Career Counseling Therapists in El Cerrito, CA

I offer a safe, warm space to explore hard things. I help people feel heard and less alone by bringing curiosity and compassion to the work of therapy. Together, we will explore the path forward to help you find more fulfillment. I love supporting clients going through life or career transitions, helping them explore their values and roadblocks. I specialize also in working with social impact professionals. It is a brave and bold act to invest in yourself and your happiness. You deserve it! Let's get started.

The problems you might be facing may have to do with love and loss, difficulty with friendships and/or work relations, career decisions, trauma or abuse, physical illness or disabilities. You may be dealing with loneliness, anxiety or depression. I am a down to earth, no nonsense kind of person I am also kind, respectful, compassionate, and at times funny. I listen well and am very devoted to my work.

"Are you worrying that you are stuck in old patterns of thinking and behaving regarding yourself and others that make you unhappy, depressed, anxious, or irritable? Are you trying to connect and communicate with a partner, friends, or co-workers, but find youself misunderstood, angry, or lonely? Are you longing to be happier yet unable to figure out how to change? I have helped hundreds of people with similar concerns to experience more joy and success in their lives. Together we can examine your concerns from new perspectives and overcome the obstacles preventing you from achieving your innermost goals.

Fearful of change or feeling stuck in an unfulfilling job or relationship? Tired of not being able to figure out what to do differently? Or perhaps someone close to you suggested that you seek help. Given the pace and complexities of our world and our lives in it, it would be an exception not to experience these stresses. I draw on therapeutic approaches that will focus on the strengths that you bring coupled with the most effective treatment for your particular set of challenges. Beginning therapy and choosing a therapist may be overwhelming. I can help you navigate this.

I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) psychologist with experience working with issues ranging from anxiety and depression to trauma, family problems, and relationship issues. I approach treatment in a direct, dynamic, culturally sensitive, and client focused way. I am particularly interested in issues of diversity, couples, families, work stress, and helping you overcome patterns and obstacles that hinder your personal transformation.

By the time people start therapy, they've often tried nearly everything to solve their problems on their own. I respect the hard work you may have already done -- and your courage in seeking more support. Therapy can help you free up the "stuck" places in your life. My approach is warm, open-minded, active, and empathic. My goals are to help you find more satisfaction in your work and relationships, feel more self-confidence and vitality, and live a happy, meaningful life. My priority is always to respect the pace and direction that is right for you.

I enjoy working with teens, young adults, and adults ranging into older adulthood who're going through life transitions, having unhelpful/negative thoughts, struggling with difficult/complicated feelings, and/or frustrated with everyday stressors. You may experience anxiety, depression, feeling overwhelmed/unable to cope, school and/or employment issues, family conflicts, relationship concerns, financial problems, loneliness, emptiness, and and health conditions. I'll help you to develop positive coping skills, empowering you to work through these challenges with a renewed sense of self and accomplishment, adding in some humor.

Have you ever felt like you talk about a painful issue over and over but nothing changes? Are you ready to start your journey to real transformation? Therapy helps us shift underlying patterns that cause distress, heal from past wounds, and mobilize inner strengths, so that we experience greater freedom and fulfillment. For 20 years, I’ve helped clients heal and grow, and cultivate lives of meaning and joy. I offer a holistic approach to counseling, which means I draw on multiple healing modalities, and support you in feeling healthy in all ways. I love this work, and am dedicated to helping you create lasting positive change.

My clients are often sensitive, intelligent, and creative people who face life transitions, self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and the challenges of liberating passion and creating meaning in life. Many struggle with the legacy of significant trauma. Through acceptance, loving encouragement, and providing a container for self-exploration, I help clients to find a more encompassing love for self and other, develop strength and firmness of character, and tap into the well of their vitality, creativity, and joy.

It is my belief that we are all experts in our own lives and personal experiences. My role as Marriage Family Therapist is to work collaboratively with my clients to find solutions that work for them as an individual. I provide initial assessments and brief individual psychotherapy. I am bi-lingual Spanish speaking, and I hold a BA in Anthropology and Latin American Studies from UCSC. I graduated with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology.

Stress and trauma can take many forms. Sometimes we survive an event such as a car accident, wildfire, assault, or military-related event. Or we may notice chronic struggles with trusting others and ourselves, and feeling stressed and unsatisfied in our relationships. The experience of trauma can significantly impact how we change or grow in each present moment, how we connect and separate from others, and how we experiment, take risks, and resource our creativity. Let's co-create a therapy relationship that works to support the development of loving relationships with self and others.

When we foster a space of compassion and curiosity we have more room to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, our boundaries and our desires. By creating this intentional space, we can increase opportunities for choice in our lives. Using a combination of relational, psychodynamic and mindfulness techniques I will help you to understand your own emotional landscape, so you can feel better equipped to manage stressful moments in life and have more capacity for joy and meaning. I specialize in working with the LGBTQI population and also with couples of all constellations.

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.

Are you struggling with work, relational, and life stressors that have overwhelmed you and you are unsure what to do next? You're trying to open the next chapter in your life, but your past traumas and anxiety stop you. This is where I come in and help guide you in making YOUR right decision. I will help you through your journey in becoming worry-free and assist you in processing unresolved feelings and learning healthy coping skills for emotional distress

Are you hindered by anxiety, depression, or trauma, preventing you from expressing your authentic self? Do you find yourself trapped in navigating challenging family and relationship situations? Every minor issue now feels incredibly overwhelming, reopening past wounds and creating new ones. Despite attempting to bury the pain, it persists, leaving you feeling isolated and tormented. The constant exhaustion, stress, and anger make you question your resilience. Unsure of where to seek assistance, you don't have to endure this painful journey by yourself. I aim to assist you in achieving a more integrated and balanced sense of self.

Do you find yourself struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, identity, and difficult life transitions? Do you find yourself feeling stuck and can’t seem to focus or move forward? There are many ways to get unstuck, and this is the work I love to do to help you heal, grow and live a more fulfilling life. I use an integrative approach including attachment-based work, DBT, CBT, IFS, and mindfulness, bringing in each as needed. Above all, I strive to hold space and empathy for your life experience.

Do you find yourself having a difficult time coping with anxiety, depression, and trauma? Do you have a hard time communicating and setting boundaries with others? Life is full of obstacles and hardships that may be difficult to overcome without the right tools, resources, and, guidance leading to the manifestation of these symptoms. I specialize in working with adults, couples, and adolescents using a Psychodynamic approach to explore unconscious thoughts and behaviors. In doing this, we are able to collaboratively recognize old ineffective patterns and process unresolved feelings and trauma.

Experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma can be hard to navigate on one’s own. Through the use of integrative modalities, my goal is to help you find your way so that you can manage symptoms, feel your best, discover who you truly are, and move forward in the direction of your dreams whereby your past no longer holds you back. Using warmth and compassion, I also aim to provide trauma-informed care to discuss your struggles without judgment and safely process unresolved trauma and feelings.

Life can feel impossible to avoid struggling and we often don't feel we have the skills to cope successfully through. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't have all the resources we need for a given situation. Parts of us take on desperate roles trying to help us to survive. This might look like anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and relationship/family issues. I aim to help you process unresolved issues and feelings and find solutions.