Therapists in Oakland, CA

Therapy should be focused on you and your needs. Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure about what to do about your teen's anxiety? Do you worry a lot, often leaving you anxious, exhausted and overwhelmed? Has parenting become a constant battle, leaving you feeling drained and exhausted? I can help. I have extensive experience working with teens and parents who have experienced trauma, who have suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviors, school refusal, anxiety, OCD, social withdraw, bullying, low self-esteem, and depression. I specialize in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP).

I am here to be present with you as you explore and process how the vast injustices in the world may be affecting your internal states. Together we can examine the question: Is there something “wrong” with me as an individual, or do we live in an inequitable society that causes emotional and often generational trauma? Our trauma can lead to behaviors that do not ultimately serve us or align with our core values—but there is room to heal. Your ancestral roots, intersecting identities, and cultural practices are an honor for me to make space for in our work together.

The goal of our work together is for you to live freely and fully and to reconnect to your inherent power. With a holistic approach and a deep understanding of the process of healing and growth, I offer skilled support and insight. I work relationally because change is hard–care, connection and accompaniment are essential in the process. While I work with you to untangle the feelings that are causing you struggle and pain, we will simultaneously harness the power of healing and transformation.

I specialize in helping people with depression, anxiety, and past trauma. There are many people that try to sell a cure all or a quick fix for mental health and happiness. As a therapist, it's my mission to avoid gimmicks and rely on proven and well established methods for change. True self-care is not simply salt baths and distractions, but building a life that you don't regularly need to escape from in the first place. I enjoy working with people who want to get closer to the truth of who they are, wish to learn how to set boundaries with ongoing worry, reflect on relationships, and who crave authentic and meaningful change.

Your body is always communicating information to you, and your emotions are the messenger. Maybe it's the consistent feeling of overwhelm, or the throws of depression. Maybe you are experiencing physical pain as a result of emotional pain. Whatever it is, I believe in the wisdom of your body and I want to help you become an expert at your own body language so that you can have more autonomy over your life.

Feeling success has alienated you from others? Feeling that satisfaction is illusive, despite having all the markers of a good life? Anxious or depressed? Worried that all will crumble around you? Relationships feeling transactional? Want to find help making big life changes? I can help

Life is already so complicated. My hope is to empower you to make yours more fulfilling. Our work will take action and help you become your own best ally. I'm a therapist for people who have been reluctant to try therapy! My strength is in relationships, whether those are with ourselves, our children, or our partners. I offer couples counseling, parent guidance and coaching, and family and individual therapy. My style is warm, client centered, holistic and down to earth. I can help when anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction, trauma, high-conflict and big decisions are interfering with life and relationships.

Do you seek relief from experiences of anxiety, depression, or shame? You may be wanting more self-confidence or deeper intimacy in your relationships. Perhaps you long to shed unwanted conditioning and live more fully in your embodied truth. I can support you to identify and move through old patterns that constrict your vitality, helping you to unearth your passion and unique gifts. My approach is warm, grounded, and collaborative. Together we will develop a safe space to explore any wounds and limiting beliefs and allow you to encounter and live into your deepest wisdom.

I believe therapy plays an integral role in personal growth and healing, and the relationship between client and therapist is an important part of the journey. I have provided therapy to teens and adults throughout the past decade using an individualized and supportive approach. I understand that each person has different strengths, needs, and a unique story. I strive to create an environment that is safe, nonjudgmental, and compassionate. I believe in people’s ability to grow and transform when given access to the support and tools they need.

I am a change oriented therapist and would like to support you in finding new solutions to old problems. I am part of a group practice that provides individual and group DBT, and I have experience working with addiction/alcoholism, trauma, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and psychosis. My other passion is parenting and pregnancy as I ran a parenting program for 12 years. I understand the stresses facing parents with young children, and will provide a trusting relationship where you can develop skills and experience more joy in parenting.

Is your child struggling with anxiety, depression or a big life change or a recent trauma? Are you an adult navigating grief or a transitional phase in your life and overwhelmed with stress, worry, or fear? As an Art Therapist, using a trauma-informed approach, we will work collaboratively and creatively to meet your goals. I will help you access coping skills, establishing routines, and hold space for emotional expression. I specialize in working with individuals from marginalized communities, ages 4 through adulthood, with anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions.

Psychotherapy can be a truly life changing process. It works to gradually loosen stuck patterns in one's life, leaving more room for vitality and creativity. You may be trying to heal from past wounds, experiencing anxiety, loneliness, depression, or relationship difficulties. Or perhaps you feel relatively stable but have a sense that something deeper is missing.

I help people unwind places of stuckness or struggle in life, through working with ways the past may be influencing the present and impeding your capacity to thrive. My intention is to meet you where you are at: whether you have a need related to a specific challenge such as anxiety or depression, are facing a time of stress or transition, or are ready to devote time to intentional change in your life. I work with both individuals and couples.

We live in a culture that doesn’t give much space for our emotional lives, and we are expected to do all the things. It can be exhausting and lonely. Therapy is a place and process to slow down and be in touch with yourself. My work centers on the idea that emotional well-being and behavior are rooted in past experiences and the need to survive some type of oppressive conditions. Therapy involves helping you learn how to listen to yourself more deeply to change deep-seated patterns and take charge of your life.

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.

Sometimes, we get stuck in patterns that might have been helpful at some point in our lives but are not so helpful to us now. These patterns show up in the ways we respond in our relationships, in work/school, to challenges, and to ourselves. We’ll approach therapy as collaborators to build up your skills and strengths to get you unstuck. In our work together, we'll gently explore the past, so we can create an action plan for a different future. We'll recontextualize what no longer serves you and make space for your curious, creative self to emerge.

I view my role to be that of a listener, supporter, encourager, and advocate. With me, you can expect to be heard and validated, while also challenged as we work to create new patterns and beliefs. ​

Seeking help is often the first step in making a change for the better. My goal as a therapist is to support you in your steps towards wellness. I work with children, adolescents, adults and families with a wide range of emotional concerns. I support children and adolescents struggling with emotional or behavioral issues, adults managing life stress, individuals facing life transitions, or families struggling with communication difficulties. As a therapist I will work collaboratively with you to build upon your strengths to create change and will tailor my treatments to meet your unique needs.

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.