Therapists in Oakland, CA

Therapy is a space you carve out with me to reconnect - with yourself, your goals, your life’s meaning, your passion, your creativity, your spiritual path. We all struggle with difficult things at times; they pull us away from who we want to be, or the path we intend to walk in life. I believe relationships are the most important healers we have in our lives – starting with your relationship with yourself! Extending to all your other important and beloved relationships - with family, friends, community, planet, and spirit. No matter where you are, your journey to self-empowerment and joy begins Right Here. I will be there with you.

My ideology is inspired by the juxtaposition of American narratives, originating from the Deep South and Urban Midwest. Growing up in a Pro-Black, Christian Baptist home I learned how gender, sexuality, and white supremacy can greatly affect our culture, happiness and well-being. Early exposure to the mental healthcare system taught me that oppression can be as multi-layered and intersectional as the oppressed, and diagnosis will continue to be an act of oppression if it ignores cultural context, societal phobias, and systemic oppression. For a great number, our mental health is a representation of how we survive our social climate.

**Accepting New Clients** Feel cared for and heard, experience a safe and authentic connection, find clarity, heal from a past or more recent traumatic event. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Provisional Art Therapist and Mindfulness-based Practitioner, I offer a person-centered, strength-based holistic approach to healing. In addition to traditional talk therapy, I work with the creative mind, this work includes art and expressive mediums to understand how our earliest experiences in life create the implicit, behavioral patterns that we can potentially carry with us for a lifetime.

We all want the same things. To be understood, recognized, treated with kindness and respect. To feel like we belong. We share the same path to growth through self-effort in overcoming challenges in our life’s journey. Are you mastering the game of life? You are more powerful than your past or stories. Truth be told, “life is simply what you create it to mean.” Imagine yourself as the eagle that soars up into the sky with Wisdom as a compass. I can help you with self-esteem, family, career, trauma, grief, chronic illness, depression, anxiety, womens’ empowerment, life transitions, relationships, death/dying, and pet loss.

I am passionate about working with those who struggle with relationships and boundary setting, and clients who struggle with balancing differing sets of expectations due to cultural, physical, or mental factors. I also work with couples from differing backgrounds to deepen mutual understanding and couples struggling through a difficult phase in their relationship looking to increase communication and understanding. I work well with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, immigrant and first and second generation individuals and families, mixed race or multicultural individuals, and those who are struggling with chronic illness.

Your body is always communicating information to you, and your emotions are the messenger. Maybe it's the consistent feeling of overwhelm, or the throws of depression. Maybe you are experiencing physical pain as a result of emotional pain. Whatever it is, I believe in the wisdom of your body and I want to help you become an expert at your own body language so that you can have more autonomy over your life.

When challenges and struggles in life arise, you do not have to walk alone. Whether you have experienced a recent life transition, loss, setback, have struggled with mental health or addiction challenges, or, are seeking support to heal from a recent or childhood trauma, I will be honored to guide you to gain control of your life and reclaim your personal power. I have committed nearly two decades holding a safe and empowered space for adults, children, and adolescents to discover their human potential, heal from trauma, and develop the tools to live a life of vitality and empowerment.

*ACCEPTING CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, AND MISSOURI CLIENTS* Come be seen & be known in a relational space with me, so that you can finally arrive home in yourself. Are you curious if you have experienced trauma, or if trauma may still be affecting you? Have you worked with many healers & still feel stuck in certain places? Have you experienced a spiritual awakening & need to integrate the experience(s)? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you may be in the right place. Trauma can express itself in PTSD & Complex PTSD symptoms, various types of depression & anxiety, & many other symptoms. Lets get to the root.

Bilingual, Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-informed, Relational Psychotherapy. I believe that engaging in therapy is an act of courage because change is by definition radical. An important goal of therapy is to connect to your authentic/creative self as a way to make meaning in times of suffering. Together we will explore your personal, family, cultural, and political history to understand the ways in which your experiences shape how you feel in the world. Whether you are struggling with life transitions, finding/keeping good relationships, or trying to integrate different identities, our work can help you find some sense of cohesion.

As a therapist, I bring a wealth of multicultural knowledge and experience to the table, ensuring you receive professional services built on respect and trust. Let’s bust the myth together: therapy isn’t just for those who’ve faced trauma. Whether you’re seeking clarity, a self-esteem boost, or solutions to life’s challenges, talking with a therapist can be life-changing!

We are Bay Area Gestalt Institute (BAGI), a non-profit collective of highly trained marriage and family therapists and associates, providing affordable psychotherapy throughout the Bay Area. We offer counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children. Our work is active, creative and holistic. Our therapists work with a variety of issues including: * Relationship Issues * Anxiety * Depression * LGBTQI Concerns * Trauma * Substance Use / Abuse * Eating Disorders * Spiritual * Personal Growth * Integration of Non-Ordinary States

The Clinic Without Walls (TCWOW) offers FREE SERVICES to Bay Area residents. Our clinic provides a wide range of psychological services including individual, couple, family, and group therapy. We work with children, adults, and families. The clinic aims to increase clients' capacity to identify mental health needs and to access services through which they will be respected and effectively treated.The clinic is oriented to serving the needs of diverse populations and particularly those people historically discriminated against on the basis of race, sexual orientation, economic status, and other socio-cultural factors.

I am a thought leader and teacher and I share the knowledge I have acquired through formal education and life experience. I view therapy as a spiritual path to expand, grow, and evolve as a human being. I will guide you to an awareness and understanding of your thoughts and underlying beliefs which contribute to your actions and decision making. I use a holistic approach that is warm and supportive for Individuals, couples, families and other forms of relationships. Together we'll establish an environment for you to develop the strengths and strategies which will guide you to goal achievement.

WELCOME to Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Our members provide mental health services including therapist referrals, education, and consultation. We offer a wide range of specializations, allowing us to serve as a unique resource both the LGBTQ communities and to other service providers. Explore our site to find a therapist, learn more about us, or become a valued member.

The decision to begin therapy is a courageous step–one that can be life-changing. Whether you are feeling anxious, sad, stressed, angry, confused or stuck, therapy can offer a safe space for you to explore your inner world and gain new insights and skills. I have helped clients across the lifespan manage difficult emotions, heal traumas, gain self-confidence, learn new skills for navigating romantic and social relationships, find relief from long-term mental health issues, uncover creativity and life purpose, and reconnect with their partners in new ways. Therapy is a collaboration and I am here to help you on your journey.

Offering CA-based Telehealth ideal for BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, &/or People of Color, including white-passing & mixed-race BIPOC. Also welcoming Families & Partnerships with 1 or more BIPOC in regular attendance. I offer Xychotherapy: psychotherapy that recognizes therapeutic experiences existed long before psychotherapy was invented, and incorporates psychotherapy into global therapeutic wisdoms and practices.

The past 22 years I've seen an eclectic group of clientele: men, women & couples of any gender/orientation who want to improve their sexual lifestyle. I've helped men overcome ED through increasing their self confidence and women who want to feel more sexually in charge. I've seen over 25,000 couples throughout every stage of their relationship whether single, dating, married, or exploring and experimenting couples to ones who are curious how to stay together and keep the chemistry strong. My clients include stay at home moms, stressed out executives, artists, entrepreneurs & communities: LGBTQ, BDSM, & Transgender Families.