Parenting Therapists in Oakland, CA

Growth, change and transformation happen in the context of crucial relationships in our lives. We also experience pain, loss, absence, fear, shame, and more within those relationships – as children and as adults. Our life experiences, intertwined with our cultural background and unique neurobiology, lead us to become who we are, but may not lead us to become who we want to be. Psychotherapy offers an opportunity to create lives and relationships that are more satisfying and in which we feel more alive.

Most people looking for a relationship therapist wish they could make changes, but don't know how. What they have tried has not worked. Everyone has irresolvable issues. Never do we have the exact same desire for money in the bank, sexual frequency, social activities, neatness, or parenting ideas (etc.) This is built-in conflict. This built-in conflict carries with it the seeds for growth and connection that would not happen in any other way. Living in distress is so awful and so curable. What I do is start with creating safety, so it is safe for you to talk to your partner and be heard, from there needed conversations can occur.

When it's time to seek therapy for yourself, your child/teen or family, it can be intimidating, but definitely worth it. Perhaps, you're interested in working through personal roadblocks, overwhelming feelings or important relationships. The loss of a loved one, a trauma, or ongoing stress has occurred and your current support isn't enough. As you take steps toward healing, growth and well-being, I walk with you along the path to wholeness. In a warm and thoughtful environment, we work collaboratively to reach your goals, understand yourself and others better, and find a more fulfilling life.

I help individuals, couples, and families experiencing life changes, suffering a loss, or needing relationship support. Whatever your current challenges, working with a somatic therapist can help you get in touch with your body, a rich source of information to support you in achieving greater ease in difficult situations or relationships. Therapy with me is a safe container for holding all that may arise as you journey back to yourself, starting with your body. I believe that when each of us heals ourselves it has ripple effects out to families, communities and ultimately to the world.

I believe that healing occurs in a safe space with a trusted other. People seek out therapy for different reasons and often these reasons are hard to talk about. Maybe you are wrestling with painful memories from your past, maybe you find it difficult to have satisfying relationships, maybe you are experiencing anxiety and depression, or, perhaps, you are having difficulty coping with a loss or connecting with your child. It can be quite helpful to explore these issues and trace back their roots; processing, exploring, and being curious about feelings and beliefs that may come up along the way.

Therapy should not and cannot be "one size fits all." It should be rooted in a consistent, deep effort to understand who you are and what you need, in relation to the resources you have near you. Therapy should also be practical and offer some fairly immediate results, even though bigger change takes time. It's ultimately about collaboration, and the formation of a helpful relationship. Although I have 25 years of clinical experience to bring to our work, it is more important that you feel we have a good match as we enter this work together. I trust that after we talk, you'll know whether it seems like the right match.

As our world re-opens, many people are experiencing anxiety, depression, and stress due to recent social isolation and the unpredictability of the future. It can be a highly stressful time for people re-entering the world and for parents and teens. I provide individual adult therapy, teen/young adult therapy, and parent coaching. I am knowledgeable with non-traditional family structures (single parent , multiple caregiver, polyamorous, & LGBT families), transgender adolescent/child issues, anxiety, and neurodiversity . I’ve also begun working with the emotional effects of long Covid and chronic fatigue.

Are you worried about your child? Are they having trouble in school? Not making friends? Has being a parent become really stressful? Parenting is always a challenge and can be even harder if your child is having emotional or behavioral difficulties. My goals are to help children reach their maximum potential emotionally, socially, and behaviorally and help parents be empowered and have more effective parenting skills. I specialize in working with children who have emotional, behavioral and academic difficulties including ADHD, anxiety, depression, poor frustration tolerance, loss of a loved one, trauma, family conflict, and interpersonal relationship difficulties.

I am a bilingual bicultural psychotherapist working primarily with adults, couples and adolescents who are having problems in their relationships and/or who feel badly about themselves or their life situation. The in-depth work I do focuses on one's feelings and significant relationships - past and present. With compassion and deep personal respect, I help my clients to deal with the painful issues, losses and complex struggles of living. I work well with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, parenting issues, inter-racial couples, life transitions, loss, and trauma; toward repairing the relationships that are inevitably affected by these problems.

When people are stuck at critical life crossroads they sometimes need a clear sounding board. I help clients think through important decisions and make choices that let them move forward. Much of my work has centered on relationship conflicts, life transitions, depression, anxiety, parenting , and assertiveness development. I ultimately assist clients in leading authentic lives of their choosing.

You are searching for your resilience! I will help you regain your joy and confidence in parenting . As you continue to navigate the Pandemic, your personal and work related stressors, there is a feeling of helplessness. Your child retreats into depression or acts out in anger or fits of anxiety. Their social & emotional suffering impacts your entire family and while it's your deepest wish to comfort them you feel lost. If you are partnered, there is tension in your parenting styles. You are committed to learning strategies that support your child and are sustainable. You want them to feel seen and understood. Help is here!

Raising young children can elicit a range of intense and often conflicting emotions—delight, love, fear, and anger, to name a few. The process of becoming a parent can also evoke memories and feelings related to our own childhoods, which can serve as a reminder of patterns we would like to either emulate or avoid. In the midst of this phase of life transition, it can be easy to lose our footing—dilemmas start to emerge and conflicts in our relationships with partners or other family members increase. We often wonder if we are doing a good job raising our kids, while we try not to lose sight of our own needs and desires.

There is an old Celtic saying that says "It is in the shelter of each other that we live" and that resonates with many of us as a reality, but also a desire. It's become incredibly difficult to find and maintain community, and yet that can be such a source of healing (and conversely, also of pain). Finding your village while balancing work, daily anxieties and pressures, tumultuous family relationships, or parenting is HARD. Having others to witness and hold your joy and your pain as you navigate life’s transitions can be transformative in our own ability to make sense of this world.

Life in the Bay Area is challenging and the additional stress associated with being LGBTQ+, a woman, pregnant, a parent or all of the above can push it over the edge. Sometimes, especially if you didn’t feel protected or cared for as a child or if something bad has happened to you, life can feel like you’re in over your head. Relationships feel out of control and painful, sleeping is hard and you can’t seem to take care of yourself the way you know you should. Emotions can feel like a roller coaster and daily responsibilities like work or kids are overwhelming. It is possible to feel better and good therapy can help.

I work with children, teens, young adults, and families to help restore equilibrium to their lives. With a healthy and positive therapeutic relationship, we will work together to explore patterns and find solutions. I have experience working with a range of neurodiversity in children, as well as helping those with learning differences. Parent coaching is one of my specialties, no matter the age of your child.

I primarily specialize in early childhood and the surrounding relationships. I work with children ages 0-8 focusing on life's adjustments, both the expected and the unexpected. I can offer support to children coping with adjustments, grief/loss, trauma, and anxiety. I also specialize in supporting parents as they navigate this journey alongside their children. I offer parent consultation as well as supportive parenting therapy, helping to nurture the parent -child relationship and improve communication.