Therapists in Oakland, CA

Live your truth. Follow your bliss. Do you. Sounds simple, right? Except that, all too often, we convince ourselves that who we are is not enough, that what we want is undeserved. So we stifle our talents, ignore our truth and deny our deepest desires. Before we know it, we’re living someone else’s life, satisfying everyone’s expectations but our own. All to earn the love and acceptance we don’t feel worthy of otherwise. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Do you need relief from anxiety or depression? Are you and your partner fighting and trying to move forward together? I often help people who are exactly where you are. A collaborative, focused relationship with a caring professional can be a life-changing experience. I have a goal oriented and interactive style, and my goal is always to help you move forward - at your own pace - with ease and acceptance. Check out my website and call for a phone consultation to see if I'd be a good fit for you.

Living a life that feels true to ourselves may take additional support and understanding. Sometimes life becomes overwhelming, either because we are faced with trauma, loss, illness and other transitions, or because we are experiencing unexplained feelings that are keeping us in a stuck place. I would like to work together with you to help you better understand yourself and create the changes that you want to see in your life. My style is relational and authentic. I want you to feel supported and better able to become who you want to be. I use mindfulness and CBT when helpful.

I am passionate about working with: People of Color; Trans, non-binary, and genderqueer individuals, and their partners and families; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer folks; Polyamorous and non-monogamous individuals, couples, families and other relationship configurations; Activists and organizers involved in social justice movements and struggles for liberation; and especially, people at the intersections of these categories. Therapy with me may be able to help with: depression and anxiety; grief and loss; PTSD and complex trauma; difficulty forming and maintaining nourishing relationships; and distress related to oppression.

Whether sitting with individuals or partners, I am here to remind you of what you already know but might have forgotten: you are enough. Many clients find their way to me because they want to work through challenges related to their identity, acculturation, sexuality, gender expression, relationship formation, and early traumas. My identities as a queer, non-monogamous, sex- and kink-positive, immigrant woman tend to attract potential clients who share some of these positionalities.

Queerdos, kinksters, gender f-ers, and radical relationship folks, I want to listen to you. I help gender nonconforming, queer, polyamorous and/or kinky folks heal from past traumas, create healthy and unique relationships, and learn how to have the best sex ever. My therapeutic style is radically non-judgmental, decolonizing/anti-racist/anti-oppressive, and emotionally affirming.

I enjoy working with adults who are interested in becoming more conscious. We all have reactions to things but there are some reactions or triggers that cause emotional pain. These triggers are usually a leftover piece of unprocessed pain. Unless they are understood and healed, they'll keep coming up. I enjoy working with clients who are motivated and curious about this process. The result is more peace of mind and a more fulfilling relationship with oneself and others.

Everything you need to become the best version of you is already within you. As humans, we get stuck in patterns, narratives, and behaviors that once proved useful only to find that they've now become sources of pain and obstacles to living happy authentic lives. Lucky for us, humans are intrinsic healers, and with the right environment, our individual and collective healing knows no bounds.

My style is compassionate yet direct, soft yet forceful. I combine traditional talk therapy with somatic therapy (i.e., therapy involving awareness and work with the body). I have a background working in the corporate world and understand the challenges unique to that space. I trained at the California Institute of Integral Studies and incorporate not only that training but my years of post-graduate education and time spent studying different energetic and intuitive healing techniques into the work I do with you. Visit my website at www.allisonzamani.com for more information.

Hello! I am currently offering trauma informed and EMDR therapy. I work primarily with high functioning women who are struggling with depression, anxiety, or PTSD and are ready to get to the root of it all and feel better. Whether you are challenged by intimacy issues, feeling unfulfilled at work or school, or are just tired of being controlled by emotions like anger or grief, emotions can be hard to manage. Lasting change happens within the context of a safe relationship, and regardless of your attachment style or history, I can help you create the changes you want to see in your life.

The single most consistent predictor of success in therapy is the relationship between therapist and client. I prioritize creating a trusting relationship. My approach is collaborative, relational, and interactive. I balance listening deeply with gently challenging clients to make meaningful change. I am not a therapist who sits back silently. I also do not presume that any given technique or my own experience hold all the answers in our journey together. Rather, I draw on evidence-based, relational practices, more than a decade of clinical practice, and your lived experience, cultural and personal practices, beliefs, and values.

My work with every is client rooted in their natural strengths and tailored to their needs and experiences. You are the expert of your experience. I hold space to make meaning out of your thoughts, feeling and experiences. I believe that everyone possesses the tools to empower you in the next step of your healing journey. I simply help you to access those tools.

I enjoy working with folks who need support in managing a wide variety of issues from self-esteem and identity concerns to the stress of dealing with multiple roles, relationships, and life demands (as students, partners, friends, parents, new professionals, family members, community activists, etc.) My clinical interests include multicultural and women's issues, racial/ethnic identity development (especially among biracial/multi-racial/ethnic/cultural individuals), sexual and gender identity development, adjustment and transition issues, and building healthy relationships through assertive communication and positive self-esteem.

I am an associate Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in sex therapy, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, PTSD, and LGBTQIA+ issues. I am currently accepting both couples and individuals at my practice. My work is non-judgmental, client focused, sex positive, open to those practicing ethical non-monogamy and polyamory, kink-positive, and welcomes humans of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds. I love to help people navigate through their relationships, both casual and serious, and offer support and care in making tough changes or realizations. Together we can explore shame, identity, and what scares or challenges us.

Are you asking, How can I find love? or, What is missing in my relationships? Are you stuck in complaining and blaming, or avoiding and withholding? Are you noticing your relationship struggles make you feel lonelier rather than more open to each other? I provide an environment of safety where you may explore how you are stuck and how your persistent conflicts spoil your potential for intimacy. Tracking the repetitive patterns of communication, and the stories which confirm your most negative beliefs, I will strengthen your awareness to the influences that affect whether you keep repeating old patterns or open to real change.

You might want to work with me if you have a hard time identifying your own needs, frequently over-give, easily absorb other people's emotions and energies, make yourself small, and struggle to assert yourself. Our work together can help you feel more grounded, whole, and in alignment with yourself, with better boundaries, more self-confidence, and healthier, more secure relationships. And as a queer, South Asian therapist, I have a nuanced understanding of identity and the impact of systems on our lived realities.

I want to support my clients in feeling whole. This can mean learning how to safely unmask your Autism or ADHD, healing traumas old & new, setting healthy boundaries, strengthening communication with partners, learning new ways to approach challenges without shame, or bringing compassion to chronically ill bodyminds. I specialize in working with neurodivergant people and couples. My young clients enjoy my playful interventions that help them feel confident and proud of being uniquely themselves. My adult clients are relived to tackle challenges without shame and ableism.

Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and weighed down by critical self-talk? Is it difficult to stand up for your needs and set healthy boundaries? Many of us have the desire to be truly listened to, seen, and deeply understood. I believe all of us have the answers within ourselves and our unique experiences, and sometimes we just need a little help from someone else to help us discover them. I'm not going to talk your ear off or mansplain your nervous system to you. I will listen, we will talk through things, I will challenge the way you look at things, there may be tears, and there will definitely be laughter.

My belief in human resilience guides my work, and I hold deep trust in each person's unique path towards a full life. I approach my practice with warmth, presence, honesty, and respect. Together we can examine painful experiences, old belief systems, and barriers that may be keeping you stuck while honing in on your unique strengths. Therapy work encourages deepened self-awareness and compassion, allowing you to embrace a greater sense of agency and alignment in your day to day life. My hope is that our work inspires you to create space for the life and relationships you have been striving for.