Therapists in Berkeley, CA
I work with individuals and couples navigating trauma, chronic illness, anxiety, addiction, and relationship challenges. Many of the struggles we face as adults are rooted in early experiences, how we learned to relate to others, regulate our emotions, and understand who we are. These early patterns can live on in the body and nervous system, shaping how we respond to stress, how we show up in relationships, and how we experience ourselves. When old wounds are stirred up, they can leave us feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or cut off from what we truly need. Together, we’ll explore these patterns with compassion and curiosity.
I work with individuals and couples navigating trauma, chronic illness, anxiety, addiction, and relationship challenges. Many of the struggles we face as adults are rooted in early experiences, how we learned to relate to others, regulate our emotions, and understand who we are. These early patterns can live on in the body and nervous system, shaping how we respond to stress, how we show up in relationships, and how we experience ourselves. When old wounds are stirred up, they can leave us feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or cut off from what we truly need. Together, we’ll explore these patterns with compassion and curiosity.
My approach is collaborative, engaged, and warm. I bring a combination of concrete, skills-based strategies along with space for open-ended reflection to help you feel better, reconnect to yourself, and orient towards where you're headed. The weight of worry, depression, and fatigue can sit right next to our innate capacity for meaning, connection, and joy. I help my clients navigate this internal terrain through the use of Internal Family Systems, mindfulness, EMDR, and somatic work. I also offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) for acute symptom relief as well as to bring new opportunities to your spiritual and creative path.
My approach is collaborative, engaged, and warm. I bring a combination of concrete, skills-based strategies along with space for open-ended reflection to help you feel better, reconnect to yourself, and orient towards where you're headed. The weight of worry, depression, and fatigue can sit right next to our innate capacity for meaning, connection, and joy. I help my clients navigate this internal terrain through the use of Internal Family Systems, mindfulness, EMDR, and somatic work. I also offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) for acute symptom relief as well as to bring new opportunities to your spiritual and creative path.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a practice in California. I work particularly well with smart, intense people with untapped potential. This untapped potential is often a result of the effects of relational wounding, and/or pervasive emotional and mood difficulties. Together, we will work to help you reconnect to your sense of vitality, belonging, and purpose.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a practice in California. I work particularly well with smart, intense people with untapped potential. This untapped potential is often a result of the effects of relational wounding, and/or pervasive emotional and mood difficulties. Together, we will work to help you reconnect to your sense of vitality, belonging, and purpose.
I believe that as human beings, we are hard-wired with the need to get our emotional experience into the mind of a trusted other. My work as a psychotherapist is to find emotional resonance with my clients' life experiences, deriving both from their family of origin and from present-day situations and relationships. Whether a client is depressed, anxious, struggling with relationship problems, trying to overcome traumatic experiences, or trying to find their own unique, personal voice in a complex world, talking in psychotherapy can help to expand your capacity for growth and happiness.
I believe that as human beings, we are hard-wired with the need to get our emotional experience into the mind of a trusted other. My work as a psychotherapist is to find emotional resonance with my clients' life experiences, deriving both from their family of origin and from present-day situations and relationships. Whether a client is depressed, anxious, struggling with relationship problems, trying to overcome traumatic experiences, or trying to find their own unique, personal voice in a complex world, talking in psychotherapy can help to expand your capacity for growth and happiness.
I am a licensed psychotherapist and former lawyer. During my time serving as the first External Director of the Stanford Law School Wellness Project, I founded and co-hosted the WellnessCast, a monthly podcast about wellness and mental health in the legal profession. In my Bay Area private practice, I work with lawyers, physicians, and other professionals to increase well-being by providing a non-judgmental space to explore strengths, challenges, vulnerabilities, and anxieties. Through a process of engaged listening, inquiry, and collaborative thinking, we will gain insight into your situation and work toward meaningful change.
I am a licensed psychotherapist and former lawyer. During my time serving as the first External Director of the Stanford Law School Wellness Project, I founded and co-hosted the WellnessCast, a monthly podcast about wellness and mental health in the legal profession. In my Bay Area private practice, I work with lawyers, physicians, and other professionals to increase well-being by providing a non-judgmental space to explore strengths, challenges, vulnerabilities, and anxieties. Through a process of engaged listening, inquiry, and collaborative thinking, we will gain insight into your situation and work toward meaningful change.
You deserve to thrive, not just survive. I work with global citizens, athletes (especially rock climbers), people of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, tech professionals, creatives, and people who enjoy nature and alternative lifestyles. I understand complexities of identity, trauma, and healing. I want to provide a safe space where you can explore different parts of yourself and confront experiences with compassion and expertise. I dare say it can sometimes be fun. I speak fluent Cantonese and some Spanish.
Having grown up in North America, Asia, and Mexico / Central America, I can help with cross-cultural issues.
You deserve to thrive, not just survive. I work with global citizens, athletes (especially rock climbers), people of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, tech professionals, creatives, and people who enjoy nature and alternative lifestyles. I understand complexities of identity, trauma, and healing. I want to provide a safe space where you can explore different parts of yourself and confront experiences with compassion and expertise. I dare say it can sometimes be fun. I speak fluent Cantonese and some Spanish.
Having grown up in North America, Asia, and Mexico / Central America, I can help with cross-cultural issues.
Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or disconnected? You might be holding it together on the outside while struggling internally, turning to alcohol or substances to cope, feeling stuck in unprocessed grief or trauma, wrestling with self-doubt, anger, or anxiety.
I help adults move beyond survival towards lives that feel grounded, meaningful, and connected. I specialize in trauma, addiction, anxiety, grief, identity-based stress, and intense emotions. My approach to therapy focuses on empowerment and transformation. I am direct, collaborative, compassionate, liberation-focused, and trauma-informed.
Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or disconnected? You might be holding it together on the outside while struggling internally, turning to alcohol or substances to cope, feeling stuck in unprocessed grief or trauma, wrestling with self-doubt, anger, or anxiety.
I help adults move beyond survival towards lives that feel grounded, meaningful, and connected. I specialize in trauma, addiction, anxiety, grief, identity-based stress, and intense emotions. My approach to therapy focuses on empowerment and transformation. I am direct, collaborative, compassionate, liberation-focused, and trauma-informed.
Experiencing genuine empathy in my own life deeply shaped the therapist I am today. I know firsthand how powerful it is to feel truly seen, heard, and understood. That experience inspires me to offer the same compassionate space to every person I work with.
In our work together, you will be met with warmth, curiosity, and respect—never judgment. I believe healing begins in a safe relationship where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and patterns at your own pace. Therapy is not about “fixing” you; it is about supporting you in reconnecting with your authentic self.
Experiencing genuine empathy in my own life deeply shaped the therapist I am today. I know firsthand how powerful it is to feel truly seen, heard, and understood. That experience inspires me to offer the same compassionate space to every person I work with.
In our work together, you will be met with warmth, curiosity, and respect—never judgment. I believe healing begins in a safe relationship where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and patterns at your own pace. Therapy is not about “fixing” you; it is about supporting you in reconnecting with your authentic self.
Are you carrying family patterns that feel older than your own life? You may feel trapped in repeating relationship cycles, chronic anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or a persistent sense that you are responsible for holding others together. Many of my clients are navigating intergenerational trauma, unspoken family wounds, or the quiet grief of not belonging within their own lineage. I specialize in ancestral psychotherapy — supporting clients in healing inherited patterns, restoring inner authority, and reclaiming a grounded, self-led life rooted in clarity, connection, and choice.
Are you carrying family patterns that feel older than your own life? You may feel trapped in repeating relationship cycles, chronic anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or a persistent sense that you are responsible for holding others together. Many of my clients are navigating intergenerational trauma, unspoken family wounds, or the quiet grief of not belonging within their own lineage. I specialize in ancestral psychotherapy — supporting clients in healing inherited patterns, restoring inner authority, and reclaiming a grounded, self-led life rooted in clarity, connection, and choice.
In my practice I am focused on helping you find meaning and resolution for your adverse or challenging life experiences. My goal is for you to feel better connected to the Big Picture of our common reality: humanity as one people, one community, spinning together on this planet we call Earth, in which all of our actions affect both ourselves and each other.
In my practice I am focused on helping you find meaning and resolution for your adverse or challenging life experiences. My goal is for you to feel better connected to the Big Picture of our common reality: humanity as one people, one community, spinning together on this planet we call Earth, in which all of our actions affect both ourselves and each other.
People come to therapy for different reasons. Sometimes those reasons are clear and other times it is a feeling of being stuck, unhappy or empty. I will help you to better understand the underlying factors that interfere with your freedom in moving forward or with a sense of self and closeness in relationships. I will help create a space that allows you to make connections between the present and the past, and find new ways of moving forward to live a happier and more fulfilling life.
People come to therapy for different reasons. Sometimes those reasons are clear and other times it is a feeling of being stuck, unhappy or empty. I will help you to better understand the underlying factors that interfere with your freedom in moving forward or with a sense of self and closeness in relationships. I will help create a space that allows you to make connections between the present and the past, and find new ways of moving forward to live a happier and more fulfilling life.
I am a compassionate, interactive, collaborative therapist who works with adult individuals, couples and parents who are facing a major life transition, relationship challenges, depression, anxiety, or self-defeating patterns of behavior. I believe in the healing power of humor and I strive to develop a frame that is profoundly supportive but also challenging, where you will feel free to express your feelings and speak your mind, with meaningful change and growth as our shared goal. My approach is trauma-informed; it integrates attachment theory, dynamic emotion focused therapy, neurobiology, systems, and relational models.
I am a compassionate, interactive, collaborative therapist who works with adult individuals, couples and parents who are facing a major life transition, relationship challenges, depression, anxiety, or self-defeating patterns of behavior. I believe in the healing power of humor and I strive to develop a frame that is profoundly supportive but also challenging, where you will feel free to express your feelings and speak your mind, with meaningful change and growth as our shared goal. My approach is trauma-informed; it integrates attachment theory, dynamic emotion focused therapy, neurobiology, systems, and relational models.
You have been experiencing emotionally out-of-balance, blocked, stuck, or "off," or when you look at your future, you can't really see a way forward that interests you. You may relate to the idea of "being in limbo." Or else, you have experienced a loss so great it has seized your mental and emotional life and you feel there is no "space" to continue to carry out your daily responsibilities. Or else you are aware of an addictive or compulsive process, and to surmount this issue feels nearly impossible, so much that you don't even want to admit it is there.
You have been experiencing emotionally out-of-balance, blocked, stuck, or "off," or when you look at your future, you can't really see a way forward that interests you. You may relate to the idea of "being in limbo." Or else, you have experienced a loss so great it has seized your mental and emotional life and you feel there is no "space" to continue to carry out your daily responsibilities. Or else you are aware of an addictive or compulsive process, and to surmount this issue feels nearly impossible, so much that you don't even want to admit it is there.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and lost as a result of changes in your life situation? Do you question the meaning of your life and desire to live more authentically, but are unsure about how to proceed? Are you feeling trapped in an abusive or addictive relationship and in need of an ally who can help you make the changes you desire?
Are you feeling overwhelmed and lost as a result of changes in your life situation? Do you question the meaning of your life and desire to live more authentically, but are unsure about how to proceed? Are you feeling trapped in an abusive or addictive relationship and in need of an ally who can help you make the changes you desire?
I offer therapy for individuals, couples and families wanting to improve communication and develop more satisfying relationships. I have special experience in trauma and addiction. As a long-time practitioner, my approach has evolved to integrate contemporary psychology with mind/body techniques and research-based interventions. My goal is to provide a safe place, a compassionate presence, intelligent diagnosis, and concrete strategies to help my clients tap into and strengthen their own natural inner resources.
I offer therapy for individuals, couples and families wanting to improve communication and develop more satisfying relationships. I have special experience in trauma and addiction. As a long-time practitioner, my approach has evolved to integrate contemporary psychology with mind/body techniques and research-based interventions. My goal is to provide a safe place, a compassionate presence, intelligent diagnosis, and concrete strategies to help my clients tap into and strengthen their own natural inner resources.
I have been doing individual and couple therapy for over thirty years. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches, always choosing the one that best suits the client's immediate needs. These modalities range from psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral to narrative and existential. There is even some dream, and hypnotherapy added when helpful. In addition to my clinical practice, I have extensive forensic psychology experience, including resolving workplace disputes, custody issues, and trial consulting. My goal is to help clients find meaningful solutions to challenging life problems.
I have been doing individual and couple therapy for over thirty years. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches, always choosing the one that best suits the client's immediate needs. These modalities range from psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral to narrative and existential. There is even some dream, and hypnotherapy added when helpful. In addition to my clinical practice, I have extensive forensic psychology experience, including resolving workplace disputes, custody issues, and trial consulting. My goal is to help clients find meaningful solutions to challenging life problems.
Meaningful change requires us to ask new questions ... so that new meanings can be made. One of the hardest things is to change what doesn't work, while not knowing how to make it all different. For the past 30 years, I have worked with folks who are trying hard to build a life in spite of childhood abuse and neglect, or who just don't understand why life isn't working out the way they hoped.
Meaningful change requires us to ask new questions ... so that new meanings can be made. One of the hardest things is to change what doesn't work, while not knowing how to make it all different. For the past 30 years, I have worked with folks who are trying hard to build a life in spite of childhood abuse and neglect, or who just don't understand why life isn't working out the way they hoped.
I want to know what brings a smile to your face as you realize that your life is waiting to be lived. Smiles might seem a remote option at this time, or even completely forgotten. You might be in pain and you hope for change. You might even think that there is something wrong with you. There is a part in you which knows the task at hand and exactly why it is here. It knows how to be alive and how to share that being with others. I am curious about that part. I work with adults, individuals and couples.
I want to know what brings a smile to your face as you realize that your life is waiting to be lived. Smiles might seem a remote option at this time, or even completely forgotten. You might be in pain and you hope for change. You might even think that there is something wrong with you. There is a part in you which knows the task at hand and exactly why it is here. It knows how to be alive and how to share that being with others. I am curious about that part. I work with adults, individuals and couples.
I have always had a desire to help people from all walks of life to better themselves.
I have always had a desire to help people from all walks of life to better themselves.
Whether you are experiencing anxiety, low mood, trauma, or noticing relationship patterns you want to change, we can join forces to understand what’s beneath your difficulties so you can grieve losses, live more freely, deepen your relationships, and feel better.
At Live Oak Psychological Services, we specialize in helping you understand yourself. We are a small group practice including Dr. Susan Ryan, licensed psychologist, and registered psychological associates Mac Porter, PsyD and Jonathan Vasquez, MA working under Dr. Ryan's supervision.
Whether you are experiencing anxiety, low mood, trauma, or noticing relationship patterns you want to change, we can join forces to understand what’s beneath your difficulties so you can grieve losses, live more freely, deepen your relationships, and feel better.
At Live Oak Psychological Services, we specialize in helping you understand yourself. We are a small group practice including Dr. Susan Ryan, licensed psychologist, and registered psychological associates Mac Porter, PsyD and Jonathan Vasquez, MA working under Dr. Ryan's supervision.
See more therapy options for Berkeley
How does your Therapist compare?
Number of Therapists in Berkeley, CA
2,000+
Average cost per session
$199
Therapists in Berkeley, CA who prioritize treating:
| 92% | Anxiety |
| 85% | Depression |
| 84% | Relationship Issues |
| 74% | Trauma and PTSD |
| 73% | Self Esteem |
| 71% | Grief |
| 63% | Stress |
Average years in practice
13 Years
Top 3 insurances accepted
| 76% | Aetna |
| 53% | Cigna and Evernorth |
| 47% | Anthem |
How Therapists in Berkeley, CA see their clients
| 65% | In Person and Online | |
| 35% | Online Only |
Gender breakdown
| 75% | Female | |
| 22% | Male | |
| 3% | Non-Binary |