Health Net | MHN Therapists in Downtown, Oakland, CA

I aim to provide a safe space I help my clients identify and uproot obstacles blocking their path toward self-actualization and fulfillment. Anxiety, depression, and trauma can disrupt our functioning and negatively impact how we view ourselves, others, and the world. They can also keep us stuck in repeating the same unhealthy patterns that are causing further emotional pain. My goal is to support my clients in reaching their goals, whether they be to find more happiness, worry less, improve relationships, or find more fulfillment at work.

I utilize talk therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interventions. My approach allows individuals to get to the root cause of their issues while still having the immediate change of behavioral interventions.

I work from a foundation of client-centered, trauma-informed, narrative approaches/philosophies, and utilize Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) in practice and interventions. I feel confident in short-term models that include psychoeducation, skill building, and processing in tandem. I care deeply about the emotional health of my clients and wish for their independence and freedom from emotional distress interfering with their goals and values.

By building a strong therapeutic relationship with my clients and by listening to and understanding them, I can determine the best approach that meets their needs and obtain their goals. With many different interventions, my clients will learn techniques to become aware and they will be able to identify their thought, emotional and behavioral patterns as well as identify the patterns that work for them and the ones that don’t. Exploring new ways of being, thinking, and behaving allows my clients to reach and maintain the fulfilling life that they want and deserve to have.

I believe in empowering clients by helping them build confidence in their ability to understand and have control over their own mental health. I strive to create a safe space for clients in session where they can explore their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I tailor my therapeutic interventions to individual needs through a variety of frameworks and modalities including Psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, mindfulness techniques and motivational interviewing. I have worked with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and adjustment disorders in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Daily work stress, relationship conflicts, past unhealed trauma, life stressors that just seem unmanageable - all of these things impact our well being and our ability to function well in many areas of our lives. I am passionate about holding a space for individuals who are struggling and finding their way back to peace and balance. I have been practicing for 13 years with a bulk of my experience in a medical setting helping people navigate emotional and physical trauma, stressful family/relationship dynamics, adjustment to illness/injury, anxiety and depression.

As a therapist, I believe in healing as a community and working with Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIPOC) to help address the impact depression, anxiety, and trauma have had on our lives. We are all deserving of being heard and valued, and to live a fulfilling life. Yet, somewhere in history, in society, in our families, and within ourselves, a different narrative may have been created—a narrative that’s prevented us from recognizing our worth.

My approach combines teaching you skills to regulate your emotions, tolerate distress and be more mindful with conversations to build insight and process long-term patterns to understand how they got there in the first place. I believe therapy is a relationship first and foremost: I bring knowledge and expertise about the mind and emotions to the table; you bring knowledge and expertise about yourself and your experience. Together you and I will collaborate to find a balance of approaches that works for you.

Do you ever feel like you are stuck in the past or plagued by negative thoughts of the future? Have you ever had times when you felt like you were a prisoner of your own mind? If you are looking to gain tools to heal from the past or present, I would be honored to support you in your journey. I am a heart-and soul-centered therapist who is passionate about helping clients let go of unhealthy patterns connected to trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, and life transitions.

My clinical philosophy is one of pragmatism sprinkled with humor, based on treating each client as an individual with specific needs and empowering clients through education as well as introspection. I work collaboratively with each client to better understand and resolve challenges in their lives. By utilizing complementary therapy approaches and techniques along with a positive alliance with each client and colleague, I work to transform and rework significant emotional experiences and family issues that may be holding clients back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I tailor my approach to therapy to each individual based on their own preferences. I can accommodate many modalities and styles. I provide clients with tools to decrease anxiety and cope with stress. I empower clients to identify and make choices about thought patterns that were once automatic until new ways of thinking take hold. Many of my clients find me easy to talk to and appreciate my collaborative approach and easy-going style.

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.

Hello and welcome! My name is Lauren Sherwin, and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). I'm glad you're here. We all have challenges in life and need a helping hand at times. My goal is to help you achieve your goals. Together, we will identify your wants and needs, while implementing tools and strategies to help you heal. I have experience working directly with children, adolescents, and adults in a wide array of settings.

My passion is to work with individuals to transform life’s difficulties into opportunities for personal growth and insight. My approach is collaborative while providing a safe space to foster good therapeutic work. I am a trained Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist and apply Psychotherapy approaches complementary to individual clients and their needs. These approaches include EMDR Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

I have been working in the mental health field for over 20 years. I have depth in experience and understanding of struggles that people face in their daily lives. My therapy style is warm and relationally based. I also use a solution-focused approach which focuses on individual's strengthens and resources to build upon tools and techniques that will last long after therapy is completed.

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.

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.

Clients have described me as warm, nurturing, and also direct. I tend to engage in more of a collaborative approach identifying what you would like to accomplish and then exploring how we can get you there.