Therapists in Shafter, Oakland, CA

It's a courageous step to seek help. Things aren't working and perhaps you are looking for a new way, new strategies and perspective. You need relief from this angst. The surprise here is that your pain, frustration or relationship conflict can also be an asset. I am not suggesting minimizing your emotional suffering nor the importance of us finding immediate relief. My experience is that in facing your difficulties we can move towards enduring change. How does change happen in therapy? In my work with clients we identify some of the stories you have been telling yourself.

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 towards developing a relationship with you where you can feel safe to express your feelings, talk about your concerns and think creatively about old patterns and past worries that may be holding you back from living life more fully. I strive to create a therapeutic environment where you will gain more awareness and learn to live in a creative and playful manner while developing the capacity to know and realistically meet your own needs. You will find me to be warm, interested, creative, and curious therapist.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and certified substance abuse counselor who has worked in the field for the past 15 years. My hope is to use my experiences and skills to help individuals struggling with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD or substance abuse issues find new coping skills in order improve the quality of their lives. My approach combines elements of short-term behavioral therapies (DBT and CBT) with psychodynamic techniques to address problematic behaviors to achieve lasting change.

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 struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, anger, trauma or relationship issues? I have over 30 years of experience working with people who feel burdened by these issues. I believe that previous disappointments and injuries can paralyze us, causing us to be frozen in the past. By understanding and unlocking these earlier difficulties, I have witnessed people opening themselves up to more rewarding life experiences and relationships.

Services: I provide individual psychotherapy for adults, using an approach involving mindfulness based practices and an existential-humanistic mindset. I am a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked across the full spectrum of psychotherapy settings, including private practice, mental health clinics, inpatient settings, and day treatment programs. I have also held numerous clinical leadership roles, such as the director of a county outpatient mental health center, and the director of an inpatient psychiatric unit.

I am an experienced psychotherapist specializing in individual and couples therapy. I enjoy working with individual adults and couples, including older adults.

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.

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.

I provide individual psychotherapy to adults struggling with anxiety, depression, relational problems, work stress, life transitions, and addiction or substance use concerns. I take a collaborative approach when working with clients to identify treatment goals and integrate evidence-based therapies in order to build coping skills and increase resilience. My goal in working with clients is to create a supportive non-judgmental space that is conducive to self-reflection and self-compassion. After all, self-loathing and shame are not motivators for change; they get us stuck.

As an engaged listener, I strive to create an atmosphere of respect and understanding, while also being compassionate, non-judgmental and warm. Within this safe space, we can explore family and relationship patterns and address your specific needs. I tailor sessions to meet each client’s challenges, developing trusting relationships that help him or her move towards a life of playfulness, passion and purpose. Your unique journey is made up of the circumstances, choices, beliefs and values that make up your reality. Together, we will determine new ways to bring tranquility, vitality, and fulfillment to your life. www.drzackberman.com

Without meaning and the chance to therapeutically practice new insights and behaviors, we may suffer unnecessarily during times of high stress, trauma, or in daily life. Feelings may become an overwhelming flood of dread, sorrow or numbness; thinking becomes confused, panicky, and self-critical; joy, spontaneity and self-trust may feel lost. Together we can make good use of your strengths, symptoms and external challenges. Through exploring and deepening our understanding and trust in your own inner world, dignity and liveliness may be restored even under the most challenging or enduring of circumstances, illnesses or problems.

I work with sensitive children, teenagers and young adults who struggle with expressing themselves, experience anxiety and depression, and have difficulties in voicing their needs in relationships with family and friends and school. Many clients I work with can begin to miss out and avoid opportunities for growth and may experience fear and lack confidence to take chances and try new things. In my approach, I strive to provide a relaxed and judgment free zone for clients to build up their ability to express themselves, develop an understanding of their wants and needs, and begin to participate in life more with new found confidence.

Something is shifting in your life. The earth beneath you is not as stable as it once was. Maybe it's a major life transition, like going to college, getting married, moving to the Bay Area, or changing jobs. Maybe it's a loss, like a death, a divorce, a miscarriage, or leaving someone or something in your life. Or maybe this transition is harder to put your finger on...you might be feeling stuck and needing something to shift. There are many moments in life that offer an opportunity to transform, or require us to change if we are to continue growing.

The journey into parenthood is unique for every family. The nuances, the surprises, the joys, and everything else that comes with it, bring about change and transformations that touch deep. During this season, perinatal counseling can help support you in navigating the changing landscape and any other challenges that may surface. Seeking help during this time can help you find your footing and root down into this transition. Whether you are planning on becoming pregnant, are pregnant, or navigating the postpartum period.

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.