Therapists in Oakland, CA

I work from a trauma-informed, relational, and client-centered lens. I integrate psychodynamic and attachment based theoretical approaches. I believe the relationship we build as client and therapist, as well as exploring your relationships outside of therapy, are important avenues for growth. You are the expert on your own life; I am here to listen to you and work collaboratively to empower your inherent strength and resilience. I use warmth, compassion, and humor to cultivate an affirming, non-judgemental, and trusting connection with my clients.

You are hurting, or anxious, are considering psychotherapy and whether to trust me to facilitate your healing. My experience with adults, couples and children will support your inner journey and that of loved ones. We will create space for you to contemplate internal, external and relationship challenges. Through an attuned therapeutic relationship, I will help you address internal challenges - depression, anxiety and trauma. Empathically, I help you face external challenges - discrimination, immigration and life transitions. I also support you in navigating relationships, in which your internal worlds connect with those of others.

Clients seeking my services are looking for a safe and supportive space where they can bring their authentic whole “self” and explore and discuss issues centered on intersectional oppressions, identity exploration, trauma exploration, managing anxiety and stress, depression reduction, relational and attachment struggles, managing imposter syndrome, improving self-esteem, increasing communications skills and learning to identify and set healthy boundaries.

As children, and throughout our lives, many of us are taught, through our families, our peers and our culture, that parts of the truth of who we are—our feelings, thoughts, desires, expression or identity—are bad or wrong, and that we must cut off and bury those unacceptable parts of ourselves in order to be loved. We spend much of our lives living with a fractured sense of self, without ever really knowing why we suffer, feel incomplete, ashamed, and never enough, filling the holes in our hearts with poor substitutes for the acceptance, love and connection we so truly need.

I work with Individuals and Couples developing better skills for communication, coping with stress and life transitions, and relationship building skills. I offer deeply attentive and compassionate Therapy that doesn't shy away from hard conversations and is culturally responsive. I am active in your sessions, asking thoughtful questions, observing strengths and progress, and checking in. I use an eclectic mix of Attachment Theory, Somatic Therapies, Gottman, and RLT. I help people reconnect with their inner knowing to become their best selves. I work with lots of LGBTQ Clients in Couples, who work in Security, and who are teens.

I am a psychotherapist practicing HIPPA-compliant telehealth for clients located in California. My work with individuals, families, and groups is aimed at surfacing truth in ways that catalyze healing and transformation. I specialize in supporting emergence grounded in lineage, that is, where and who you come from, and that supports your legacy, or what it is you are here to do. I care particularly about the impact and transformations of oppressions you may endure and wish to offer myself in service to the ways in which you would like to shift.

Anxiety can be so overwhelming and persistent that it feels like it's taking over. Sadness, grief, and depression may feel so heavy and unmanageable that the simple but vital parts of life such as sleeping, eating, and work are difficult or complicated. Your pain might be related to a recent stressful event like heartbreak or the death of someone close to you, or maybe it is less acute but feels endless. Perhaps there is an atmosphere of dread, loneliness, fear, and frustration. Relationships become conflict- ridden or devoid of real feeling. There is a sense that you're doing it wrong or always making the same mistakes.

We all feel lost from time to time, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been through my own therapy as a young adult when I was stuck in a bout of anxiety and panic attacks due to childhood trauma. Throughout my years of working with traumatized individuals, I learned first-hand about how childhood trauma can have a strong impact on adulthood. I can help you address unresolved trauma, in order for you to find passion, connection, and purpose in your life.

I am a nonbinary, queer, neuroqueer, white, ashkenazi jewish healer. I support queer creatives and nonconformists honor authenticity beyond harmful binaries. My practice offers a somatic, creative, relational, and liberatory justice approach to caregiver recovery/codependencey, developmental trauma, post traumatic stress, and anxiety. I hold an anti-opressive stance, encouraging a sense of agency, QT joy, and alignment in healing. I have a passion for supporting LGBTQQIP2SAA+ community with life transitions, resisting systems, attachment/relationship challenges, & all who had to "grow up too quickly" in childhood.

I welcome you to journey inward with the support of another person by your side. In our work together, I hope to make space for all parts of your experience to come forward, especially ones that have seemed unacceptable or unwelcome in society. My approach to psychotherapy is holistic. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive, and focused on the whole person and their environment.

Mental health challenges are due to the aftereffects of traumatic experiences. Trauma can place a strain on your family, work, relationships, and even cause issues with self-worth. I specialize in trauma therapy along with treating personality disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and addiction. All these disorders can look different from person to person, and that is where our therapeutic journey of empowerment and self-exploration begins. I concentrate on creating a safe space of growth and self-discovery through unconditional positive regard, emotional regulation, and guided activities.

I believe that inside each of our struggles there is a choice and it's from this place that we can reconnect to and reclaim our inherent wisdom and power. My intention in our work together is to help shed light on the path to help guide you home to yourself

I enjoy helping individuals who experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, relationship stressors, life transitions, as well as those who want to overcome various symptoms of trauma. Often people I work with are seeking more peace, empowerment, and healthier relationships with others and with themselves. In this, my aim is to help individuals feel more confident, attuned to themselves, and kinder to parts of themselves, even those that can be hard to accept.

Do you struggle with feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt or low self-esteem? Do you find yourself avoiding social engagements or so preoccupied with excessive worrying? Finding ways to navigate these difficult feelings can help you get back on track. I use a psychodynamic approach and CBT that focuses on uncovering patterns of behavior and ways of relating to ourselves and others that are often outside of our awareness. I also consider how our past impacts who we are today. Through acceptance and empathy, we will establish a trusting therapeutic relationship and work together toward your personal growth and self-discovery.

Are you looking for help, guidance or support as a parent, adolescent, adult, or couple? Do you feel out of tune with your friends or family? Overwhelmed with demands? Or stuck in relational or behavioral patterns? Therapy can open you to new perspectives. As your therapist, I can help you widen your view, find your competence and reconnect with yourself, so you feel up to life’s challenges. I will be a curious and empathic listener and provide a secure, contained space to explore.

I am offering in person and telehealth appointments for individuals and couples. My practice focuses on the experiences of people of color, adult children of immigrants, young adults ages 18-25 and people working in social justice, helping and healing professions (including healthcare workers, teachers, social workers and therapists). I support individuals and couples who are seeking relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression, race based stress, trauma, generational trauma, grief, burnout and vicarious trauma.

Mike Lubofsky, Licensed Therapist and Attorney • My ideal client is highly intelligent, intellectually curious, and sincerely open to change. My work as a therapist is a deep calling and the challenging exploration of psychological and existential issues with clients often leads to profound emotionally corrective experiences with clients. Many clients, including lawyers, have "checked all the boxes" and have hit a wall of frustration and dissatisfaction. I have navigated those profound challenges and my life's work is to help others find their authentic paths.

Are you struggling with work, relational, and life stressors that have overwhelmed you and you are unsure what to do next? You're trying to open the next chapter in your life, but your past traumas and anxiety stop you. This is where I come in and help guide you in making YOUR right decision. I will help you through your journey in becoming worry-free and assist you in processing unresolved feelings and learning healthy coping skills for emotional distress

I create an experience tailored to your individualized needs and goals. Instead of sticking to a template, we’ll identify how to ensure you feel most comfortable expressing yourself. Therapy can deepen your awareness—which could mean welcoming back parts that you feel disconnected from, discovering new thoughts or ideas, or working with feelings that don’t seem to fit easily in your day-to-day life. As a result, you’ll start to better understand the unique factors that influence your relationships and behaviors: your strengths, values, intuition, and emotions. With new perspectives, you can prepare to live with greater authenticity.