Teen Therapists in Alameda, CA

Welcome. I work with children, adolescents, and adults coping with relational, anxiety, traumatic, and mood disorders. In my practice, therapy often entails exploring the impact of early attachment experiences on our views of self and our ability to form close, meaningful relationships throughout life. In our work together, you will be treated with warmth, empathy, and openness. The most important part of our work is the development of a trusting relationship. This relationship creates a thoughtful, safe space to explore your strengths, challenges, and goals. My approach to clinical work is largely relational and psychodynamic.

I earned my B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. at UCLA. After completing my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at UCLA (one of the most highly rated Clinical Psychology programs in the nation), I completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harbor UCLA Medical Center focusing on Child and Adolescent clinical populations. I have been working with children, adolescents, and their families for more than twenty-five years. I have clinical familiarity with the treatment of a general clinical population as well as more specialized populations like ADHD, ASD, Anxiety, and Depression.

My clinical approach to working with teen and adult clients is to provide a safe as well as non-judgemental place to process difficult emotions and situations that may be hindering a healthy and balanced life. I work from a client centered and relationship based model allowing for optimal growth to shift the patterns that are causing you to feel stuck. This enables change, positivity, and renewed energy in your life. Some common reasons people seek therapy are; difficulties with peer relationships, depression, life transitions, stress, substance use, self esteem and body image, parenting, academic performance, and family conflict.

You are struggling and you feel alone. I can help. Have you ever been told you are too sensitive? Do you often feel judged or alone? Are you interested in looking within, learning more about yourself and creating the life you deserve? If so, I am here to help. I support clients struggling with depression and anxiety, learning about and coping with the highly sensitive trait, as well as grief and difficult life transitions. I specialize in older teens, college students, young adulthood/emerging professionals. and women around issues of fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and family life.

I look forward to addressing your individual needs. I specialize in treating adolescent issues of all types with a specific focus on depression and mood disorders. I also offer services for people suffering from addiction, in all its forms. I work with adolescence, adults and couples, and of course with the entire family when indicated. I am considered a technical eclectic, which means I use whatever theoretical approach I feel will work best for your situation. We will also draw from film, literature, culture and spirituality in our sessions so that we can make use of your unique personal interests.

Bay Area Clinical Associates (BACA) is a physician-owned and operated organization committed to providing integrated, scientific, empathetic mental health treatment for kids, teens, young adults and their families. As a note, we serve only ages 26 years and under. BACA is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of child & adolescent psychiatrists, licensed marriage & family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. We work to take the "mystery" out of psychiatric care and have a relaxed, fun, caring environment at our clinics. Our Berkeley outpatient clinic is currently impacted but we have openings for our IOPs.

Over the course of life, people develop coping skills to deal with all kinds of emotional challenges. However, sometimes, individuals encounter situations for which they have no preparation or find the usually adequate coping skills are overwhelmed by the enormity of particular problem/problems. There may be patterns or behaviors that one feels stuck in or fated to repeat over-and-over. (Do you feel "stuck" but you cannot figure out how to release yourself?) In those instances a solution focused, warm, steady, and skillful therapist can assist individuals to understand the root causes of those distressing patterns.

Seeking support requires plenty of courage, strength, and determination. Taking the first steps toward change can feel both invigorating and nerve-racking at the same time. I aim to create a warm, supportive, and non-judgmental space for you to share your life experiences. One of our most fundamental human needs is to form connections, and I strive to utilize our therapeutic relationship as a guide for growth and healing. As a partner in your personal journey, I hope to empower you to gain the valuable insight and practical skills essential for overcoming obstacles, achieving your goals, and living a well-balanced, self-fulfilled life.

“The best things in life are on the other side of fear.” You or your teen struggle with anxiety, OCD, or trauma. Or you struggle with relationship anxiety or ROCD. You spend hours worrying and feeling anxious. You’ve tried all kinds of ways to get rid of the problem - relaxation, meditation, etc. - and nothing has worked. You’re confused, frustrated, and nearly hopeless. You don’t understand why this is happening, how to make it go away, or even what to do next.

Are you looking for a new creative way to deal with difficulties in life and get in touch with your best self? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything with your teen , but they struggle to benefit from traditional talk therapy? As art therapists, we incorporate talk therapy with art making to help our clients unlock their creative potential, look at problems with fresh eyes, and develop new coping skills for dealing with difficult emotions. If you or your child is feeling blocked by past trauma, stuck in destructive patterns, or overwhelmed by depression or anxiety, then I encourage you to reach out. You are not alone.

Have you been feeling lost, isolated, terribly anxious, and overwhelmed? Have you been concerned about your relationships? Or perhaps it is your child struggling with anxiety, sleep, school and peer difficulties. I specialize in supporting people in transition and navigating challenges, from children or teens struggling with changes at home or school, to adults dealing with internal blocks and recognizing their need to heal to create positive change in their lives. I help my clients express themselves in more authenticate and creative ways to improve their sense of connection with themselves, their loved ones, and their world.

EATING - Perhaps you tried many things, and you still don’t feel at home with your body or food. Though you are strong in many ways, you may even feel you have failed in this area. You didn’t fail! The information you were given failed you. I am both a fully-recovered bulimic and a scholar on the non-diet mentality. Come learn a new way of relating to your body and food - for good. Check out my podcast episode on Conquering Your Inner Critic (with Vicky Aldana), available on Amazon Music.

At East Bay Center for Anxiety Relief, we work with adults, children, teens, couples, and families. We also facilitate periodic groups focused on communication skills, social skills, anxiety, depression, and working women. We strive for mindful, efficient, and effective therapy. Our clinicians are trained in research-based models such as TEAM-CBT and Gottman couples/family models. We work a bit differently than more traditional practices. We don’t cram an hour of therapy into 50 minutes. Instead, we provide full 60-, 75-, or 90-minute sessions.

Research shows that couples wait on average 6 years after problems arise to seek professional help. Whether your relationship is full of conflict or has drifted into the friend zone, this is our area of expertise. We focus on practical strategies that we know from research to be effective. Our goal is to minimize the time you spend with us and give you the tools you need to improve your relationship outside of therapy. Our team of therapists is highly skilled, compassionate and will offer you practical feedback and research-based guidance.

I'm not the stereotypical therapist who will listen to you and then reply with "Uhmm hmm. And how does that make you feel?" I prefer to be real, interactive and engage in a conversation with you. My hope is that collaboratively we can generate creative solutions to the issues that brought you in to my office. I enjoy working with individuals, couples and families. I believe that people are more than the sum of their problems and I approach my relationship with you from this perspective.

You always knew you wanted to be a parent. It was easy to imagine the experiences you'd have with your kids- dinners discussing your day, cheering them on from the soccer field, holidays building memories... What you didn't plan for was the weight of your responsibilities. It's so hard to be present and tuned in when your mind is racing from one to-do list to the next. When you're so exhausted that you want to just lay on the couch. When the demands placed upon you feel insurmountable. All you want is to respond with patience, but you are irritated, stressed, and have no idea how to begin getting your life back to balanced.

My approach emphasizes respect, transparency, authenticity, and collaboration. I believe that most problems exert their influence on people by blinding them to their own strengths, resources and potential solutions. Problems can saturate people's lives in complex and expansive ways. As a curious outsider with training and experience, I work with clients to debunk dysfunctional assumptions, and to challenge problem-inspired patterns. It's an honor to witness and support clients, as they practice living more consistently with their articulated values and goals, progressing towards more preferred ways of being.