Therapists in Oakland, CA

Based in Oakland and Lafayette, I am a licensed therapist offering comprehensive support to individuals across various age groups, with a primary focus on teenagers and adults. My approach is integrative, drawing from Narrative Therapy, Relational Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address a variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, relational issues, and trauma.

Children and teens are more aware of their own internal states and the world around them than ever before, while the family unit takes on more stress. This combination can create anxiety, depression, acting out behaviors, confusion, and educational struggles for many. Through a strength-based perspective I focus on communication, relationships, boundaries, and self-care. I work with youth (and families) to explore their patterns of interactions with others and encourage self-awareness and growth in these areas. Developing a relationship with a child or teen takes time and care, both of which I have done for nearly twenty years.

Home visits are available, if you live in Alameda. I provide a safe haven for you, your teen, child or family, to explore stress, relationship issues, and past traumas that are getting in the way of you experiencing a fulfilling life. My unique and gentle techniques enable you to challenge patterns and behaviors that are limiting joy, satisfaction, and the ability to be calm.. We work at your pace, developing strategies, which will empower you to reach your goals. Together we create a safe environment, where you feel free to shift and change on all levels of being: psychological, emotional, spiritual, physical, and energetic.

You are struggling and you feel alone. I can help. Have you ever been told you are too sensitive? Do you often feel judged or alone? Are you interested in looking within, learning more about yourself and creating the life you deserve? If so, I am here to help. I support clients struggling with depression and anxiety, learning about and coping with the highly sensitive trait, as well as grief and difficult life transitions. I specialize in older teens, college students, young adulthood/emerging professionals. and women around issues of fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and family life.

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.

Childhood trauma can cripple us, it creates overpowering ‘intense’ emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger when left unattended which begins to create physical symptoms to defend our bodies from the internal wounds. Has there ever been a time in your life where you have experienced this reaction? Are you experiencing these feelings based on current or past trauma from childhood, early teens, adolescence, adulthood, or as a senior? I aim to utilize a variety of actionable techniques to help reduce trauma related symptoms and make lasting changes in life.

Bienvenidos: Si usted es como yo probablemente tiene ideas y dudas acerca de pedir ayuda psycologica. Culturalmente pensamos que recurrir a este tipo de ayuda significa que somos debiles o "insanos", pero la ayuda que se nos ofrece es poca o impractica. Ademas, no podemos solucionar todos nuestros problemas solos. Algunas de nuestras cualidades culturales radican en el soporte que nuestra comunidad, familia, y amigos nos ofrecen; es tiempo de que este principio aplique en la ayuda psycologica, y esto es en lo que yo me especializo.

Reaching out for help is hard. The stress of life can be overwhelming and sometimes worries, sadness, and feelings of burnout can get the best of us. We can feel stuck when efforts to improve relationships or change old habits have stalled. Whatever brings you here, we are glad you found us and, most importantly, we can help! We know that a strong therapeutic relationship is the most important factor for change and growth. . We meet you where you are with unconditional positive regard, with the firm belief that everyone needs to feel connected, safe, and heard.

Are you having a hard time managing everyday life? Are your daily worries getting in the way of your well-being? Are you experiencing transitions that are impacting your love, family and/or work life? Or are you having trouble discovering the life path that feels right for you? If so, I’m here to help. Together, we can develop strategies to help you move beyond confusion into a life of calm, clarity, and connection.

Do you find yourself having a difficult time coping with anxiety, depression, and trauma? Do you have a hard time communicating and setting boundaries with others? Life is full of obstacles and hardships that may be difficult to overcome without the right tools, resources, and, guidance leading to the manifestation of these symptoms. I specialize in working with adults, couples, and adolescents using a Psychodynamic approach to explore unconscious thoughts and behaviors. In doing this, we are able to collaboratively recognize old ineffective patterns and process unresolved feelings and trauma.

I create an experience tailored to your individualized needs and goals. Instead of sticking to a template, we’ll identify how to ensure you feel most comfortable expressing yourself. Therapy can deepen your awareness—which could mean welcoming back parts that you feel disconnected from, discovering new thoughts or ideas, or working with feelings that don’t seem to fit easily in your day-to-day life. As a result, you’ll start to better understand the unique factors that influence your relationships and behaviors: your strengths, values, intuition, and emotions. With new perspectives, you can prepare to live with greater authenticity.

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.

Throughout our lives, we all have experienced feelings of depression, anxiety, and anger. These emotions leave you feeling insecure, shameful, lonely, unworthy and stuck in unhealthy patterns of behavior. Trauma can have negative emotional and physical effects and can lead to family/relationship issues. I specialize in solution-focused brief therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and CBT. These approaches allow me to work with the client to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression and other health/behavioral issues.

Is anxiety, depression, or trauma holding you back from being your true self? Do you feel stuck in managing difficult life transitions? Now, every little thing becomes super overwhelming. Those negative experiences reopen old wounds and cause new ones. You tried burying your pain hoping it would go away. You feel lonely and tormented. You feel exhausted, stressed, and angry all the time. You wonder how much more you can take. You are unsure of who or where to turn for help. In the midst of this painful journey, you do not have to go through it alone.

The people who choose to work with me often want something more than traditional talk therapy. People come to me who are experiencing challenges in relationships with themselves and others. This includes struggling in the relationship to being in your own body. I combined talk therapy with a number of mindfulness and somatic based modalities to meet you where you are and explore together what healing can look like. I work with individuals and couples or other relationship configurations. I also offer psychedelic integration integration therapy.

Life can feel impossible to avoid struggling and we often don't feel we have the skills to cope successfully through. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't have all the resources we need for a given situation. Parts of us take on desperate roles trying to help us to survive. This might look like anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and relationship/family issues. I aim to help you process unresolved issues and feelings and find solutions.

Taking the necessary steps towards mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being is not an easy task, and does not have to be done alone. My commitment is assisting and supporting you in finding the unique tool you need to move towards long term healing. My focus is on mind, body and spirit as we work together. I respect the unique and intricate experiences and identities you bring into the therapeutic relationship.

Whether you are going through some difficult life transitions, struggling with stress, feelings of loneliness, are in a process of recovery and/or have experienced significant trauma, my therapy approach will support you in unpacking difficult emotions to restore a sense a safety and a deeper connection to yourself, others and the world. I am passionate about empowering you to understand and speak your feelings. I work really well with adults in relationship & life-transitions; teens & parents in need of a repaired relationship, and with children who’ve experienced trauma, struggle with big behaviors and/or feelings & their parents.

I work with queer and trans people, and welcome clients who do not fit those identities. I am particularly interested in working with—but not limited to—relationship dynamics, gender and sexuality exploration, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, sensitivity, neurodivergence, inner child work, fat justice / liberation, and connecting to self-expression. I invite clients who are sitting with the questions of… How can I live fully as myself? What's happening in my relationship to self? To others? To the world? I value supporting you in your authentic expression beyond constructs and rules, and I work very experientially.