Trauma Focused Therapists in Grand Lake, Oakland, CA

I am a LCSW with over a decade of social work experience in clinic, school, non-profit and community settings. I specialize in working with adults, adolescents and their families, members of the LGBTQI2S+ communities, and with working artists. I have an understanding and dedication to working within a social justice framework, and strive to maintain a practice that is affirming of all identities, experiences and orientations. I believe that any strong therapeutic relationship is built on collaboration, honesty, and the belief that change is possible.

You just want to feel happy, to wake up and feel excited your life and relationships. Right now, you might be wondering if it’s possible to save your relationship. Maybe you are struggling with communication and you seem to have the same arguments over and over. Or perhaps you need targeted and specific help recovering from an affair or moving through a life transition. In couples therapy, I will focus on helping you develop a closer connection and greater security which will enable you to better communicate and more effectively address your concerns, whether they be sex, work, stress, chores, kids, etc.

Are you bothered by an upsetting event (s) that you cannot get out of your mind? Do you know something is holding you back, perhaps from your past, but you can't seem to shake it? Have you tried traditional talk therapy, but your past still has a grip on you? Exciting breakthroughs have been advanced in our understanding of how our brains mange memories. The latest research shows that non-traditional therapies like EMDR, can more quickly & deeply help us heal and recover from traumatic events and live more satisfying lives.

Whether your issues are individual (related to mood, identity, self-growth, etc.) or relational (romantic, family, friendships, work, etc.), I believe that change is possible and strive to offer a supportive, caring, and affirming space for you to explore, heal, thrive, and grow. Together, we'll work in ways that are in-depth and practical, move through challenges, and tap into the strengths that are already within you. It’s important to me that I offer an environment that is free of judgment and oppression, and in which you are fully seen.

Are you wanting to feel better once and for all? Maybe you can't move on from the past or you're worried about your future. If anxiety, panic, or even depression is stealing your joy, I get it. If traditional talk therapy hasn't helped you feel better, it's time to try a new approach to heal at the source of your pain. For 12 years I have refined my approach through professional training and experience in Relational-gestalt therapy and Brainspotting (derived from EMDR) while centering social justice and trauma-informed care.

I am trained in EMDR, Emotional Focus Therapy and Hypnotherapy to support clients move past traumas that are interrupting their life. My area of specialization is relational trauma. Common symptoms of relational trauma are social anxiety, generalized anxiety, feeling disempowered to create the life you want, a painful inner critic, and you may struggle to trust your choices especially in relationships.

I've been working as a clinical social worker/therapist for 16 years, with individuals and groups, from youth through adulthood, in a diverse array of settings, most prominently the health center at El Cerrito High School, where for many years I was the Training Director. I've also worked in jails, SROs, youth centers, camps, a small press, oftentimes offering writing as a vehicle for healing. My calling and gift is to hold sacred, safe + brave spaces for people to be truly seen and known, and from there to support them stepping into their unique and authentic selves. It is my great privilege to meet people in this courageous place.

Axis Mundi would like to present Inga Chegai. Inga is Marriage and Family Therapist & PCC Associate supervised by Elysha Martinez LMFT93493. I work with trauma, depression, anxiety, abandonment issues, loss of purpose, identity, parts of self, insecurities, anger, PTSD, addiction, patterns in relationship. Most patterns in our responses to events, people and our behaviors are learned. How to unlearn learned behaviors if this is all you know? Why just understanding the problem will not change trauma? How can we use a challenge as a way to see what we need to work on? I can help to find answers to those questions.

During unsteady times, we can become consumed and overwhelmed by our own pain and suffering. We may hide from the world and even from ourselves. The idea of being seen may evoke shame, fear, and anxiety that can keep us stuck. In our work together, we will practice navigating the crashing waves of life, diving below what seems to be true, and connecting with something larger than ourselves.

Most of us know our story well. We’ve analyzed, processed and unpacked the details countless times, and sometimes it feels like we’re stuck in the same loop. Through a mindfulness-based, somatic, and trauma-sensitive approach, I support you to let go of limiting beliefs, feel at home in your own skin, and be free to live the life you want. I will journey alongside you to help you feel more grounded and confident so that you can better navigate relationships, life transitions, and daily stressors. Through developing greater self-awareness you will discover new ways of moving through the world.

I enjoy in working with; self esteem & worth, trauma healing & recovery, body image & body positivity, disordered eating & relationship to body, belonging as our birthright, transforming deep shame into liberation, body & sex shame, relationships and boundaries, anxiety, stress & hyper-vigilance, nervous system imbalances, life transitions & identity, honoring grief, loss & death, life threatening illness, cancer, auto-immune disease, rites of passage, aging, adolescence, menopause, women's empowerment, highly sensitive people & empaths, people pleasers, intergenerational trauma & ancestral healing, mothering & the mother wound.

Navigating through our human journey can be daunting, and everyone can benefit from support along the way. My role as a therapist is to help you gain more insight into the nature of your inner world and a greater perspective of your outer circumstances so that you can become empowered to create the intentional and meaningful life that you truly desire. With compassion and deep presence, we will identify unconscious patterns that are limiting you so that you can gain the awareness and tools needed to create effective changes for yourself.

Body-mind therapy for women and families with young children (ages 2-8 years old). Perhaps you are struggling regularly with how you see and feel about yourself, or relationships feel difficult and unsatisfying. I enjoy creating a therapy to address your particular concerns, and respect and support your values and personality. Psychotherapy is quite a unique experience, it does help with alleviating symptoms and coping with difficult life circumstances, it is also a unique relational way to see and find your true self, an opportunity to process your feelings, develop insights, and get support in discharging traumas and more.

Bienvenidos: Si usted es como yo probablemente tiene ideas y dudas acerca de pedir ayuda psycologica. Culturalmente pensamos que recurrir a este tipo de ayuda significa que somos debiles o "insanos", pero la ayuda que se nos ofrece es poca o impractica. Ademas, no podemos solucionar todos nuestros problemas solos. Algunas de nuestras cualidades culturales radican en el soporte que nuestra comunidad, familia, y amigos nos ofrecen; es tiempo de que este principio aplique en la ayuda psycologica, y esto es en lo que yo me especializo.

Folks come to therapy for a variety of reasons that all boil down to change, whether they're struggling to handle it or make it. Many of my clients' lives don't align with societal norms, either intentionally coloring outside the lines or struggling to fit in. Folks may find themselves overwhelmed, dealing with big emotions, the effects of complex or single-event trauma, complex medical issues, or chronic pain. I am passionate about working with the LGBTQ+ - including trans kids and their families, disabled, and neurodiverse populations. I like to work with individuals, couples, polycules, and families of all shapes and sizes.

Adults/Teens/Families. Bring your anxiety or depression, issues with identity, life purpose and meaning, your trauma, your grief. I draw on 15+ years of experience as a case manager, special educator, and wilderness first responder.

Often times in life we have experiences that cause us to disconnect from our true selves. This can lead to and come from fear, shame, and uncertainty that impacts our relationships to others and ourselves. Reconnecting to our innate wisdom and remembering who we are can be a challenging process and my goal is to work with you to journey back to yourself. Drawing on depth work, art therapy, mindfulness, dream work, and emotional and somatic processing, I will work at your pace to navigate what is most meaningful for you as we find ways for you to authentically reconnect to yourself and others.

Welcome! I offer therapy to adults, teens and couples. I believe therapy is a collaborative process; you can think of me as a companion as we travel down the roads of your growth together. If you have been thinking about starting therapy, I invite you to contact me. I have helped many clients with issues such as anxiety, depression and life changes. I am committed to helping my clients become the most authentic version of themselves. I love working with issues around sex, body image, gender & with members of the LGBTQIA2+ community. I am also a Certified Sex Therapist (CST). Take a look at my website for more info.