the real you."

"I provide a warm, supportive environment that is uniquely yours, dedicated to your life and development. We will pay close attention to your thoughts, feelings and behaviors, helping you to better understand all the different parts of yourself. Together we will identify and explore the patterns of behavior and negative self perceptions that may hold you back from a life of balance, vitality and inner peace."

"I am a bilingual, bicultural (English and Spanish-speaking) psychologist who provides psychotherapy and psychoanalysis to young adults and adults. I support patients in fostering resilience and in building more meaningful, connected relationships."

"Sometimes it is hard to ask for help. You have everyone else convinced that you have got it all together. However, there's parts of yourself you do not recognize, don't understand or simply feel you can not change. Sometimes these thoughts and feelings can lead us to behave in ways that are not healthy."

"I consider it a tremendous honor to work with sincere individuals in search of inner healing and redemption. It's always a journey, one that seems to be unique to each individual. While we can and do tap the arsenal of psychological wisdom to this end, we also find our way together, always attentive to the particulars of your unique life stream. We always start with exactly where you are, whatever that is."

"When you've decided to get help, seeking a psychologist you feel comfortable with is as important as their skill and training. If I'm so honored to have you as my client, you'll find I utilize an integrated approach; a mix of gentle yet direct communication, mindfulness, cultural dynamics including family systems, psychoeducation, skill building using cognitive behavioral techniques, and of course explorative questions that help to uncover the emotional obstacles to your healing and progression in life."

"I once read a story about a man who would talk reassuringly to his cactus, letting it know that it was safe. The cactus learned that it no longer needed thorns. If you have had experiences that have closed off your openness to the world or your authentic self, you may have also grown thorns. Whether you have been touched by trauma, grief, loss, or simply an environment that does not understand you, I want to help you to find a way to live more fully. You have a place in the world. Let's try to find it together."

"I provide guidance and support for individuals and couples who want to confront challenges, gain insight, and make lasting change. I work well with adults of all ages who are navigating major life transitions -- such as entering adulthood, facing midlife, changing careers, ending long-term relationships, or adjusting to an "empty nest." No matter what issues are being addressed, I bring to each session a calm presence, a nonjudgmental attitude, curiosity, and a sense of humor."

"In my practice I am dedicated to working on the complexities of single life, creating and sustaining romantic partnerships, meaningful careers, and happier family lives. I believe in staying ambitious for our psychological, emotional, relational and material selves. In that pursuit, we will explore old patterns and worries that inhibit those ambitions. We will create new expectations, based on the evidence we gather about our ability to move ahead and lead more satisfying lives. The work happens through an exploration of current relationships, as well as sorting through the early emotional experiences that inform them."

"I am expert in cognitive behavioral therapy and have been a field instructor and guest lecturer for the graduate MSW program at U.C. Berkeley. I am most interested in treating depression, marital problems,work-related problems, family issues, health concerns,grief and panic attacks. I have maintained a private practice for over 20 years. I believe that being interactive and having a strong and caring connection with clients is essential to providing successful therapy. My style combines collaboration, empirical knowledge and humor. I specialize in working with physicians, nurses and other health care providers."

"I believe the therapeutic process is collaborative: You share your experience, I listen, respond, and together we find the way towards your goals and healing. Perhaps you have clear ideas about what you want to work on, or you might have a sense that life isn't going well, but you don't know why.  You may have experienced troubling events in the past or in the present; perhaps a family member, friend or boss has encouraged you to seek help.  I have more than 35 years of experience as a psychotherapist in the Bay Area. I welcome your call."