Therapists in Oakland, CA

East Bay Intimacy & Sex Therapy Center was created with the goal of making the practice of sex & intimacy therapy more relationship-focused & accessible, without the stigma & confusion that often accompanies misperceptions about couples & sex therapy. We offer attachment-based sex therapy & couples counseling. We believe that healthy relationships are at the core of how change & healing occur. Having a healthy sexual relationship to one's self or partner(s) is vital to overall wellbeing. We strive to support & promote lifelong change that will allow you to form sustainable, loving & equitable relationships, & an overall sense of health wellbeing.

“There’s nothing more healing than choosing to love.” You want connection and closeness yet you struggle to find it. You feel frustrated that your relationships aren’t fulfilling or aren't right for you. You're reflective and thoughtful, and yet you're having difficulty showing up how you want to in your life, partnership, or family. Perhaps you're struggling with isolation, anxiety, depression, or overwhelm. These are real challenges. Together we can co-create a gentle yet courageous space to explore who you are, what you need, and how to try new things that move you toward what you value most in life and in your relationships.

I specialize in helping individuals who experience chronic stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and interpersonal/ inter-familial conflicts. My aim is to support you in a safe and non-judgmental container, where we can explore the roots of your issues, as well as provide you skills which can help to alleviate any symptoms/ conflicts you may have. I believe that you are the expert of your story and hold a space that is of compassion and unconditional positive regard. I also offer online ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, when indicated for various diagnoses that may have been treatment-resistant with traditional forms of talk therapy.

Are you asking, How can I find love? or, What is missing in my relationships? Are you stuck in complaining and blaming, or avoiding and withholding? Are you noticing your relationship struggles make you feel lonelier rather than more open to each other? I provide an environment of safety where you may explore how you are stuck and how your persistent conflicts spoil your potential for intimacy. Tracking the repetitive patterns of communication, and the stories which confirm your most negative beliefs, I will strengthen your awareness to the influences that affect whether you keep repeating old patterns or open to real change.

Whether you are coping with stress, going through a major transition or loss, or seeking to better understand yourself, therapy can be a powerful experience. It is a journey that can include healing, learning new skills, coping with difficult things from your past and preparing for the future. Many things can get in the way of being your own preferred version of yourself. Sometimes it is relationship challenges, sometimes it's an unhealthy pattern that you learned in the past, or something else entirely. We can work through these challenges so that you feel more in touch with person you want to be.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with many years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families, as well as adults. My interventions are heavily rooted in behavioral therapy and evidence-based practices including feminist and attachment theories. However, I tend to conceptualize clinical presentations from a multicultural and social justice perspective. While I employ empirically validated treatments to ignite change, I am also of the belief that there is no single story to any individual. Consequently, it is important to understand the social, cultural, political, and spiritual context of each individual.

In a world that often seems overwhelming with so many competing priorities, you might find yourself struggling to understand what's important, what you need or how to feel more free. Perhaps you feel stuck in a life or confused about what to do. You might often get blocked because you don't know where to begin. I'm here to help. I offer a compassionate, safe, and often humor-filled space where your journey of discovery and healing can start.

Often, the inclination to seek psychotherapy arises when a longing for change, transformation, or healing becomes clear. When listening to the call, what might become illuminated is a desire for deepening inner awareness, expanding capacity for embodiment, increasing resources to help tend to yourself, or a desire to gather growthful insights and make lasting changes. Rooted in Somatic and Relational psychotherapy, I support my clients in being able to connect more deeply to their bodies as a way to come into full presence of what might be arising and what might need tending to.

If you are coping with anxiety, sadness, relationship conflict, stress, or parenting challenges I help you manage difficult feelings and reduce your suffering. If you and your partner can't talk without arguing, have lost trust, or lost the spark and want to connect we'll identify what's keeping you from being close and develop the secure connection you want. If you are having trouble getting pregnant or needing help from outside parties to create your family we'll work through any difficult feelings and explore your options for family building so you can make decisions that build your family and fit your values.

I offer therapy services to help you understand challenges you are facing, learn ways to actualize your full potential, and overcome barriers that get in the way of living a happy and fulfilling life. I work with individual clients and couples who are facing anxiety, depression, life transitions, loss, trauma, and challenges at work or in relationships. As an interactive, solution focused therapist with over 20 years of experience, I am here for you.

Finding the right therapist can be hard. Maybe you're facing difficult experiences of grief and loss, serious illness, or family conflict. Maybe you're wrestling with depression or anxiety. Or maybe you just have a general sense that your life has lost meaning and direction. Whatever brings you in, I'll offer a warm-hearted and positive space for us to learn together about your particular situation, and about the possibilities for healing and transformation that can be found within it. Having someone to talk to makes a real difference.

Life can naturally get so busy that it leads to overstimulation, as well as a feeling of being overwhelmed. Add in any life transition, such as parenting, blended family structures, relationship changes and professional transitions, and those feelings are amplified. Hitting the pause button, taking a deep breath, gaining the tools to meet any issue that arises, is one way to lessen those overwhelming feelings. Finding a therapist is a great way to take that pause, take that time for yourself. It will allow you the space to slow down, breathe and talk about what you are experiencing and to find ways to live a balanced life.

The therapeutic encounter is a unique collaborative journey. We cannot control what crosses our path, but we can see ourselves as brave enough to face it. People come to me when they are in distress, hurting or stuck and want to improve their life and relationships. I provide a safe space to explore issues with food, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, self-worth, loss and creativity. I love to work with couples using Emotion Focused Therapy. I am insight minded. I can help you face fears, own longings, repair hurt, deepen connection, renew dreams. I can hold your story. I am trauma-informed. I won't shy away from the hard stuff.

*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.

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.

Do you feel stuck, like you are getting in your own way? Feelings hopeless and isolated? Life presents all kinds of challenges which we often try to manage on our own and creates frustrations. This frustration creates barriers that can leave you feeling distant from others and even a stranger to yourself. What is worse is often we don’t even know why we are struggling. I am dedicated to helping you with the difficult and painful experiences by facilitating understanding of yourself and the issues that cause pain.

Many people want to change in some way: to feel more ease, more pleasure, less anxiety, more freedom, greater connection. I offer a reliably warm space for clients to discover what they want to feel and experience in their lives. With a balance of curiosity and direction, I partner with clients to understand their strengths and challenges, to take action in alignment with their desires. As clarity and agency develop, we stabilize and encourage the emerging self. I think of this process as cultivating the capacity to hold steady in ourselves to connect truly with others, so that we can feel a sense of vitality and ease in our lives.

The essence of effective psychotherapy is found in the therapist's understanding, empathy and caring for you. Trust in our relationship develops from that foundation. My primary commitment to you is to help you grow in self-awareness and self-empowerment, and to help you take the necessary actions that will actualize your growth and development in the world. If you struggle with feelings of fear, shame, helplessness, worthlessness and anger; traumatic emotional, physical and sexual experience; challenges in relationship; dysfunctional behaviors; unfulfilled aspirations; questions about your life's meaning; and physical illness and aging, I can help you.

I believe that each client is unique like are the reasons sought for healing. As Depth Psychotherapist (Bilingual Spanish), I bring my clinical experience to the field of Bach Flower Therapy by providing guidance and counsel to each client wanting to benefit from its applications towards finding psychological and emotional balance. I see my therapeutic role as co-creating a safe/caring space that assists you embodying your most fulfilled and creative self. It is deeply inspiring for me to assist you on your sacred journey towards self-growth and healing.