Teen Therapists in North Oakland, Oakland, CA

I am a licensed psychotherapist specializing in child and teen counseling. Families come to my practice feeling lost, worried and some at the recommendation of a school counselor, lawyer, friend or pediatrician. Many parents have read multiple books and tried various interventions at home or at school without success. This can feel frustrating and upsetting, although it is a motivating starting place. What these families all have in common is concern for a child who is struggling in some way and in need of a child counselor. I offer child counseling, family counseling, family mediation, reunification, and parent support.

I work primarily with relationships; your relationship to yourself, to others, to your future, and to your past. With over 30 years in practice, I use a collaborative style with my clients. Self esteem, depression, anxiety, parenting issues, infertility, life transitions, adult children of alcoholics, and recovery from addictions and trauma are areas of my expertise. I specialize in helping couples improve communication and intimacy while creating more secure relationships. I see adults and adolescents and supervise psychologists in training. I often see people who are stuck in negative patterns and are struggling to change.

Are you experiencing low self esteem? Dealing with grief or loss? Is your child or teen struggling? Feeling anxious or depressed? Psychotherapy can help you form a better relationship with yourself, your family, and others. I work collaboratively with clients, establishing a warm, empathic environment that feels safe and free of judgement. I provide individual psychotherapy and family therapy across the lifespan, and have training and experience working with children, adolescents, parents, and individual adult clients. I offer telehealth (anywhere in CA) as well as outdoor therapy (in the East Bay).

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in child and adolescent development with over 15 years of experience working with children, teens and families. I have extensive training in child development and have been employed in outpatient and inpatient facilities, have served as the lead mental health clinician in multidisciplinary teams working with children struggling with feeding issues, and have run social skills groups in addition to providing individual and family treatment. I have a substantial amount of experience with teens suffering from anxiety and depression.

Could your child use some help with managing big feelings and impulses? Are these difficulties interfering with their functioning at school, home, or with friends? Does your child struggle with constant worrying or anxious ruminations? Are their fears getting in the way of their ability to enjoy life? My therapeutic skills groups are designed for kids who could use work on emotional regulation, social skills, and managing anxiety. Confidence Club can help your child master those skills and build confidence for life! Kids' groups are 12 week modules. Teen anxiety support group accepting ongoing referrals.

Everyone has their ups and downs. Life can be stressful and challenging at times. These are the times when it can be helpful for you to talk with someone to support you getting through a difficult time. Whether you have a child having difficulty in school, an adolescent transitioning into adulthood, relationship issues with a partner, or other life stressing events, I provide a safe space to help manage these challenges.

I'm here to support teenage youth, parents/families, and adults in meeting their emotional, psychological and practical challenges. If you're a teen struggling with school problems, family difficulties or hoping to improve your mood, confidence and relationships, I can assist you in breaking down obstacles and achieving your goals. If you're a parent trying to manage and communicate with your "coming of age" depressed or rebellious adolescent , I provide counsel and safe opportunities to explore the conflicts and confusion that block resolutions.

Clients approach me with a wide variety of concerns. Some examples: Teens and young adults often seek help in identifying and gaining traction in their goals and aspirations. Parents may struggle with their adolescent or young adult children, and need help navigating these years. Older clients may be facing the life challenges of redirecting their present and future life's goals, facing diminishing capacity, and seeking support in grief. Substance abuse or dependency, learning differences, and environmental stressors are among the many issues that my clients may be experiencing and benefit from addressing in therapy with me.

Are you looking for a new creative way to deal with difficulties in life and get in touch with your best self? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything with your teen , but they struggle to benefit from traditional talk therapy? As art therapists, we incorporate talk therapy with art making to help our clients unlock their creative potential, look at problems with fresh eyes, and develop new coping skills for dealing with difficult emotions. If you or your child is feeling blocked by past trauma, stuck in destructive patterns, or overwhelmed by depression or anxiety, then I encourage you to reach out. You are not alone.

Sometimes life feels overwhelming! Are you going through a loss or life transition?Are you a parent trying to support your child/ teen as they face their own challenges? Are you trying to make sense of life experiences and how they have impacted you? Are you wanting to figure out what it is you need to feel more fulfilled and create change? Sometimes we need a safe space that empowers and encourages us to explore what works and doesn’t work as we navigate daily life. Friends and family aren’t always able to provide this- but finding someone we feel comfortable opening up to can also seem overwhelming.

As our world re-opens, many people are experiencing anxiety, depression, and stress due to recent social isolation and the unpredictability of the future. It can be a highly stressful time for people re-entering the world and for parents and teens. I provide individual adult therapy, teen /young adult therapy, and parent coaching. I am knowledgeable with non-traditional family structures (single parent, multiple caregiver, polyamorous, & LGBT families), transgender adolescent /child issues, anxiety, and neurodiversity . I’ve also begun working with the emotional effects of long Covid and chronic fatigue.

My clients are people struggling with a transition in their lives; initiating independence as a teenager or young adult, wrestling with a new gender or new role as a significant other / parent, newly dealing with depression, traumatic memories or substance abuse. My approach to psychotherapy is collaborative and interactive with the goal of creating a safe environment that will enable you to explore your thoughts and feelings related to present difficulties. I work with the idea of relieving one's immediate suffering with the longer term goal of how to better understand oneself and one's relationship to the world around you.

I am well trained as a licensed Clinical Psychologist with more than 20 years of experience providing individual therapy to children, adolescents and adults. I strive to create a genuine relationship with my clients to allow for collaborative exploration of the areas in their lives that interfere with personal fulfillment. My approach also involves listening actively, building trust, being curious, providing empathy, and making direct comments to help my clients develop greater awareness about themselves and the patterns in their lives that cause emotional distress or relationship difficulties. This allows my clients to grow and to live more meaningful lives.

Sometimes amazing things can grow under pressure. Living with stigma - related to a mind that works differently, a body that's unruly or "too much," or a sexuality that doesn't fit behind a white picket fence - asks us to be creative and fierce. The wisdom that can grow here is astounding. But the burden of stigma is heavy, and sometimes it grips us in painful positions. Whether you're feeling exhausted, sick of yourself, or just don't know quite how to relate to other people, therapy with me can help.

Through therapy with your child, I will work in building resiliency, learning new coping skills, emotional regulation, and providing a safe space to process memories and current life experiences and traumas. Unlike adults who tend more to communicate verbally or from a logical perspective, children use creativity and imaginative play to express their inner thoughts and feelings, it is often the main way children relate and learn about themselves and their world. Through play therapy, I respond to your child with care, attunement, and skillfulness in helping them understand difficult emotions and make sense of confusing experiences.

I'm so glad you're here! You may consider individual therapy with me if you are an adult or teen looking for support with navigating pregnancy or parenthood, grief & loss, life transitions, depression & anxiety, or just want to move through the world with greater ease. I believe that the relationship between therapist and client is foundational for our work together. Creating a safe, secure and trusting alliance will allow us to do the deep work that leads to effective and lasting transformation. My work with clients is heavily influenced by Somatic-based therapy, Relational therapy, and Mindful-based therapy.