Grief Therapists in Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA

We bring the entirety of ourselves everyday into the world not in separate parts. Some of these parts may include our past: traumas, conditioning, modeling, grief , anxiety, and maladaptive coping. These parts can show up in our personal, professional and romantic spaces inhibiting us actualizing our most authentic self. We can feel arrested by cycles, patterns or reactions to our past which can continue to resurface and wonder, “Why does this continue to happen to me?” If this sounds familiar and you would like to begin shifting these parts of yourself towards a more whole and authentic self - In.Sight is here to partner with you.

My clients are most often dealing with communication concerns, issues of intimacy and complications related to life changes. When traumatic events impact their daily lives, they may seek assistance. Occasionally couples and families experiencing stress in their relationships may need an objective listener and guide to help them figure out how to reestablish balance. With the many demands of life and work, we work together to find pleasure in their families and for parents to reinstate parental authority within the family structure.

Struggling to effectively manage stress? Having difficulty forgetting intrusive thoughts about a past event? Experiencing bouts of anxiety due to a recent or past stressful experience, especially when reminded of this event? Ever have those moments of deep sadness because of a negative view of the world or yourself? Or ever felt like you were on edge or unnecessarily hyperalert in situations where you were safe? These are common reactions to stress and trauma. My role as a therapist who focuses on stress and PTSD is to support your healing journey where you can move more authentically through life and find resolution from your past.

You don’t need to suffer so much. In these uncertain and unsettling times, I create the safety to explore difficult feelings and navigate challenges in relationships, work, health and spirit. For over thirty years, I have helped couples and individuals let go of the unnecessary suffering that comes when we try to escape the realities of our lives. While I work with a wide variety of clients and issues, one aspect of my approach never changes – we seek truth. I have found that being with the truth of our lives is the most reliable path to positive and lasting change.

I'm down to earth and approach therapy collaboratively. As an experienced therapist with 10+ years in private practice, I believe healing is an organic process that is different for each person. My therapeutic style includes providing a space to explore what’s in your heart. I also offer feedback, ideas, and problem solving. Specialties include postpartum mood disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.), grief and loss , understanding dysfunctional family dynamics, healing from a breakup, and working with creative people. I also provide Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).

We all sometimes face a challenge in life that we just can't seem to resolve on our own. It might be a new chapter in your life that brings unexpected trials: adulthood, marriage, parenting, step-parenting, divorce, children leaving home, caring for your aging parents, the loss of a loved one, or facing your own mortality. It might be a conflict in a relationship with a loved one or in your professional life. Or it might be more of an internal struggle, whether recent or long-standing, that is giving rise to anxiety, depression, struggles with food or alcohol, or other self-defeating behaviors.

What would it be like to be understood? No really?! The journey truly starts when we first seek to understand ourselves. Through personalized, identity affirming intervention and an unconditional judge-free zone, I implement healthy relationship building with each one of my clients first. As a result, trust can be established and influences you to be empowered yet vulnerable, ultimately leading to healthy behavior modification and a deeper awareness of how to thrive even through adversity.

I have many years of experience in dealing with anxiety, depression, loss , life transitions, addictions of all types, and relationship and identity issues. I think my strength is that I approach people on a very human level, with respect, caring and humor. I feel "we are all in the same boat" (including me) and that we all need someone to take us seriously, listen carefully and know how hard it is to be vulnerable to a 'stranger'. I will do my very best to help you create the life you want. I have lost a child, so I have a special sensitivity to grieving parents and their challenges.

I specialize in both individual trauma and grief work, as well as work with couples. I am a certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist, (CEFT) and I specialize in working with couples to address and remedy destructive communication, breaches in trust, infidelity issues, premarital counseling, and sexual incompatibility. My approach helps couples to reestablish a sense of connection by allowing couples to better understand the areas in their relationship where they have difficulty feeling that they each see eye-to-eye, by facilitating clearer communication of what both are needing from each other in order to feel more connected.

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.

I am deeply committed to helping people live more whole and integrated lives. I guide clients to explore and work through life's challenges from a body-mind-spirit framework. I have over 15 years of experience in supporting clients experiencing: depressive and anxious symptoms, grief & loss , trauma, relationship concerns, enculturation/acculturation process, and spiritual concerns. I have worked with first-generation college students, immigrant students, and am an ally of the LGBTQ community.

Inevitably, there are periods in life when we find ourselves untethered, at a loss for something to grab onto. Even coveted transitions - becoming a parent, or achieving a goal, for instance - can lead to a sense of disturbance or unfamiliarity, and can bring old wounds to the surface. Suffering can be mysterious and confusing, and most of all, very difficult to face alone.

Are you concerned about your child’s behavior? Are you struggling to understand what is happening for your child? Are you finding parenting overwhelming? I work with children and parents to help them make meaning of life’s challenges and work with children and parents, both individually and together. I bring more than twenty years of experience providing therapy, consultation, and assessments with children and their families to my clinical practice. I have experience working with children and families around many issues including, loss , attachment, adoption, anxiety, depression, atypical development, learning differences and trauma.

Choosing to start therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. I believe all people have a natural inclination toward growth and wholeness and sometimes things get in the way. Exploring these obstacles with compassion and courage can help you cultivate the most important relationship of your life -- your relationship with yourself. Whether your challenge is depression, anxiety, grief and loss , relationships, addictions or career challenges, all you need to get started is the desire to change.

Seeking support can feel vulnerable – especially when the culture around us glorifies “self-made” success stories and aspires to a seemingly effortless, perfectly curated social media existence. The reality of course is that life is messy, and that we all benefit from support. We are impacted by world events, our environments, relationships, the histories of our people (our families, ancestors, communities), and our own unique collection of lived experiences. As a therapist I view my role as that of an ally, confidant, collaborator - and very occasionally a guide.