Chronic Pain Therapists in Oakland, CA

If your life feels diminished by chronic anxiety, panic, depression and just feeling out of place, I can help you. As a seasoned therapist, I will collaborate with you to shift from a life of limitations to one of choice and options. Using an integrative approach of IFS (Internal Family Systems), Somatic-Attachment and Relational Psychotherapy, our work will help you change your personal narrative to be aligned to who you want to be in the world in the present. You'll gain confidence and skills to support your emotional regulation and comfort in living in the present.

I am not your run of the mill therapist. Oh sure, I listen well and am very compassionate and calm. But I just don't sit there and ask you how you feel. I do care about your feelings but I am more curious about your experience and how we can increase your awareness so that you can make helpful and inspired choices. As you can imagine I help people deal with any issue you can possibly think of- from depression to life transitions to the loss of a loved one or trauma.

My priority as a therapist is to create a safe space for you. When any of us seeks out therapy, we are likely suffering. To suffer is to be in a very tender place, and I want to honor that. Whether your suffering comes from early childhood trauma, more recent losses, relationship problems, social injustice, adjustment to big changes in your life...I want you to feel safe and companioned as you move toward tending those places of wounding and toward healing.

Learn how to feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy provides all the elements of intimacy: honest communication, vulnerability, and trust. Good therapy is challenging yet warm, providing both structure and empathy for your unique experience.

Choosing a therapist is a significant decision, and one in which it is crucial to trust your feelings. I am a very engaging, warm and thoughtful person. My approach is eclectic and interactive, and is adapted to the unique needs of each individual or couple. Humor, respectful listening, honest dialogue and collaboration are all important aspects of my work. My priority is to provide a safe connection as a foundation for growth, enhanced self-esteem, and well-being. Habitual patterns causing impasses, lack of passion, anxiety and depression, can shift once underlying needs and feelings are legitimized and given voice.

I specialize in working with young people and the LGBTQIA community. My professional background in education, clowning, and physical theater deeply informs my work. Using embodied play alongside talk therapy, I find that my clients are able to access expression, relief, and growth. This type of work is useful for kids experiencing anxiety, school and family challenges, and struggling with self esteem. It is also useful for LGBTQIA people to become more deeply in touch with their identities, using a creative lens. I am committed to meeting clients where they are at to develop a space for creative healing.

"In every person there lies buried deep in the heart a desire for a certain sort of life: a life that is free and unencumbered, a life that is full of beauty, joy and fulfillment" (A H Almaas). Are you experiencing relationship challenges? Do you feel overwhelmed by anxiety or fear? Did you suffer a loss? Are you struggling to find meaning in your life, or are you still troubled by the effects of a difficult childhood? Psychotherapy can offer a path to healing where you can get back in touch with your true nature, and experience this as inherently healthy, whole, and a source of compassion and intuitive wisdom.

We all long for deep, authentic connections, but we can often get stuck in old patterns with those we love. We end up sacrificing our needs, avoiding vulnerability, or "acting out" in ways we don't understand. I enjoy helping people with trusting their intuition, building self-esteem, communicating effectively, and creating meaningful boundaries and connections in relationships. I work with individuals, couples, and families of all ages, backgrounds, and identities. Together, we can identify new tools for navigating anxiety, depression, stress, and bodily symptoms often rooted in unresolved trauma.

Dr. Anna Blanken (she/her) is a licensed psychologist in California providing telemental health. Dr. Blanken received her graduate degree at the University of Southern California with an emphasis in neuropsychology. She received her advanced psychology training on internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, where she is currently a staff member. While she has specialty training in geropsychology, she is also well experienced in treatment of all adults for a range of mental health concerns.

Learn how to feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy provides all the elements of intimacy: honest communication, vulnerability, and trust. Good therapy is challenging yet warm, providing both structure and empathy for your unique experience.

Are you feeling hopeless or lost? Do you think you have to go through life alone? Are you holding yourself back? Often we think that life is supposed to be hard. How would you feel if you could move forward and live life with ease? Many people feel shut down and despairing; I want you to know that the answers are already inside of you. I can work with you to help find solutions. People who work with me learn to experience life with joy, peace, and freedom.

My clients are passionate, sensitive, often highly creative people searching for a place where their full self can be witnessed, celebrated, and supported. Sometimes this includes mourning for what was not possible or the intensity of previous experiences they were put through and what that has cost them. My clients tend to struggle with a variety of complex issues. They often come from families with a legacy of unprocessed intergenerational trauma, which can take many forms. Ultimately, clients who seek me are looking for a place to try out new ways of being in the world. Ways that will better support their deepest values.

Transforming our inner dialogues and practicing radical self compassion is an important part of healing. Speaking to oneself with gentleness and compassion can be a challenge for many, but we are all worthy of our own kindness. I am here to offer support in your healing journey with yourself. My approach is warm, patient, strengths based, and practical. I offer tools that clients can use to support their personal growth and healing, both during and outside of sessions. This includes learning how to build distress tolerance, learning emotional regulation skills, and practicing strategies for transforming inner thoughts.

Learn how to feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy provides all the elements of intimacy: honest communication, vulnerability, and trust. Good therapy is challenging yet warm, providing both structure and empathy for your unique experience.

Learn how to feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy provides all the elements of intimacy: honest communication, vulnerability, and trust. Good therapy is challenging yet warm, providing both structure and empathy for your unique experience.

Are you unhappy in your life? Unhappy with your relationships? Are you looking for an experienced therapist who will listen to what YOU WANT and need? I am a kind compassionate seasoned professional who will help you understand yourself better. I have an engaging and collaborative style. I help clients struggling with life transitions, relationships and depression/anxiety.

You don't have to struggle with day-to-day life difficulties alone. Are you facing personal growth blocks, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, grief/ loss, life transitions, family challenges, health or injury problems, work stress, or other types of emotional pains? My clients are diverse and I take the time to get to know your unique needs and goals. My approach is warm, sincere, and direct. You can expect a safe space to express yourself, relief from overwhelming thoughts and emotions, learn tools and get the right support to aid in healing. We can work together to help you regain balance in your life and feel empowered.

Clients come to me due to anxiety, grief and trauma related concerns while facing stressors and life transitions. Life is difficult when you are experiencing mental health struggles due to health, family or marital situations, dating hardships, work conflict and/or past life experiences. It affects self confidence. You could be struggling while navigating the impact of immigration, cultural background, identity, inter-generational differences, interpersonal challenges, and career demands on your worldview and yourself. As an Asian therapist, I not only have familiarity but also cultural competency in helping APIDA individuals.

After twenty years of helping clients my counseling approach is to look for the Health within you regardless of what you are currently experiencing. Once you get a sense of this inner Health you can use it to overcome the obstacles that are preventing you from enjoying your life or your relationships. I help you focus on areas of difficulty with kind acceptance. Anxiety, depression and unhappiness transform into greater contentment. You begin to experience yourself as bigger than the problem.