Therapists in Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

I work with individual adults of all ages as well as with couples: I like to listen to you, metaphorically speaking, with two ears: what you say and how you say it. I like to understand your internal make-up and the dynamics of your interpersonal relationships. I also want to understand with you how it all fits together. Perhaps, through collaborative curiosity, I can help you alter habits from back then that don't serve you in the here and now of your life at this time. I believe that relationships to yourself and others are critically important.

You may be experiencing acute emotional pain due to an unexpected change in your life, or you may feel that the suffering has been there for a long time and coping on your own is no longer enough. You may find yourself feeling stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, or lonely, repeating the same patterns without being able to find your way out. You may be wishing for deeper relationships, a more satisfying and creative job, or relief from inner turmoil. If you continue to feel insecure, anxious, or depressed, no matter what you try, therapy can help.

My approach balances compassion with being direct. My clients experience care, acceptance and belonging, while also feeling challenged the right amount to grow, change and decrease suffering. I offer empathy while actively engaging my clients by setting weekly treatment goals, building coping tools/resources, and providing skills/knowledge to build self-awareness and integration. We are deeply influenced by our cultural identity and heritage. I am committed to the values of respecting and celebrating diversity, and supporting social/political policies of equal rights and opportunities.

Psychotherapy isn't one size fits all. It's a unique relationship that develops and responds to your needs, life-experiences, ethnic/cultural identity, challenges and resources. You may be feeling stuck-repeating painful patterns, wanting to make changes but not knowing how. Or you're a survivor of sexual violence and the ways you've been coping aren't working anymore. I meet you where you are and bring my clinical and life experience, deep listening, compassion, acceptance, warmth and creativity. Together we create and draw on the power of a safe, accepting therapeutic relationship to support your growth and wholeness.

I believe that healing occurs in a safe space with a trusted other. People seek out therapy for different reasons and often these reasons are hard to talk about. Maybe you are wrestling with painful memories from your past, maybe you find it difficult to have satisfying relationships, maybe you are experiencing anxiety and depression, or, perhaps, you are having difficulty coping with a loss or connecting with your child. It can be quite helpful to explore these issues and trace back their roots; processing, exploring, and being curious about feelings and beliefs that may come up along the way.

I'm a holistic psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and coach. I have been practicing since 2007. I love helping people with relationships, dating, life transitions, and purpose and fulfillment. To create deeper change, I blend Western psychotherapy with Eastern philosophy, practical tools, and my intuitive gifts. I also enjoy working with couples, and have training in evidenced-based models of couples therapy, including EFT, PACT and Gottman. My clients feel deeply safe with me and seen by me. I can hold both immense compassion for your pain and vulnerabilities, as well as guide you towards your truest essence and most expansive self.

Psychotherapy is a uniquely effective way to address and process deeply rooted issues that manifest in ways that are painful, confusing, and make people feel out of control. I work with children, adolescents, and adults in individual therapy, using a collaborative approach that centers on empathy, understanding, and exploration. My orientation is predominantly psychodynamic, and I tailor my approach to each individual to address unique circumstances and complexities. I strive to create a safe, warm, and validating environment that enables people to share and be vulnerable without fear of judgment.

Therapy with me is casual and warm, while providing you a space for direct guidance and embodied meditation practices to help you on your journey. I specialize in relationships and intimacy and support to improve communication, work through anxiety, and create a fulfilling life. I have training in both holistic East-West Psychotherapy as well as relationship and embodiment-focused life coaching. I have offices San Francisco and Oakland, CA. This holistic, embodiment-oriented psychotherapy offers individuals and couples concrete skills to tackle anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges in a safe and inviting space.

As a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist, I work with a variety of issues ranging from depression, sadness and anxiety to more severe issues such as schizophrenia and personality disorders. I work best with those clients who are interested in making lasting changes in their inner lives and circumstances. In my practice, I provide you with a place to speak freely, so that through this singular experience of speaking you can articulate your desire and assume responsibility for your life.

I enjoy working with children and adults to help them find grounded ways of being with and moving through the struggles they face. I believe that strong relationships, with the self, the body, and with others, are central to a healthy lifestyle. Painful life experiences, transitions, trauma, anxiety, and depression are opportunities for growth, and helping people move through these challenges is incredibly rewarding. I love working with people of diverse sociocultural backgrounds and exploring how culture shapes experience. A deep understanding of development allows me to connect with people of all ages and help them move through difficult stages.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have broad professional experience as a mediator, conflict management consultant, educator, and trainer. I bring the skills I've acquired in these roles to my therapy work. We humans are adaptive beings. When we adopt behaviors and mindsets that do not serve us, we may feel stuck, fearful, or intensely unhappy. Thankfully, we can modify our thinking and behaviors to promote a life of growth, happiness and healthy relationships. I provide skilled support to help repair troubled relationships and re-route unproductive thinking and behavior patterns.

It can be vulnerable to start therapy; it takes courage. I believe it can be very rewarding and is one of the most powerful paths of transformation. Being in therapy is an opportunity to look at your life, and to learn new ways of relating to yourself, to others, and to your circumstances. This process can ease the pain of whatever difficulty you may be going through. It is an opportunity to not have to be alone with your pain, but to have the support and guidance of someone who is familiar with the terrain of the human psyche.

If you could change one thing about your life, what would make you happier? Maybe it would be making your relationships with others more satisfying or reducing your anxiety or depression. In individual therapy I help create a safe space to step back and observe your own emotions, beliefs, and patterns of relating to others. My approach is supportive, understanding, non-judgmental but also practical, honest and helpful in finding new solutions and ways to work through difficulties and problems.

Life is full of challenges that generate varied degrees of stress, anxiety and depression, even substance abuse. Challenges may include: Personal and family relationships, finances, career, illness and loss of creative engagement with your self and the world. Psychotherapy can offer time and a special place for self discovery, reflection, revitalization, resilience, insight, empowerment and access to your creativity; creative expression and creative living. Our lives can be what we imagine and want them to be. We can develop our active imagination to envision a life of purpose, meaning and the joy we are meant to have.

Our therapists at the Bay Area Center for Couples Therapy can help you and your partner improve your relationship. Don't wait until it's too late. Research has found that couples wait an average of six years to seek help after their problems begin. Whether you're in the beginning of your relationship, been together a long time, have been just starting to struggle, or are on the brink of calling it quits, remember, its never too late to fix your relationship. We use effective, evidence based therapy called Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, which has shown significant improvement in 88% of couples treated with EFT and 70-73% of couples moving from distress to recovery in an average of 20 sessions. Our work is also informed by John Gottman's research on couples.

I offer professional and experienced support to make enduring changes. If you are looking at this, you may be having a time of suffering or you may be looking for ways to thrive in your life. Psychotherapy is based on solid research and the world’s wisdom traditions, and is an experience between us that is unique to you. I believe it is the most important journey you can take to move towards healing and living a rich, meaningful life.

Daniel N. Weiner received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the State University of New York in 1996 with fellowships at Rutgers, Brown, and Stanford Medical Schools. He served as Clinical Assistant Professor at Brown University Medical School for four years. He has been licensed as a Clinical Psychologist since 1997, and has worked in a variety of settings including an independent psychological practice, a private psychiatric hospital, and a medical practice. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.