Spirituality Therapists in Berkeley, CA

I work in two distinct modalities: psychotherapy and shamanic healing. Working in the first modality, psychotherapy, may look like: counseling, coaching, consultation, in-depth psychodynamic uncovering of unconscious material, support through a life transition, or assistance with addictive habits. It depends on who you are. Often we feel we could use some help but we can't quite articulate what the issue is. My goal here is to assist you in navigating your journey and in being your true self.

Create joy and inner calm in your life. My role is to guide you in coming back to your wholeness. I am passionate about helping you heal your wounded parts. This wounding may show up as depression, anxiety, or PTSD in adulthood. My approach is heart-based; it is a fusion of experiential, somatic/body-oriented (releasing emotional pain which is stored in our bodies), gestalt, cognitive behavioral, EMDR, hypnosis, and internal family systems approaches. I don't focus on analyzing nor intellectualizing your past. We visit the past to let go of any pain or heal trauma.

Empathy is a must! My work is grounded in the therapeutic relationship as a space that, first of all needs to be an empathic place, where you as a client feel seen, heard, understood and supported as you tap into yourself, what drew you into therapy at this time & want to heal and grow. I draw from intuition and insightful engagement utilizing a strong theoretical background, tools and psychological understanding to empower you as you move into your heart for healing, find your hope and dreams, and step into greater self-understanding, self-care, connections with love, work & life & overall wellbeing.

Are you in the process of a big life transition? Perhaps contemplating or going through a separation/divorce, career change, or feel you have lost touch with a part of yourself that once held the spark of joy and passion. You may feel anxious, depressed, lonely, and unsure. You don't have to move through these times alone. Together we will work to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. My work with you is collaborative and non-judgemental. In our sessions I work transpersonally and somatically, incorporating EMDR, guided imagery, expressive arts, spirituality , tarot, and dreams.

I am a seasoned clinician with expertise to accompany you on your inner journey. I am flexible in my approach so that I can respond to the particular needs you bring to therapy. At one point you may need support and practical tools for addressing experiences that are painful or challenging. At another time, you may need room to explore the patterns of thought, feeling or behavior that are puzzling to you, including more unconscious factors that may be exerting their invisible influence on your life. I see people from a variety of backgrounds, including many therapists.

The heart and emphasis of my work is to help you know and trust your deepest feelings and to live an emotionally authentic life. When you become more intimate and present with yourself you become more intimate and authentic with others. As you know yourself better, you'll discover how certain emotions, behaviors and beliefs have shaped your life and relationships and you'll become empowered to make many important changes. For over 20 years, I've helped couples and individuals develop increased self-trust and self-awareness, greater life purpose and more conscious, loving and intimate relationships.

Welcome! Licensed in both California and Maine, I am currently accepting new clients during these challenging, post-pandemic times. I bring over 25 years of experience helping individuals, couples, families, and religious and spiritual organizations to heal and thrive. My experience spans a wide range of issues including but not limited to: trauma, anxiety, depression, psychopathology, relationship challenges, grief and loss, post-pandemic challenges, vocational coaching, relationship to our sexuality, body and ageing, and utilizing psychotherapy to accompany psychiatric support. I use telehealth and work in-person in Portland, ME.

I honor the process of reclaiming space around one's identity, spirituality , sexuality, ethnicity, internal and external environment, and relationships to others. My desire is to make space to ask questions, hold doubt, and walk alongside to a place of reclaiming for yourself. Areas of interest include religious trauma and spiritual reclamation, embodiment, identity formation, dream work, grief/loss, cultural and generational trauma, and working with artists and creativity.

I tend to work mostly with men who searching to find deeper meaning and purpose in life and are interested in taking a mindful approach to their spirituality . My other specialties are working with my clients to communicate more effectively, develop healthy boundaries, and increase their ability for self-care. I also have experience in helping people process challenging relationships with parents and other family members and establishing healthier dynamics with them.

My name is Christopher Brunell and I have been a licensed clinical psychologist since 1992. I am as passionate, if not more than when I started my career in the early 1980s. I help people with anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, marital issues, panic disorders, spirituality , trauma, PTSD, and more. I employ an integrative approach using psychoanalysis, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, EMDR, and more. I look holistically at the mind, body, emotions, and spirit to establish goals to alleviate suffering. This journey is different for everyone, and I embrace the challenge to find this balance with those that I work with.

I have created a unique approach to helping people change. My goal is to honor and respect your individuality and to empower you to access your internal resources and infinite potential for growth and healing. I use hypnosis, guided imagery, dream work, somatic awareness and meditation as well as psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral approaches. I will make you a tape and teach you to use hypnosis to overcome anxiety and depression, stop smoking, change unwanted habits, control pain, improve performance, enhance self-esteem and deepen spirituality .

You may feel stuck, drained, or overwhelmed. Perhaps you have a sense that life could feel different, better, or somehow more enlivened than it currently does. I strive to create a safe container to help you access the parts of you that are innately whole, connected, and oriented toward the North Star in your night sky. I believe that under the right conditions, with the right tools, and through the right relationships, each of us is capable of the healing, growing, and thriving that we seek. Through empathic attunement and active collaboration, I hope to help you learn to experience, explore, and nurture your most authentic self.

Are you anxious, depressed and tired? Are you feeling emotional for no reason? Feeling disoriented and lonely? Questioning everything in your life? I help people to deeply listen inside and let their choices be based on what is true for them. While pain and emotions are part of being human, suffering can be minimized by allowing what is inside of us to be expressed and find acceptance in our experiences. I support you to move through trauma, anxiety, anger and depression to empowerment. Stress-management is part of the work and looking at communication with ourselves and others to have fulfilling relationships.

I use a somatic approach to help clients mindfully attune to their mental, physical and emotional needs. My practice focuses on therapy for couples and on ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) for individuals. With couples, I address issues of codependency, boundaries, and lack of emotional or physical intimacy. I also support couples who are going through fertility treatments, pregnancy, or new parenthood. In my KAT work, I support clients who are recovering from trauma, are grieving, or are exploring deeper layers of their spirituality .

Institutional and systemic oppression, intergenerational trauma, and interpersonal harms can leave us feeling battered and broken. Isolation, community degradation, and cut off from the body and the natural world can leave us unsupported and under-resourced. In my work I seek to help people regulate their nervous systems, overcome the shame of having been harmed, and re/connect with a broader network of support. I'm passionate about accompanying people through their journey of identity development, whether that be gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, or whatever identity is emerging. I hope to help you step into your authentic self.

I work with individuals struggling with issues of self-worth, either shame or grandiosity; couples needing help to restore their communication, dealing with codependency and navigating non monogamous life; and I specialize in working with men seeking to develop a healthier relationship to their masculinity. I am offering you supportive, non judgmental yet direct and clear feedback on what you are thinking and doing that keeps you from moving forward. Changing the way we engage with our thoughts and feelings requires self-awareness, education, and support. You don't have to do this alone!

I have been working with clients for ten years, helping them make significant changes in their lives. I work with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, self-judgement, family and relationship issues, marriage and sexuality, past trauma and spirituality . There are many things in life that can be difficult, and I help people see and understand the meaning and purpose in their experiences. I believe that change comes from awareness. If you cant see what is causing you suffering, you cannot tend to it. I help you know yourself and your circumstances so that you can feel empowered as opposed to victimized by life.

Self-acceptance can help you make lasting changes in your life. I offer insight, a sense of humor, and a safe and supportive place to experience yourself (and your partner) with more compassion and self understanding. Together we can explore issues of self-image, intimacy, work satisfaction, creativity, and spirituality . Couples are also welcome. My work as a psychotherapist incorporates certain guiding beliefs: 1) Our world view results from our childhood experiences; this world view greatly affects our current lifestyle, self-image and interaction with others; 2) Our ability to change largely depends on making this world view conscious, so