Therapists in Berkeley, CA

As a psychotherapist, I act as your collaborator, witness and guide, and bring curiosity and warmth to your exploration. Trauma, past wounding and internalized negative beliefs can make it difficult to know what you need from moment to moment. Therefore, in session, I support you in cultivating self-agency so that you may become familiar with what is right for you at a pace that is both constructive and safe. I am here to help you navigate difficult transitions, past and new traumas, grief and loss, shifts in identity, and a desire to change patterns in relationship on your path towards fulfilling connections to self and others.

Through therapy with your child, I will work in building resiliency, learning new coping skills, emotional regulation, and providing a safe space to process memories and current life experiences and traumas. Unlike adults who tend more to communicate verbally or from a logical perspective, children use creativity and imaginative play to express their inner thoughts and feelings, it is often the main way children relate and learn about themselves and their world. Through play therapy, I respond to your child with care, attunement, and skillfulness in helping them understand difficult emotions and make sense of confusing experiences.

Therapy with me involves working with the body as much as the mind. This can be challenging for some, but leads to long-term resolution and healing in a more complete, organic nature. Through Somatic Experiencing (SE), I have been trained to work with various forms of trauma (developmental, event specific, chronic/long-term) and the way in which our survival energy becomes trapped in our bodies. We embody our lived experience.

I am devoted to guiding those that are called to improve their lives, whether it is to become the first in their family to be a college graduate, to rise to the challenge of becoming a professional in their field of choice, or to overcome years of negative self esteem. My clients want to find positive connection with themselves, their partners, their families, and communities. My clients have often experienced traumatic events but I have taught them about and shared tools which give them control over how those events affect them, finding peace and strength out of difficult experiences. I offer counsel to adults, couples, & kids.

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.

I am an experienced psychotherapist with offices in both San Francisco and Berkeley. I provide therapy for adults and adolescents as my primary focus. I meet with individuals, couples, and families to help them overcome areas of emotional and relational difficulties. I have an active, open way of working and am curious, engaged, honest, and direct. I take people's need for change very seriously, and am an advocate for finding ways to help people live with greater depth, satisfaction, and choice. While this can involve diligence, resilience, and perseverance, play and creativity are also integral in the process.

Welcome, I work primarily with clients that are within the LGBTQIA+ and Kink/BDSM communities. I also am body positive, sex positive, poly positive, geek/nerd positive, and trauma informed. I feel that the therapy space should feel safe and build on your strengths. If you’re here, you’re probably struggling with a significant burden in your life. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, trauma, or even difficulties with relationships, I want you to know that researching your future therapist is a great first step. In fact, having a good relationship with them has been known to be a major factor in achieving progress in your therapy.

Do you know what you want? Do you want to be free? Happy? Relaxed in your body? Content? Passionate and sexy? Courageous in the face of fear? More connected to your partner or to the Divine? How do you get in the way of living the life you want? Do you constantly judge yourself? Noticing all the ways you "fail" to live up to way you "should" be. Or do you tend to direct that criticism outwards? Blaming others, feeling envy, or always waiting for external circumstances to line up just right so you can finally live how you want.

I specialize in helping adults, teens, romantic partners, and families heal from hurt, trauma and shame in order to become better connected to themselves and one another. The majority of my practice focuses on healing emotional wounds, anxiety, and improving your relationships (including experiences of divorce and blended families). I work collaboratively with you to set goals for therapy that are curated to your individual preferences and needs, and I often draw from Attachment Theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and somatic awareness.

Many people come to therapy uncertain of how they got here. They're hungry for deeper meaning in life, to understand their inner world and discover a self they can love. You may have experienced narcissistic wounding as a child, feel caught in self-destructive patterns or low self esteem. Perhaps you yearn for meaning and a sense of belonging. Your life may feel marred by co-dependency, anxiety, shame or hopelessness. Maybe you just need a place to feel seen. Our work together can help you uncover your deepest needs and teach you to regard yourself with compassion and self-awareness.

I welcome children, teens, and adults to my practice. The decision to enter therapy often comes when we’re feeling stuck and unable to move forward in one way or another. I offer a safe and non judgmental space to work through the deeper dynamics that may be holding you back from living more freely. I work from a depth oriented and relational approach. This type of therapy not only addresses immediate issues, but strives to foster long term growth. This process often leads to new levels of creativity, self understanding, and resilience.

My approach as a psychotherapist is to meet my clients where they are, honoring their unique life experiences, offering strategies and responses that address their specific needs. I understand psychotherapy as a collaborative process. I practice listening deeply, with curiosity and respect, to support my clients’ innate capacity for self-awareness, growth, and well-being. Effective therapy requires authentic contact between therapist and client.  I am a fellow traveler, working on my own growth and transformation, while in service to my clients.

As an Integrative Psychotherapist, I base my approach from the relational work of Psychodynamic Therapy and integrate forms of Attachment Therapy, Narrative Therapy, CBT, DBT, Mindfulness Practices, Parts Work, Addiction and Trauma work - all based in Social Justice. I fully believe that every individual has the power and strength they need to actualize the changes they want, and can shift the old and new narratives of established stories and patterns of their daily lives.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California, with an office in Walnut Creek, CA. I am a trained psychotherapist certified in Perinatal Mental Health and offer professional therapeutic services covering a variety of issues and concerns. I have clinical experience in the areas of grief and loss, depression, anxiety, trauma, crisis management, suicide prevention, life transitions, parenting stress, and reproductive and maternal mental health. I experience working in various settings, including community health, prenatal clinic, non-profit organizations, schools and in-home counseling.

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.

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.

The decision to begin psychotherapy can come about for a variety of reasons. This may be your first time in therapy or it’s just the right time to get a fresh perspective. You may be struggling with feelings and experiences that are hard to make sense of, like grief, anxiety, loneliness, stress, exhaustion, shame, anger, and/or emptiness. You may feel stuck, like you’ve tried everything, and nothing is working. It’s getting to be more difficult to stay motivated, to stay focused, and to enjoy the things that you love. Psychotherapy can help to relieve these stressors and reduce anxiety and depression.

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.

Many of us experience mental health challenges at some point in our lives. Perhaps you’re struggling with your relationship with food and your body, caught in a cycle of restricting, binging, and purging. Maybe you’re feeling consumed by anxiety, or you’re faced with navigating tough family relationships. Sometimes, we can cope well enough with our existing support systems and internal tools. Other times, we need support in order to heal. I believe we each have the innate capacity for resilience, and that given the opportunity, we can access that resilience. My goal is to help you harness your own strength in the process of healing.