Therapists in Toler Heights, Oakland, CA

Are you seeking therapy for any of the following: feeling overwhelmed by anxiety & stress? Isolating, or at a complete standstill in life due to depression? Is unresolved trauma hindering your ability to thrive? In a relationship that no one else understands or approves of? If so, I am here to help you restructure your thoughts & behaviors, develop healthy & nurturing relationships, learn new skills to minimize the impact of distressing situations, build self-esteem & self-confidence, enhance self awareness, & find or rediscover your true purpose. My clinical work has equally been with adolescents & adults for over seventeen years.

I am a father of three children with an appreciation for multiculturalism, I strive to include in my practice social justice and anti racism. I believe that the mental health challenges we experience, typically, do not exist on a vacuum and are often tied to the context in which we live. I am also a veteran with particular fondness for marginalized communities.

I work with individuals, couples, and families. I tend to be interactive and collaborative; I provide a warm & supportive environment to help my clients achieve positive changes in their lives. I am non-judgmental and open minded. I create an individual treatment plan and approach for each client based on each person's needs and preferences. I offer phone/video sessions if appropriate. I am Certified in EMDR which means I have advanced training in this modality (beyond basic training). EMDR is used to re-process traumatic memories, and it can be applied to other things as well.

I work with individuals, couples, parents, families and children to develop a therapeutic relationship based on their needs and goals. Through this process, clients get to know themselves better in a safe and supportive environment. I consider therapy a collaborative process that offers unique opportunities to manifest your ideal self through honesty and trust. I draw from the varied types of training and experience I have to find what works best for you and I create a safe space so you can explore the emotions that arise from difficult and painful experiences. I support couples and families in developing empathy, trust, and healthy

I tend to be open, non-judmental and able to listen well to a broad range of individuals. I have experience with people from many walks of life, varying backgrounds and have worked in the mental health field since 2002. If you desire someone to help you feel more self-acceptance, clarity and meaning I may be able to help. I have a passion for learning about human psychology, a passion I would pursue even if I were not practicing as a therapist. I like to write about human psychology and continue to read and self-educate extensively.

The most important questions is: "What pain brought you here? What is the hardest issue for you to deal with?" The most important result of the first session is that you walk out feeling that I understand you and will be able to be your ally in working through your issues. In other words we need to like each other and you need to feel that I have the expertise to handle your problems and not judge you.

I help people come home to themselves. Life's challenges can leave us questioning our intuition and values and impact our self-worth, relationships, and well-being. Perhaps this is due to a difficult upbringing, perhaps due to trauma and loss, or it may be due to external stressors such as marginalization and oppression. I help clients to find their voice, re-discover self-trust, uncover inner wisdom, and cultivate strength and balance. Together we will explore your experiences, nurture inner resources, and identify and resolve destructive patterns that impact your relationships.

Grief Coaching is a healing space for individuals to receive support to grieve. It's a sacred time to practice gently welcoming your grief and bringing a compassionate curiosity to what you are feeling in the present moment. This type of support guides you to turn towards your experience with love and provides an opportunity to come out on the other side stronger, lighter, and more resilient. You will also receive new tools and resources to continue your healing moving forward.

Adolescents (and adults) have many difficult issues to face as they transition through different phases of life. These issues are often compounded by trauma, low self-esteem, and problems within interpersonal relationships with peers and family. Therapy is a tool that can be used to help individuals identify and access inner strength to overcome life's hurdles.

Feeling understood, feeling helped, and feeling supported are at the core of psychotherapy. Therapy can help when life’s challenges become too much to approach alone. Together, we can explore and understand difficult issues you are experiencing. Some common therapy goals are to understand important relationships, alleviate anxiety and depression, work through life transitions and losses, deepen self-understanding, and unlock troubling stuckness. In a safe setting with warmth and engagement, I provide an opportunity to gently move through what is bothering you most.

Our team of clinician's approach is to provide a safe and supportive environment for clients when they are facing emotionally traumatic events in their lives such as depression, anxiety, domestic violence , sexual abuse or substance use disorders. We take a proactive approach to our client's emotional healing by drawing on their individual strengths and guiding them to become collaborators of their own healing. We focus on supporting client to make healthy decisions that can help them feel empowered despite the impact of the events they have experienced.

Therapy is, in my opinion, something that everyone needs at some point in their life, but not everyone has access to it. Financial and cultural issues are often times the two biggest barriers between people who need therapy and people who receive therapy. My clients are a culturally diverse group, coming to therapy to address issues that they feel can be best helped and understood by a therapist of color. I also offer sliding scale fees to help with the financial barriers that too often keep those who both want and need therapy, from getting it.

I founded Be Love Community Counseling to provide safe, healing space for people that have been oppressed, marginalized or have an identity outside of the "dominant culture." Historic trauma and past hurts may show up as depression, anxiety, anger management issues, low self-esteem, underachievement, oppositional behaviors etc. You may think that something is wrong with you while what you're experiencing may actually be a result of something that has happened to you or your ancestors. Therapy is empowering as you may increase awareness about what is keeping you from freedom to live the life you desire.

Often when an individual or couple is seeking out a therapist they're in the midst of a significant transition or challenge that can feel overwhelming. Paradoxically, I believe this is often the time in which the greatest change is possible. By exploring issues through a multi-layered approach, we will identify the deeper truths and lessons these challenges are presenting. By lending tools and feedback, I assist my clients in having a different relationship with their challenges; thus moving away from constriction into conscious growth and empowerment.

Is one or more of your kids on the Spectrum or have the ASD/ADD/OCD triad? In your relationship, is one of you on the spectrum and one not and is that causing misunderstandings and problems? Are you on the spectrum and having trouble understanding the non-spectrum people and world around you? I can help you bridge differences and deal with conflicts and meltdowns in an empathetic and constructive way. Also, I work for with LGBTQ people and couples with a variety of mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. It's hard growing up different from your peers. It can cause low self esteem, crippling self doubt and anger.

Overwhelmed and feeling isolated? Stressed and not sure how to get relief? People are resilient and innately driven to lead their best lives. Sometimes we forget mental health and physical health are deeply entwined and everyone needs support to attain wellness. Perhaps now more than ever.

Hello, my name is Shawn Polivoi, a therapist licensed in California as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) residing in Northern California. My approach to therapy is to meet people where they are at with the goal of helping them where they want to be. I have expertise and comfort working with all age groups, most recently having worked with adults and the elder population. I am experienced in working with people struggling with anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Many people view mental health in its most extreme form: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive episodes, etc...and while those diagnosis do exist, and may be true for many people, it is also true that many struggle with common day to day problems such as parenting, school, work/life balance, marital stress, grief/loss, etc. I believe in mental wellness just as I do in physical wellness because mental health is the cornerstone of our existence. It helps us feel better, make good decisions and live fulfilling lives. Therefore, I encourage you to pursue wellness in its entirety; mind, body and spirit.

I have a strong background in both clinical and counseling psychology and extensive experience treating a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, relational problems, and life transitions. I also specialize in treating addictions. I work with adults, adolescents, couples, and families. I place a strong emphasis on treating all clients with acceptance and respect, and all are welcome in my practice, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual/religious beliefs, or personal history.