Family Therapy in Oakland, CA

I'm particularly interested in providing psychoeducation, support and family psychotherapy with the parents, siblings, adult children and close family friends of adults who experience psychiatric and/or substance abuse symptoms. They have often neglected their own needs in the wake of the intense focus they have placed on their troubled loved ones, and they may be overwhelmed and confused by the symptoms, medications, diagnoses, systems of care and treatment options available. We can start with three to five sessions to review symptoms, medications, and the general understandings that the family has already gained.

I strongly believe that all of us are capable of connecting to an experience of profound well being, whatever the circumstances of our lives may be. My goal in therapy is to help you access that state within yourself. I aim to help you recognize and accept the many layers of your experience and to support you in acting skillfully and authentically in the world. My first priority is to create an atmosphere of safety and trust so that you are able to freely explore your challenges, concerns and desires. After we understand your difficulties, we can collaborate to create the desired change and growth.

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

I enjoy in working with; self esteem & worth, trauma healing & recovery, body image & body positivity, disordered eating & relationship to body, belonging as our birthright, transforming deep shame into liberation, body & sex shame, relationships and boundaries, anxiety, stress & hyper-vigilance, nervous system imbalances, life transitions & identity, honoring grief, loss & death, life threatening illness, cancer, auto-immune disease, rites of passage, aging, adolescence, menopause, women's empowerment, highly sensitive people & empaths, people pleasers, intergenerational trauma & ancestral healing, mothering & the mother wound.

Online sessions available now. The research-based techniques I use work! All that’s required is that you show up, engage, and practice. These are the key to addressing depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and Covid-19 (coronavirus) fears, to name a few. I bring a dynamic, engaged style and years of experience to my work. Other clients are entrepreneurs faced with the complexities and demands of Silicon Valley start-ups, as well as professionals in medicine, law, education, psychology, entertainment, and business.

I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and I specialize in working with individuals/couples in recovery from sex addiction, pornography addiction, and/or love addiction. I have experience supporting betrayed partners who are struggling to make sense of how best to move forward in the wake of traumatic discovery. In my work with couples affected by sexual addiction/betrayal/infidelity, I focus on the relationship repair process. Couples therapy sessions are focused on providing immediate structure and tools to facilitate authentic communication skills and rebuild trust and connection. I am an Ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

We all struggle with emotional upheaval during times of stress and transition. Excessive worry, sadness, shame and hopelessness impact our daily lives and those who love us. Couples and families are challenged with the loss of connection and attachment that leads family conflict and a lack of mutually gratifying relationships. By defining our values and our goals we can learn to clarify what is important in our lives and how to enjoy life despite the many challenges we face.

Adulting is hard! So is being a kid! My therapy offers a safe space to strengthen you and/or your child’s resiliency and find the ease you’ve been seeking. Together, let’s deepen your self-understanding with therapy in a collaborative journey of compassion, healing, and skill building. We all need support at times to develop our strengths, gain guidance towards healing, and create space for positive change.

My work with every client and family is trauma-informed, rooted in strengths tailored to your needs and experiences. I believe that each client possesses the innate tools to assist in your healing journey. You are the expert of your experience. By holding space for you to make meaning out of your experiences I provide support to feel empowered to start your healing journey.

I believe every person and family is unique and there are many ways to raise a healthy child. I want to honor the strengths within you and your family and offer the tools and support to help your child and family thrive. Through a trauma-informed lens, I work extensively with youth, parents, and families on life transitions, healthy communication, and processing/ healing from grief or abuse.

Asking for help can be difficult. Realizing you need to make a change or “unlearn” some habits and ideas that are not serving you well can be a bold, brave move. I teach individual and couples skills to help them through overwhelming feelings and make lifestyle changes to interrupt those destructive cycles. Whether you need to process traumatic thoughts or knock down those mental barriers that have been holding you back from your own personal goals and relationships, I would like to help you explore those needs.

Do you feel anxious due to your work, family issues, low self-esteem, and relationship issues? I can especially help those with anxiety/panic attacks. I make it a priority to help clients with buried feelings who have trouble speaking on their emotions. Communicating emotionally is extremely important to promote well-rounded and mature adults. I will help you enhance your self-awareness around unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and build skills necessary to handle life more effectively and develop actionable steps to reach your goals.

We all hold trauma and past wounding which we carry with us into our present life, and throughout our lifetime we have created protective ways to manage these internal experiences. Together we'll befriend and shine light on the various protective parts of your internal system that may have assisted you in the past but are currently keeping you stuck in dysfunctional patterns. We'll safely access the vulnerable layers of your past and wounded self and learn how to practice honoring old unmet needs in present time. We'll highlight and cultivate your innate strengths and gifts and discover new ways of being in the world.

Making the decision to seek out and find the right therapist either for you or for a loved one can be tough. There are many variables to consider and the task can be overwhelming. I work with people who struggle with issues related to identity, mood, life transitions, conflict, trauma and resistance to therapy often because it is mandated. I provide a safe space where you can discuss the details of your challenges and ground the clinical work in the context of the therapeutic relationship.