Therapists in Downtown, Oakland, CA

I meet my clients where they are, empowering them in their autonomy to courageously overcome their challenges. It is my belief that the key to finding oneself is through the lenses of one’s circumstances. Using a warm, collaborative, client-centered approach, I strive to provide my clients the opportunity to improve their lives and relationships through awareness, self-discovery, and compassion. In co-creating a space for healing to occur, I invite my clients to discover their preferred vision for themselves and/or relationships and new ways of feeling better about life-altering experiences.

I believe in meeting the client where they are. It is essential to take time to develop a therapeutic relationship because our relationship will be the foundation of our work together. We will start our journey with an assessment and learning new coping skills that will increase positive outcomes.

One of my passions in this field is the healing/ growth/ transformative experience that an individual can have through trauma work. I have continued my clinical work providing therapy services to children and adults who have experienced trauma and/or significant adverse life events. This work is deeply meaningful to me and it has led me to seek advanced training on the treatment of trauma via evidenced based practices as well as emerging and established therapeutic models. I combine my advanced trauma training and the use of solution-focused, mindfulness, and strength-based therapeutic interventions in my clinical approach.

I use an eclectic approach that creates a safe and healing space that is inclusive of the client’s needs. I soundly believe that, if you can change your thoughts, you can change the way that you feel and improve the overall quality of your life.

I specialize in sports performance therapy, treating adult and adolescent anxiety, life transitions (including divorce/separation, career changes, and geographical moves), parenting and co-parenting, postpartum anxiety/depression, and grief/loss. I draw heavily on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Somatic Therapy to support my clients. I have broad professional experience, including Lead of Behavioral Health at Santa Cruz Community Health Centers, extensive work in community mental health including supervision, and program lead at Kaiser Permanente, which allows me to tailor treatment to the unique needs of any client.

I value the therapeutic relationship and feel that therapy is a collaborative approach. Each individual has their story to tell and they are the experts of their own experiences and symptoms. As you share your story with me, we will identify and create a treatment plan that works best for you based on your strengths, tools that have worked for you in in the past, and resources and recommendations from my clinical training and experience. We will work together to achieve your goals and we will always strive to find ways to bring greater well-being to your life.

My practice draws from evidence-based treatments rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused therapy. If you choose to work with me, we will work collaboratively to meet difficult experiences, thoughts, emotions with openness and compassion while taking action to move in a personally meaningful life direction.

My style is client-centered and focused on affirming the client's strengths, reframing negative or challenging thoughts, and guidance of the client towards goal achievement. My experience includes working with adult addicts for an outpatient treatment center, couples and families through the school-based and special education programs at a family services agency, and one-on-one therapeutic sessions with kids, teens, and adults utilizing both in-person and virtual modes of service.

I am passionate about helping clients meet their individual therapy goals, and I am able to work with individuals from all walks of life using empathy, knowledge, and clinical communication skills to assist clients in finding the tools and solutions that best fit the individual. With specialties in Addiction, Grief-Recovery, Domestic Violence, Family Systems, Couple's Therapy, Trauma, and Acute Psych, I am able to work with a diverse population of clients to help them better understand themselves and have the knowledge to move forward in a positive direction in their lives.

My approach to therapy is down to earth, warm yet direct. My primary task is to get to know you, your challenges, strengths, and goals so that together we can find ways to build more joy into your life. I find it helpful to work with clients to understand lifelong patterns and also to seek out specific ways to experience personal growth.

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 practice specializes in helping people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationships, life transitions, grief & loss, and other life stressors. If you are trying to navigate these areas of life, I am confident that I have the experience to help you rediscover what brings happiness to your life. With therapy, there is always a way to address the issues you face and learn coping strategies to help you both right now and in the future.

As a professional helper and healer, I have had the remarkable opportunity to be a witness to people’s stories and to guide their journeys. Over the last few years, my approach has evolved beyond exploring thoughts and feelings because those that seek mental health services want to feel better and not just manage their symptoms. I am passionate about empowering individuals around their health and healing process.

Difficult life transitions can lead to anxiety and/or depression, making it a time in our lives when we need support, guidance, and a holistic self-care plan. Therapy can provide the opportunity to discover what we really need to be our best selves. I’m a trauma-informed clinical psychologist, a certified yoga instructor, and a certified perinatal mental health specialist. I have extensive experience working with adults, facilitating groups and providing clinical supervision to graduate students. I use strengths-based interventions, and work through a multicultural lens.

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.

My therapy style is adaptive, collaborative, and responsive to your unique needs and therapy goals. I am committed to supporting you in an emotionally and physically safe space as we explore ways to empower you to live a more healthy, satisfied, and meaningful life as you define it. We can together explore what that could be for you as you take the first courageous step in seeking a therapist that can support your personal healing journey. We can also adjust the pace of therapy should you choose to spend more time exploring your inner emotional and thought life, past or present challenging life circumstances.

My counseling style is very warm and interactive. I treat everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I believe in meeting everyone where they are, within their own unique experiences, and provide a safe, non-judgmental space to work on self-healing.

I offer a client-centered approach to your therapy journey. I enjoy meeting with new clients and providing you the opportunity to share your areas of concern with me. This will help us to jointly develop a personalized treatment plan to address your needs. I am here to help you each step of the way as you approach your personal journey to emotional health and wellness. I am here to encourage you and guide you in forming a cohesive picture of how to self-manage your concerns! I frequently utilize evidence-based therapy approaches which are well-researched and utilized by highly trained clinicians.

My work is informed by social justice theories, including the framework of intersectionality. I am dedicated to treating the trauma of racism (intergenerational, acute, and chronic), internalized oppression, and racial identity development.