Couples Counseling Therapists in North Oakland, Oakland, CA

As the world turns on, it can be hard to find time and space to reflect on the inevitable thoughts and emotions that arise through this life. I am dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable space to do this along with you. We all deserve a non judgmental, listening ear to explore our inner challenges, strengths and to find opportunities for personal growth. I have experience working with clients who are going through life transitions, coping with anxiety and depression, as well as trying to better understand the way their personal histories impact their thoughts and behaviors today.

I believe in healing ourselves and each other as the first step toward healing our planet. My intention as a therapist is to guide people toward empowerment and healing in order to live their fullest and most joyful lives possible. I believe that we all have this capacity within us, and therapy can help us to move through our past trauma, oppressive social conditioning, anxieties and other stresses to be our best selves.

I view therapy as a collaborative process where we work together to understand the challenges you are facing. My initial goal is to provide empathy and relief, while working in the longer term to help you feel more open and able to access parts of your experience that may be hidden. This can be scary and vitalizing, and I view work with each client as a unique journey where the path to healing unfolds over time. For me, the ultimate goal of therapy is to help you both accept and challenge yourself, and thereby become more fully who you are.

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.

I work with children, teens, and young adults in my practice. I believe that therapy is a deeply personal and intimate undertaking that allows us to privately express, explore, and make sense of our current and past lives. My work is grounded in psychodynamic, developmental and holistic approaches and is trauma informed. I pay special attention to the therapeutic relationship as this is the backbone of a meaningful therapy experience.

I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and I specialize in working with individuals/ couples in recovery from sex addiction, pornography addiction, and/or love addiction. I have experience supporting betrayed partners who are struggling to make sense of how best to move forward in the wake of traumatic discovery. In my work with couples affected by sexual addiction/betrayal/infidelity, I focus on the relationship repair process. Couples therapy sessions are focused on providing immediate structure and tools to facilitate authentic communication skills and rebuild trust and connection. I am an Ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

I specialize in using creativity, humor, and the arts in working with adults who are having intimacy and relationship issues. I enjoy working with individuals and couples , especially couples who are experiencing the stresses and complexities of family life. People have described me as inquisitive, insightful, curious and warm. I offer a solid presence, as well as a fresh, down-to-earth, and direct point of view to support you in your life's pursuits. 5 years of training in AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) and 5 years of training in PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy). PACT Level 3 completed.

What has happened to you? Have you experienced hardship, life changes, or something traumatic? I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California and Texas. I have over 10 years of practice experience. I received my master’s in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. I have worked in various settings including county mental health office, community mental health clinics, schools/universities, and hospital settings.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by trying to be everything to everyone? Perhaps you are exhausted by all the effort it takes to "push through" and life feels like you’re just going through the motions? If this is you- Sawubona (sow:'bɔh:nah)- I see you. You are strong, intelligent, hard working and resourceful but you may also be struggling with feeling tired, disconnected, and burnt out. If you are searching for new ways to cope- I can help.

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).

If you are seeking deep personal change or going through a life transition, it may feel difficult to make choices. If you are experiencing conflict or suffering and know that something needs to change, psychotherapy will provide a structure where you can identify patterns that have previously led to unhappiness or frustration. I will help you develop new ways of understanding yourself and relating to others in your life. I am a warm, experienced and compassionate psychotherapist that will help guide you through this process of change so that you can be your most authentic self and live your life with increased comfort and meaning.

Life moves so quickly these days, it's hard to take the time to really think about who we are and how we are living. Often, it takes years of patterns that are hurtful or self-destructive to wonder why we aren't feeling happy or fulfilled. Psychotherapy can provide the time and space to really understand and experience ourselves in a new way. I will listen with curiosity and warmth and will collaborate with you to help effect positive change in your life and relationships.

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 .

I love working with folks who are curious, creative, and ready for a mindful and somatic inquiry into what’s really going on in that wild land of the subconscious. I believe therapy is a powerful tool for personal, interpersonal, and social change; an opportunity to update behavioral and relational patterns that have been passed down through traumatized families and cultures - including patterns of shame, ineffective relating, and emotional neglect. I offer weekly individual therapy via telehealth through Heart In Balance Counseling Center in Oakland, and in-person ketamine integration through the Center for New Growth in Eureka.