Adoption 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.

Are you hoping to have more energy? Would you like to be a calmer parent or partner? Are you hoping for stronger or smoother relationships with important people in your life? Do you worry about how your child is doing in school, or how they feel about themselves as a learner? I provide detailed assessments, and individual, group and family therapy to help kids, families and adults build on their strengths. Together we will figure out how to help you, and/or your children, feel better, function better, and live a life with less friction and more fulfillment.

Many have called this an unprecedented time -- isolated in our homes, concerned about the well-being of our loved ones and facing changes and circumstances we may have never imagined. If you are feeling disoriented, unsteady or fatigued, you are not alone. As we grapple with the ongoing affects of the pandemic, it is a time of both personal and collective upheaval, a time that may challenge our endurance, but also deepen our humanity and resilience. As your therapist, I will be a compassionate, respectful and trust-worthy guide, to help you navigate your experience, whatever struggles you are facing.

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.

My work is with individuals and couples who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get down to the task of making transformative shifts in their lives. Often people come to therapy believing that our history makes us who we are. Using the therapy relationship as a secure base from which to explore, clearing away the clutter and loosening a few knots, we often find that our history has obscured who we really are. In some way, most of us are longing for a sense of well-being that is not wholly dependent on external circumstances.

When individuals, couples, families or children make the difficult decision to come to therapy they are usually feeling stuck and often scared. Each of us has our own strength and wisdom which we don't see when we are troubled. My goal is for us to work together to rediscover those qualities. I use a cattail plant as a symbol of how I see therapy. Why? Cattails are found stuck in a marsh and often regarded as weeds. But when looked at carefully they are graceful and strong. Let me help you find your strength and grace.

I seek to guide you through the anxiety/panic, depression, fear, worry, grief, anger, or shame that often accompany substantial hardship. Whether you just gave birth to your first or last baby, experienced the loss of a loved one, endured a career change or are looking for general emotional support, I am equipped to walk alongside you as you navigate these experiences. When working with couples we center the element of communication, developing and deepening the connection between the two of you.

I am an experienced children's psychotherapist, with a private practice in Alameda and have provided therapeutic services for children, teens and families for 20+ years. I have been able to help families deal with a variety of issues including trauma, loss, family-conflict, children/teens with learning disabilities and a variety of behavioral issues, as well as familial substance use issues, post-divorce issues, severe anxiety and depression.

Are there experiences or challenges in your life that have left you feeling stuck, lost, disconnected, or alone? Are you struggling with your job, relationships, family, or just life in general? Do you need help making sense of the world around you and your place within it? Is it time to begin living your best life? All journeys begin with the first step.

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.

I work with children ranging in age from kindergarten through middle school, as well as parents and caregivers. I can help children who are facing challenges around anxiety, life transitions, losses, self-esteem, and relationships with peers and/or family members. I know that children are most effectively treated when their parents are engaged in the treatment process. The degree to which parents are included depends on each child’s needs. I am also happy to provide parent consultation as the primary intervention if a parent is interested in trying that approach instead of individual child therapy.

My main goal in the therapeutic relationship is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, trusting environment where individuals can explore their feelings in their search for a more fulfilling life. I provide therapy personalized to your unique situation and needs, treating each person’s problems within the context of each circumstance. I will work towards developing a relationship with you where you can feel safe to express your thoughts and feelings and what is holding you back from living life more fully. I am not just a passive listener, I will give you feedback in a direct and honest way.

You may be struggling with depression or anxiety, grief or loss, or a difficult relationship. Maybe your stress level has increased recently and you find yourself struggling to cope. These types of situations sometimes leave people feeling “stuck” and unsure of how to move forward and regain their quality of life. Psychotherapy is a powerful, evidence-based mental health treatment that helps many people move past the stuckness and find new ways of managing life’s challenges.

As a psychotherapist, I help clients redefine how they live their lives. I am a licensed clinical social worker who sees children, adolescents and families as well as individual adults. By engaging in a series of conversations, I will help you to challenge the problematic assumptions and ways of being that prevent you from realizing the full potential of your life. I work from a colloborative stance that assumes you are the expert on your life. But my own expertise in helping people overcome emotional problems, troublesome habits and relationship roadblocks can help you create new solutions to old problems.

I can make a difference in your child's success in special education, IEPs, learning differences, navigating for parents who's children may need extra help in school, or having a negative effect on a young child who has lost their self esteem and has a failure mentality and turn it into a child believing and feeling like they can succeed and has pride with knowing they can achieve success. Academic help is every child's right through a federal law that is already in place. Many parents do not know how to access these programs. These techniques or resources are tailored specifically for your child.