Body Positivity Therapists in Montclair Village, Oakland, CA

INDIVIDUALS (couples below): Energy Psychology is a group of self-calming practices involving breathing and touching one’s own face and body. Scientific studies and clinical experience are confirming that Energy Psychology can help with anxiety, relationships, and trauma. You will learn practices to calm down during a conflict, sleep better, or let go of things that bother you. These practices help you by enhancing nervous system regulation, changing the way your brain stores upsetting memories, and bringing in more happiness and focus. You'll learn practices to use at home, in moments of stress or to start your day on a good note

Do you feel alone in your emotions and challenges? Do negative thoughts, anxieties and worries sometimes seem uncontrollable and overwhelming? Or maybe you are curious about how your past experiences may be showing up in your present....Grief, anxiety and life transitions can cause us to feel so many uncomfortable, difficult feelings that at times feel unbearable. As the world turns on, it can be difficult to find the time to understand how life's ups and downs impact how we show up for ourselves and others every day. Therapy is a great way to broaden this understanding.

Many of my clients are disabled, queer, and trans. I love to support individuals and families in finding and shifting cycles that keep them stuck. This can look like a cycle of anxiety that keeps swirling and growing no matter how much you try to avoid or reassure it. Or like families that are caught in challenging cycles of communication, who are working to shift things but feel caught in old patterns. My clients are often impacted by multiple layers of social and internalized stigma. Specific issues my clients seek care for include OCD, ADHD, depression, trauma, bereavement, and identity development around disability and gender.

Do you ever feel stuck or paralyzed by the stories your mind tells you? Do you ever feel weighed down by hopelessness or trapped in your anxiety? Do you often find yourself at the mercy of a harsh and critical inner voice? The human mind is a masterful storyteller and these stories can lead us down dark and painful paths. They are often filled with “what ifs” and “shoulds” that keep us stuck in the past or catastrophizing about the future. Folks often seek out therapy when they feel stuck in life, are in crisis, or feel their emotions are becoming too much to cope with. They want a change but are unsure how to go about it.

Please note: emailing me via Psychology Today is preferred to calling, thank you! :) I know it's exhausting to live in a world that asks us to mask our true identities, needs, and the most unique and beautiful parts of ourselves. We all deserve to have a safe space where we can explore the masks that we wear and the selves beneath them. I have lived experience with neurodivergence, dissociation, polyamory, and am queer and nonbinary, so I understand how valuable it is to have a therapist who understands intersectional experiences and can provide a space for non-judgmental authenticity in healing.

In the journey towards healing and self-discovery, finding a therapist who truly understands the intersectionality of your experiences is key. As a therapist and part of the trans, queer, ethnic minority, multicultural, immigrant, trauma survivor, and (dis)ability communities, I'm dedicated to honoring all that makes you - you. The uniqueness of your journey, recognition of your experiences, and collaboration will be at the core of our work.

Welcome! I’m Shallyn, a queer, non-binary somatic therapist. I work with adults, teens, and relationships. I believe that healing happens "at the speed of trust," in relationship, and beyond the binaries of good/bad, broken/healed. I believe that the healing container we make together will be a space where you can start where you are (as the world’s expert of your own lived and felt experience); where you can notice and honor what your body is already doing to heal and protect itself; and where you can exist beyond stifling binaries and norms in unfolding relationship to your body, yourself, your people, and your world.

I often work with patients to examine longstanding difficulties, both with others and within their own selves. Such patterns often leave people feeling misunderstood, empty, lost, unheard, unseen, taken advantage of, stuck, angry, or resentful. Feeling this way can leave you feeling disconnected from and distrusting of others; even those who you love and want to feel close to. Many times, these pieces can be extremely difficult and even can feel impossible to share. And that's okay. We will work together to address what feels important to you and at your pace.

Are you experiencing fight, flight or freeze responses to everyday life stressors, or feeling paralyzed to make change? EMDR therapy for trauma and PTSD could be a great fit for you. Unprocessed traumatic memories can get "stuck" in your nervous system, causing you to operate from survival mechanisms that no longer serve you, and which block you from reaching your full life potential. Whether you're hoping to resolve trauma, reduce your "inner critic," find more purpose and meaning in your life, or improve your relationships, I'm here to guide you toward the growth and healing you seek.

There are so many reasons to enter therapy and I consider myself privileged to have the opportunity to hear your story and earn your trust. I specialize in supporting clients who are struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-judgment, OCD, trauma, and various relationship issues. Additionally, I have expertise in helping those who want to take a non-diet approach to bulimia, binge eating disorders, and compulsive/emotional eating concerns. In general, I work well with clients who feel stuck using coping strategies that no longer feel good and are ready to move in a new direction.

Would you like to know yourself better and more deeply? To be able to move beyond painful and frustrating patterns in your feelings, relationships, and work? Sometimes it's clear why we feel and act how we do: ecstatic about a new romance, upset about a professional disappointment, awash with grief following the loss of a loved one. Other times feelings and behaviors may surprise you—a nagging anxiety, a lingering sadness, memories of past experiences that you thought you'd left behind, a sense that your relationship with a partner could be deeper, that work could be more fulfilling even as you have success along the way.

Do you need relief from anxiety or depression? Are you and your partner fighting and trying to move forward together? I often help people who are exactly where you are. A collaborative, focused relationship with a caring professional can be a life-changing experience. I have a goal oriented and interactive style, and my goal is always to help you move forward - at your own pace - with ease and acceptance. Check out my website and call for a phone consultation to see if I'd be a good fit for you.

Every journey.. your first thought to call a therapist when you need to talk to someone, begins with a single step. When anxiety, depression, stress, personal, family, work relationship problems lead you to reach out, I will listen and help you find the best way through. Experienced licensed psychotherapist, 40+ years in general psychotherapy practice, I provide a safe place to talk, explore, resolve, heal what is challenging or troubling. I bring compassion, perceptiveness combined with patience, curiosity and many years of knowledge and skill to our collaboration to help you find effective solutions and make better life choices.

Healthy relationships, including the one with ourselves, are essential to our well-being. When problems become too much to manage, the therapy relationship provides a supportive space for recovery and personal growth. Discussing your experiences with a caring professional makes it possible to explore thoughts and feelings as they show up. Regular meetings support the process, offering the chance to know yourself more fully over the course of therapy.

After working at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, I started my private practice in 2015. My ideal client is motivated to align with their personal and relational integrity, allowing them to reduce symptoms and signs of distress, as well as pursue a life congruent with their authentic self, their intersectional identity, and their wellness. This include female-identified and non-binary individuals, as well as couples/partners (of all genders, sexual orientations, and relationship structures) who identify as non-traditional, including Queer, CNM/Poly, Kinky, and/or subcultural communities (e.g. Burners).

I provide therapy for those experiencing a wide range of life challenges including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, trauma recovery, grief and loss, life transitions and relationship concerns. With my background in Technology and corporate work (over a decade) I am very conversant and knowledgeable of that world. I have extensive experience and expertise in working with Anxiety, relationship issues and highly sensitive people.

I continue to be humbled by the bravery, vulnerability and courage it takes to enter into therapy. The very act of reaching out is one of resiliency and strength, particularly during times when you may be experiencing difficult transitions, questioning patterns in life that no longer serve you or your relationships, feelings of worry, sadness and overwhelm.

My intention is to create a comfortable, safe space for clients to explore, heal and grow. I have years of experience helping individuals in crisis due to a wide variety of life's challenges and traumas. I help those of you who suffer from physical pain, anxiety, depression, emotional crisis, stress, trauma, PTSD and many other common symptoms . My approach is tailoring my experience and skills in a compassionate, honest and direct manner, to facilitate your experience to balance, self-acceptance and wholeness.

I offer holistic and depthful therapy that is both affirming and collaborative. My clients appreciate my gentleness, compassion & humor. My approach is de-stigmatizing and non-shaming, addressing & coming into contact with held stories and social narratives that may not match your current self or the self that wants to be. I hold an adaptive client centered framework utilizing trauma informed, social justice, somatic, parts work, & attachment based approaches. Sites of harm are often the sites of healing, in forming therapeutic relationship we can explore & come to know these sites and the unique offering &