Therapists in North Oakland, Oakland, CA

Psychotherapy is a powerful tool for healing. Through a trusting therapeutic relationship, it is possible to improve connections with others, build deeper awareness of feelings and experiences, and find relief from old patterns that no longer serve you. I believe that each client’s strengths provide the foundation for our collaborative work in therapy. Building on your strengths and resiliencies, we can begin to shift places in your life where you feel stuck, and to cultivate hope. It is an honor for me to witness your process and to join you in your journey toward healing.

Working at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, helped me to develop these three recommendations for finding a therapist: 1) Find the "best fit" by meeting with (or calling) two or three therapists. Research suggests that the relationship you develop with your therapist determines therapy outcomes/benefits. Trust your judgement; pick a therapist that you like. 2) When contacting therapists, ask what experience they have working with your particular concerns. 3) Consider your preferred therapist demographics, such as age, ethnic-racial identity, and gender.

Are you trying to make a change or dealing with an inevitable turning point in life? My specialty is helping people work through transitions. I especially enjoy working with millennials, new transplants building a life in the Bay Area, young professionals, and students. Maybe imposter syndrome & self doubt are holding you back in your career. Perhaps it's hard to enjoy life because you're worried all the time. You wonder if you'll ever find a partner. Or maybe you're feeling stuck. Find solutions through therapy with me. Discover better ways to manage anxious thoughts, loneliness, and feeling stuck.

The decision to pursue therapy is not one taken easily. Many possibilities may have led you to this point: A recent disruption or crisis in your life, a long struggle with troubling emotions and behaviors, and/or a fundamental desire to better know yourself. I have experience treating frequently occurring issues such as depression, trauma, interpersonal difficulties, and anxiety. I also have an interest in working with people who have survived childhood abuse, who experience feelings of alienation and estrangement from others, and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

Do you feel stressed from helplessness and find yourself bottling up your emotions? Have you just entered into a new developmental life phase (middle/high school/college/graduation/job change/new relationship/engagement/marriage, etc.). Or maybe your depression, anxiety and/or relational problems have you so stuck, you can no longer can focus on what is most important in your life. I am an authentic and integrative therapist who is focused on helping you find immediate solutions. I specialize in work with individual adults, tweens, teens and families. Call for a complimentary 20 minute telephone consultation today!

You’re a Healer, Educator, Leader, Parent, Activist/Artist. Bottom line, you’re a HELPA, and right now the world needs your gifts more than ever. Are you dismayed at humanity’s lack of response to the climate crisis, but don’t know how you could possibly make a difference? Do your values and beliefs often leave you feeling isolated or misunderstood by family and friends? Or maybe you’re already actively involved in antiracist activism, but you keep teetering on the edge of burnout. It’s long been my belief that a sick culture reproduces itself by making sure its HELPAs remain too sick to help anyone else.

I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) who earned my Master’s in Counseling from the University of San Francisco specializing in adolescents and teens. I have since expanded my experience to adults and families in residential, community-based, and outpatient settings. I value genuineness, curiosity, and empathy to create a collaborative environment for change and growth.

Orah Krug PhD. is recognized in her field as a master clinician, supervisor, teacher and author. She has been a licensed psychotherapist for over 30 years and an adjunct professor at Saybrook University for over 15 years. Through decades of client work, research and teaching Orah has developed a comprehensive process applicable for individuals or couples.

I work with the person that you are and the body that you have. Together, we can examine and release unwanted patterns in mind, body & spirit. You have choice in your life! Every day you can chose to be your best. I customize my work to meet your individual needs. I use techniques from Control Mastery, a powerful psychodynamic tool that supports letting go of unwanted belief systems. I have been working with body/mind medicine for 20 years. I believe that we CAN heal our past and create our future while focusing on living well in the present.

Relationships are big challenges. Who are we when we interact with those around us? Do we let others see us for who we really are? Can we see them? I specialize in working with individuals and couples as they try to manage their relationships: preserving them, ending them or changing them. This includes the effects of divorce and moving from a pre-divorce to a post-divorce family from deciding how to tell your children to determining how you want to define your co-parenting relationship.

When potential clients reach out to me they are often at a place in their lives when their habitual way of living is no longer working for them. You may feel stuck, confused, frustrated, overwhelmed, uncertain of how to move forward. You want to do things differently but don't know HOW. You're interested in personal growth, in developing other ways of moving through your life and relationships. Wherever you are, there is always a way forward. As a body-oriented therapist, I use a variety of approaches to help you access deeper levels of knowing and being with yourself; helping you find ease in moving through uncomfortable states.

I provide psychoanalytic psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Psychotherapy is a deeply personal and intimate undertaking that allows us to privately express, explore, and make sense of our lives and histories. I offer a style that is down-to-earth, thoughtful, practical, and collaborative. Because each person seeks out therapy for different reasons and brings a complex history, I tailor each treatment to meet your unique needs, goals, strengths, and preferences.

My time is split equally between two offices -- Rockridge and Palo Alto. I help couples, families, individual adults and teens face a wide range of challenges, including healing from early life trauma (all severities, including Dissociative Identity Disorder), Bipolar Disorder, personality disorders, personal and professional transitions, relationship and family struggles, dilemmas of faith and fulfillment, and meditation and mindfulness cultivation. I especially enjoy psychotherapy involving collaborations with other therapists and/or blending meditation and other kinds of spiritual practices with psychotherapy. I value diversity -- my clients come from a wide range of orientations, economic means, and cultural backgrounds.

Expect warmth, authenticity, and respect in our sessions. I tailor treatment based on a client’s unique challenges and goals. For those facing anxiety or trauma, I help them face their fears in a systematic manner. Therapy also entails helping clients challenge stuck points to gain a sense of empowerment over unhelpful thoughts. For those facing insomnia, I guide them to increase sleep efficiency. My aim is to help clients live a life that is fuller and more in line with their values.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands, my aim is to introduce clarity, authenticity, and self-motivation. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I’ve been successfully treating adults, families, and youth for over 20 years facilitating their self-growth. I teach techniques to better manage the emotional stress of everyday life. I have also focused on extensive training in anxiety/depression, play therapy, parenting, treating past and recent trauma, OCD, addiction, and working with family systems. Feel free to schedule a complimentary consultation now- https://calendly.com/mhickstherapy/15min

Anxiety, sadness, anger, regret are natural and human, but when one is stuck thinking and feeling these ways, something is wrong. If you are stuck, repeating the same kinds of experiences, or if there has been an unmanageable disruption in your life, I have been in practice helping people in similar situations for more than 20 years. Through talking and thinking together to deeply understand your experience, we discover and create new ways for you to think and act in the world. Your sense of self and of life expand, opening up space in which to move, breathe and grow.

You can thrive, feel more freedom and peace, and you don't have to do it alone. Relationship challenges, confusing emotions, and transitions can leave us feeling shaky. Somatic (body-centered) therapy can help you understand yourself while healing past hurts. Every relationship you have had with others and society influences your well-being. I can help you navigate relationships with self, loved ones, and the wider world with confidence and ease. You possess tremendous inner strength, courage, and determination. If you are willing to work, you can have the change you desire. You deserve to be your best self.

Discover how to liberate yourself from shame, past trauma, false beliefs, doubt and internalized oppression so you can embody your unique creativity and power. Perhaps you have encountered a deep longing to express your truth, but you find yourself caught in a pattern or habit that blocks your ability to express it or believe in yourself. Some of these patterns run very deep and therefore I work with techniques that can really help us to get to the root of them so real change can happen. Through this process we will focus on developing your strengths and discovering your unique gifts.

Most people I've seen in my many years of practice seek psychotherapy in response to personal loss, trauma, relationship difficulties in love or work, or self defeating thought or behavior patterns that have become unmanageable. As we begin to meet on a regular basis, the anxiety, depression or crisis that propelled them into my office starts to calm. Broader questions like “Why do I keep waiting to live my life in the way I always imagined it to be?” and “Why have my personal or professional accomplishments not provided the fulfillment I hoped for?” then begin to emerge.

Do you struggles with your relationship? Do you want a more intimate connection? I believe we are driven to grow and we choose our partner to help us grow. Going through conflicts and resolving them is what help us to know ourselves and our loved one better. The last 11 years, in a safe, trusting, and warm environment, I successfully helped couples, as well as individual, to learn from these conflicts and help them to build more harmonious relationship and better life.