Therapists in Berkeley, CA

My therapeutic style is approachable, warm, curious, and, when necessary, challenging. I draw from my training in the lineage of Gestalt Therapy, working in the 'here and now' to find out how we can create growth and change. I also use tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when appropriate to help develop awareness for effective change. We will work collaboratively to see how you can learn respond to your environment with greater freedom and choice, where you can see possibilities and turn them into actualities. I'm here to support you in becoming your best self.

We are all born whole, in lovingkind perfection. But life produces obstacles that sidetrack our becoming ourselves. Obstacles take any forms: trauma in the body, inauthentic identities, existential fears, beliefs indoctrinated but in conflict with one's essential values, or anxiety that something is wrong with oneself. The result can be alienation, grief, substance use issues, depression, anxiety, difficulty connecting, or incapacity to speak or create from the heart. Reconnecting with ones body, the natural world, and with an unconditional community are the foundations re-emerging into the Self you've always been.

Though I work with everyone, and all are welcome, always, I specialize in working with adolescent teens and adult men. Emphasizing mindfulness, my work is particularly effective in dealing with patterns of substance use or other addictive tendencies, social anxiety, ADHD, and important life transitions. Rather than having my own agenda, I appreciate helping clients clarify and compassionately move toward their vision, find meaning through challenge, and gain deeper understanding of their own dilemmas. I also enjoy helping people learn to communicate authentically with their loved ones in ways that help change detrimental patterns.

All life is a relationship. From our very first moments and onward, what happens in relationship teaches us about how to be in the world. We continually form certain core beliefs, ways of thinking, patterns of tension, and ways of moving our body that can be both healthy and limiting. Trauma, abuse, neglect, and other wounding contribute to how we form our relationship with the world and with ourselves. All of our past experiences have an impact on our present experience. Our day to day life can then be full of a sense of meaninglessness, emotional and physical pain, chronic anxiety, mistrust, or general unease.

We seek therapy because at some level we imagine that life could be better. We all suffer in different ways and suffering is universal, but it is precisely that suffering that leads us into a process of discovering how our deepest selves want to be expressed in the world and then to find the inner resources to live that out. In its truest sense, psychotherapy – which means “tending to the soul” – is not only concerned with alleviating symptoms, resolving issues, or adapting to life’s demands (though these are important), but ultimately with living lives that are more joyful, creative and free.

I am passionate about supporting people to quickly move through psychological blocks that create stress and stop the flow of creative, productive energy. I focus on facilitating freedom from anxiety and depression created by past experiences, opening the mind to what is present and possible, instead of old and no longer useful. I work extensively with the therapeutic technique known as EMDR, which is clinically proven to be an effective treatment for Anxiety/Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am an EMDRIA approved Consultant and a Trainer for the Trauma Recovery Humanitarian Assistance Program. www.emdrhap.org

Through therapy with your child, I will work in building resiliency, learning new coping skills, emotional regulation, and providing a safe space to process memories and current life experiences and traumas. Unlike adults who tend more to communicate verbally or from a logical perspective, children use creativity and imaginative play to express their inner thoughts and feelings, it is often the main way children relate and learn about themselves and their world. Through play therapy, I respond to your child with care, attunement, and skillfulness in helping them understand difficult emotions and make sense of confusing experiences.

My approach as a relational and somatic therapist is to create a collaborative space to explore your relationship with yourself, others, and the world. We will unearth unconscious beliefs and patterns to help you live a more connected and fulfilling life. Our work together will, hopefully, help you relieve suffering, foster growth, and develop insight in all dimensions of your life.

I offer psychotherapy for ages 14 and up and neuropsychological assessment for ages 6 and up. My therapy approach is relational and solution focused and begins with building a mutual understanding of your goals and how those goals will make a positive difference in your life. If aligned with your goals, I may introduce CBT and DBT informed interventions to address specific concerns. My assessments provide comprehensive written reports of clients' learning and mental health profiles, which may be used to document diagnoses so clients receive appropriate accommodations in school and/or on standardized admissions/licensing exams.

I am a psychologist and a certified Jungian analyst. I have been in private practice since 1979, initially as an MFT, then as a psychologist starting in 1989. I became certified as a Jungian analyst in 2010 after seven years of training at the C.G. Jung Institute in San Francisco. It is my privilege to work with many different people, those coping with uncertainties and ambiguities of life transitions, those who suffer a range of painful symptoms such as anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, trauma, divorce, identity issues, spiritual crisis. I value depth, difference and relationship.

I am bilingual in Spanish, and offer therapy for individual adults, couples, families, teens, and children 6 and older. My specialties include trauma, interpersonal violence (IPV), and loss, especially for human beings who have experienced displacement and/migration. I offer services for expecting and new mothers to aid in the transitions and attachment issues that arise. Also I am interested in bridging periods in human development. I embrace a culturally humble stance, and am LBGT welcoming.

I offer both short-term and long-term therapy with adults, young adults, and seniors. I have a good deal of experience with grief and loss, depression and anxiety, struggles unique to students (across a variety of ages), and issues particular to the creative process. I welcome individuals who desire adaptability in a therapist, deep empathy, and a collaborative attitude about what works.

It is my passion to support and walk alongside others as they explore the depths of their being- that which makes them truly unique. As a clinician, my holistic therapeutic approach is informed by the wisdom and strength that I derive from the body, nature, creative expression and deep inquiry. I am also relational in my orientation- bringing warmth, openness, curiosity, patience, and flexibility to my clients in order to support their dynamic needs as they emerge in the present. I see every individual as autonomous and worthy of respect, compassion and care.

Therapy is a collaborative process that can help us move through painful situations and challenging transitions, finding meaning even in darker places. As the poet May Sarton wrote, 'without darkness/nothing comes to birth/As without light/nothing flowers.' Constructing a safe and supportive container for healing allows us to explore patterns in a different light. In this renewed relational field, development and choices take root. Grounded in Somatics, an approach that builds awareness of links between mind and body, I am influenced by Jungian analytic psychology, psychodynamic, cognitive/behavioral, and family systems frameworks.

Initiating therapy can understandably feel overwhelming, that’s why I strive to provide a supportive, non-judgmental, and confidential space for clients to explore difficult parts of their lives. At some point many people find that their familiar patterns and habits of relating to others, coping with stress, and being in the world no longer serve them. Clients who see me often feel anxiety, distress in relationships, dissatisfaction at work or school, overwhelm with life transition, and have a wish for more connection and intimacy.

For 25 years, I have assisted people with a variety of addictions, from the exogenous abuse of drugs and alcohol, to the ones that stem from the chemicals already inside the brain, such as sex and love addiction, abandonment patterns, sexual compulsions, gambling, internet, and workaholism. Unlike most psychotherapists, I’m a Board Certified Addiction Specialist, well versed in both abstinence and harm reduction strategies. Unlike most addiction professionals, I am also psychotherapist who also treats the anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues that often manifest after being uncovered through recovery.

Do you consistently experience BURNOUT and/or chronic PAIN? Do you feel like there is a constant pressure to do things and “do them right?” Do you struggle to FOCUS and wonder if you have ADHD? I provide thorough diagnostic evaluations, executive function coaching, and customized individual and COUPLES therapy. You will learn coping strategies, reconnect in AWE with yourself, your relationships, and life. I have had the privilege of helping clients at UCLA Medicine, The Pain Psychology Center, and Edward Hallowell ADHD Center. Certified ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP), IFS, ISTDP, CBT, DBT

Seasoned licensed psychologist with a cognitive behavioral brief psychotherapy theoretical orientation. I serve as a mirror to our community and specialize in trauma, stress management, chemical dependency, domestic violence and family systems. Bienvenidos a mi practica. Somos un cucharon para servir al pueblo. Sirvo como espejo para ayudarle encontrar tu destino.

Do you struggle with depression, anxiety, and trauma? Do you experience difficulties managing family and relationship issues? I believe that healing happens when we pay attention to all the parts that make us whole—our mind, body, and soul. The subconscious mind controls most of our reality and choices, so building awareness and active presence can improve the quality of daily living and assist in not only surviving but thriving through life. As an intuitive & holistic therapist, I will assist you in strengthening your inner psyche and developing new tools to manage negative feelings and thoughts.