Photo of Private Practice, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94596, CA
Private Practice
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
EMDR therapist in the East Bay specialized in Trauma / PTSD, Marriage Counseling, Food Issues / Disordered Eating, Anxiety, LGBTQ, Depression, Women's Issues, Spirituality, Life Transitions, Adoption, Parenting, and Teen Issues. I regularly see Couples, Families, Teens and Adults ranging from early adolescence to late 60's.
EMDR therapist in the East Bay specialized in Trauma / PTSD, Marriage Counseling, Food Issues / Disordered Eating, Anxiety, LGBTQ, Depression, Women's Issues, Spirituality, Life Transitions, Adoption, Parenting, and Teen Issues. I regularly see Couples, Families, Teens and Adults ranging from early adolescence to late 60's.
(925) 948-8070 View (925) 948-8070
Photo of Gonzales Family Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94596, CA
Gonzales Family Counseling
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
At Gonzales Family Counseling, it is our honor to develop a client centered relationship in order to promote hope, healing, and accessing one's best self. We work with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, parents, and families.
At Gonzales Family Counseling, it is our honor to develop a client centered relationship in order to promote hope, healing, and accessing one's best self. We work with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, parents, and families.
(707) 267-2477 View (707) 267-2477
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 Francis J Toal, Associate Professional Counselor in 94596, CA
Francis J Toal
Associate Professional Counselor, MBA, MS, APCC
Verified Verified
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Often, we are weighed down by feelings of fear, distress, sadness, pain, worry, and even guilt. These feelings can intrude on our everyday lives, affect us, and affect those around us. Those closest to us often see our suffering more than we can. Our culture has made it so that we bury these feelings and emotions and throw up a façade of strength so as not to be a burden or worse, be judged. Meanwhile, on the inside, we struggle and often seek out destructive coping mechanisms, often towards a path of addiction. This can lead to a vicious cycle of behavior, suffering, and regret that we feel helpless to get out of.
Often, we are weighed down by feelings of fear, distress, sadness, pain, worry, and even guilt. These feelings can intrude on our everyday lives, affect us, and affect those around us. Those closest to us often see our suffering more than we can. Our culture has made it so that we bury these feelings and emotions and throw up a façade of strength so as not to be a burden or worse, be judged. Meanwhile, on the inside, we struggle and often seek out destructive coping mechanisms, often towards a path of addiction. This can lead to a vicious cycle of behavior, suffering, and regret that we feel helpless to get out of.
(925) 567-2748 View (925) 567-2748

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.