Therapists in Oakland, CA

I want to help you find the love that you want -- with yourself and with others. I work with individuals and couples, focusing on bringing more love, kindness, and acceptance to your life and relationships. Individuals have worked with me to explore such things as anxiety, depression, trauma resolution, relationship worries, boundaries, and childhood wounding. I also work with couples to navigate such topics as infidelities, communication, developing intimacy, navigating trauma as a couple, transitioning from a monogamous relationship to an open one, and much more.

My highest aim as your therapist is to co-create a lasting and genuine healing relationship, one where you feel supported to express yourself authentically and make the changes necessary in your life to live, love and work wholeheartedly. Together we will explore the issues, concerns and challenges that are coming up for you and how they are getting in the way of you living the life you want.

I am an active psychotherapist - listening, asking questions, exploring new ways to understand your experiences and helping you find new strategies. My approach to therapy is one of warmth, empathy, insight and a focus on goal setting. The goal of therapy is to establish internal clarity, more happiness and an increased sense of success. Some people seek counseling to feel happier and more connected in their intimate relationships or relationships with friends and coworkers. I believe one can experience movement towards a whole and satisfying life with yourself, significant others and the world at large.

My clients describe me as authentic, interactive, and compassionate. I am trained in several approaches (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and EMDR) that can create new insights about your feelings, thinking patterns, and behaviors. Our sessions will provide the calm escape that you desperately need and an improved quality of life you deserve.

My personal vision of health includes harmony, connectivity, and balance. For true healing to take place, the entire self – physical, mental, and spiritual must be considered. Each person has a unique path and purpose, and it is my goal to accompany my clients on their journey of discovery and to offer my support and encouragement along the way.

Hello my name is Dr. Nekolas “Neko” Milton, I am a Registered Psychological Associate. I have experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. I operate from a client-centered, humanistic approach, focusing on aspects of existentialism, mindfulness, family-systems, multiculturalism, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, while keeping careful consideration of cultural concerns and practices. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma-related diagnoses, and incorporate evidenced-based practices to address maladaptive patterns and behaviors.

Are you ready to make changes? Are you feeling stuck? Does it feel like the same story in your mind? I am here to help you create a different chapter. I utilize evidence based approached grounded in attachment/relational based therapy to help you transform the beliefs you may have about yourself and develop tools that help address your situation. I am an attachment focused EMDR therapist. I am authentic, provide feedback, and consider myself an active component in your process. I also treat substance use issues as well.

Maybe this is a starting point for you and you are new to therapy, or recommitting to therapy after a break. Perhaps mental health issues (like depression or anxiety) were not discussed in the family or community in which you grew up, or you have had difficulty reaching out for help for other reasons. Sometimes what holds us back from seeking help is self judgment (‘I should be able to handle this’), or fear that things won’t improve. You are certainly not alone, help is available, and change is possible.

Sometimes there are circumstances in life that are overwhelming and are beyond our control. Other times, we are trapped by our own perceptions and projections of the world. My approach is to serve as a guide and help you unravel your perceptions, memories, and beliefs, as well as provide you with some skills to help you cope in your world. Let's look at how you can change the things you can control while increasing your ability to make in-depth change. I address issues with depression, anxiety, divorce, trauma, and racial trauma. I currently work with couples & individuals.

My style of therapy is client-centered. I want to know who the person is that has chosen to come to therapy to improve their life. Clients can describe the areas of their life that they want to improve, and as these are recorded, individual therapy goals are created. This process is possible because I am often described as a master listener. Once the goals for improvement have been established, a game plan is able to be created. My unique background includes anxiety containment, trauma resolution, and resilience creation. Each client has strengths to build from to create a more effective way of thinking about the issues.

Having a trusted therapist as a member of our support network makes a huge difference in the quality and enjoyment of our daily lives. In our sessions, I pay attention and attune to your somatic and emotional state, social and cultural location, and attachment history to support you in staying mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with many years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families, as well as adults. My interventions are heavily rooted in behavioral therapy and evidence-based practices including feminist and attachment theories. However, I tend to conceptualize clinical presentations from a multicultural and social justice perspective. While I employ empirically validated treatments to ignite change, I am also of the belief that there is no single story to any individual. Consequently, it is important to understand the social, cultural, political, and spiritual context of each individual.

I have over 30 years of experience providing cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic insomnia. I am a licensed psychologist, co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, and Board Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. I am an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and an adjunct faculty member of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I am the author of fourteen books and present workshops and trainings to national and international audiences.

Throughout the years, I have trained extensively in childhood and adolescent social-emotional development and parent/child relational issues. I have also specialized in helping adolescent, adults, and families cope with generational trauma and its impact on their current functioning. In more recent years, my practice has expanded due to high demand for treating trauma, depression and anxiety related issues.

Deciding to engage in therapy is an important step in one’s life and I am honored by the opportunity to join in this journey with you. My work with clients begins from a place of genuine curiosity and authenticity. As a relational-cultural narrative therapist I believe that the person is not the problem. The problem is the problem and we work together to develop and implement effective tools aimed to address the problem. People are also defined by stories. When these stories become problematic, people can become stuck. Together we will examine these stories and help you develop new and healthy stories for your life.

I utilize a person-centered approach tailored to the unique needs of the individual client. I am dedicated to addressing life transitions, trauma, and maladaptive communication patterns to re-activate resilience by creating a warm, non-judgmental, attentive and safe space to process and develop healthy skillsets to promote healing.

Does it feel like nothing is ever good enough and neither are you? You don’t have to feel this way - therapy helps. We can work together to overcome crises, learn to calm yourself down, build confidence, feel more hopeful, communicate more effectively, build and have better relationships, feel comfortable in your own skin, feel whole, and much more! Send me a message today.

I work online with clients around the world, in particular the Middle East and California. Many of my clients are expats and many are locals living in areas where psychotherapy is either underdeveloped or unavailable. Some are busy professionals in California and elsewhere who prefer to do video-based therapy from home or hotel. One of my specialities is working with women who are navigating the sexual, spiritual and social challenges of menopause. I like to help people who are feeling lonely, uncertain, depressed, anxious and/or confused find their way to a more comfortable and satisfying life.

I have 30 years experience in individual therapy with adolescents and adults. My approach is active and supportive - we will work together to clarify the changes you want and understand what causes your difficulties. Sometimes this involves exploring current situations and relationships; sometimes it means exploring aspects of your identity and how you feel about yourself. Sometimes a look at past relationships, family experiences, and early development can help to identify attachment patterns that are problematic. During this process we will support and develop your strengths and skills and discover what steps you can take.