Photo of Jo Ann A Depetro, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94596, CA
Jo Ann A Depetro
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596  (Online Only)
I enjoy working with any client who is seeking relief from a problem(s). I have worked with a variety of people, including corporate consulting, towards co creating solutions in a collaborative and effective manner.
I enjoy working with any client who is seeking relief from a problem(s). I have worked with a variety of people, including corporate consulting, towards co creating solutions in a collaborative and effective manner.
(925) 361-3894 x1 View (925) 361-3894 x1
Photo of Remarkable Services, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94596, CA
Remarkable Services
Marriage & Family Therapist, EdD, LMFT
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
At some point, we all struggle to adjust to change and fail to respond to life’s challenges with our best effort. It’s normal to feel stuck. We at Remarkable Services (RS) believe people inherently have what it takes within themselves to adjust, change and heal. No matter if it’s a challenging work situation, a parenting struggle, a tough year of high school or college, we all know what it feels like to struggle. Parents and their children are not immune, in that over the course of the first 18 years of life there are bound to be countless transitions, developments, change and of course, points of contention. RS is here to help!
At some point, we all struggle to adjust to change and fail to respond to life’s challenges with our best effort. It’s normal to feel stuck. We at Remarkable Services (RS) believe people inherently have what it takes within themselves to adjust, change and heal. No matter if it’s a challenging work situation, a parenting struggle, a tough year of high school or college, we all know what it feels like to struggle. Parents and their children are not immune, in that over the course of the first 18 years of life there are bound to be countless transitions, developments, change and of course, points of contention. RS is here to help!
(925) 436-1725 View (925) 436-1725
Photo of Loren Eliot Pedersen, Psychologist in 94596, CA
Loren Eliot Pedersen
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
I enjoy working with clients of all ages and gender to help them learn to cope with their unique psychological, emotional, and physical problems. I am trained in clinical psychology and psychoanalysis as well as in psychosomatics so I am able to treat a wide spectrum of disorders. I tailor my approach to the specific needs of the client rather than trying to make the client fit into a particular theoretical model or to work in a predetermined treatment modality.
I enjoy working with clients of all ages and gender to help them learn to cope with their unique psychological, emotional, and physical problems. I am trained in clinical psychology and psychoanalysis as well as in psychosomatics so I am able to treat a wide spectrum of disorders. I tailor my approach to the specific needs of the client rather than trying to make the client fit into a particular theoretical model or to work in a predetermined treatment modality.
(510) 588-7201 View (510) 588-7201
Photo of Michael J Abrams, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94596, CA
Michael J Abrams
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Saturdays appointments available! I am a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in working with children, adolescents, and families. In addition, I work with individual adults, couples, and co-parenting. I provide a safe, calm, friendly, empathetic & down to earth environment for my clients. I have extensive experience and specialize in working with young children through adolescents and their families around issues related to social, behavioral, interpersonal and academic concerns. Throughout my career, I have provided supervision to other professionals in all aspects of providing psychotherapy for children and adolescents; from case conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment.
Saturdays appointments available! I am a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in working with children, adolescents, and families. In addition, I work with individual adults, couples, and co-parenting. I provide a safe, calm, friendly, empathetic & down to earth environment for my clients. I have extensive experience and specialize in working with young children through adolescents and their families around issues related to social, behavioral, interpersonal and academic concerns. Throughout my career, I have provided supervision to other professionals in all aspects of providing psychotherapy for children and adolescents; from case conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment.
(818) 938-1155 View (818) 938-1155
Adoption Therapists

Does my adopted child need therapy?

Not every adopted child needs therapy. However, many can benefit from seeing an adoption-informed therapist, especially if they were victims of abuse or neglect, appear withdrawn or disconnected, have behavioral or developmental issues (which may or may not be related to their adoption), are struggling with feelings of grief or loss surrounding their birth parents, or find it difficult to establish an identity, a challenge that often becomes most apparent during adolescence.

When should adoptive parents seek therapy?

Prospective parents can benefit from therapy even before an adoption—for example, to voice worries and fears; to reconcile infertility struggles, if relevant; or simply to prepare themselves for parenthood. After the adoption, parents who are struggling to bond with their child; are unsure how to talk about adoption or related issues, such as race; or whose child is dealing with developmental, behavioral, or psychiatric concerns can address these and other issues with the help of an adoption-competent therapist.

Is family therapy appropriate for adoptive families?

Family therapy can be invaluable for strengthening the bond between adoptive parents and children, helping the latter feel more secure in their place in the family. Family therapy can also help adoptive families navigate complex communication issues—for example, parents who feel uncomfortable discussing race with their child, who in turn feels invalidated by their silence, or a child who has questions about his birth parents but avoids asking them out of fear of hurting his adoptive parents’ feelings.

What therapy is not appropriate for adoption issues?

A discredited therapy known as “attachment therapy” (sometimes called “holding therapy” or “rebirthing therapy”) should not be used to treat adopted and foster children, though it was largely designed for this population. Attachment therapy involves restraining, coercing, and punishing the child in order for them to “release” negative emotions and attach to their new caregivers—techniques that are abusive and dangerous and have even proven fatal in some cases.