Sex-Positive, Kink Allied Therapists in Oakland, CA

Carl Jung said, "I would rather be whole than good." Very often we put pressure on ourselves to "be" a certain way, so much that life can start to feel like acting versus living. This pressure tends to place stress on individuals and can often lead to anxiety, depression, and stress. I believe that therapy can be a tool to take off the masks we have learned to put on and begin to live from our whole self; finding freedom and our creativity. I believe that through compassion for all the parts of ourself we step closer to freedom.

I provide sex-positive therapy to individuals, relationships, and adult families. Most of my clients have non-mainstream sexual, gender, and/or relationship identities. Many identify as non-monogamous, are considering opening or creatively designing their relationship(s); I help them to create agreements, move through jealousy, heal from infidelities, build trust, and improve communication with partners and metamours. I work with queer, transgender, and nonbinary clients just beginning to question and explore their identities, and those who have been out for years and need therapy from a clinician familiar with queer issues.

I view therapy as a collaborative relationship, seeking to form a partnership to explore your struggles, moving towards growth and healing. I am experienced in working with anxiety, depression, substance issues, grief/loss, relationship difficulties, trauma, oppression, chronic medical conditions, sexuality, eating disorders, and adoption issues. In addition to individual therapy, I work with couples, and relationships of all configurations.

Hello and welcome. My name is Preston and I am a queer therapist of color. My first priority as a therapist is always to establish a safe and vibrant relationship with clients, believing deeply that authentic human connection is one of the greatest catalysts for healing and change. I also take a systems approach in the work I do with clients, seeking to understand each individual’s role within larger social and systemic constructs. I bring a social justice lens to working with clients, helping people to understand and heal from the effects of internalized oppression and the ways it impacts one's sense of self and relationships.

Welcome. Firstly, I want to acknowledge you for taking this first step in finding a therapist, I am so glad you are here. Finding a therapist can be a hard and vulnerable process, and I feel honored that you are considering me. I believe that psychotherapy is a collaborative relationship which starts with the connection we build together. As the therapeutic relationship develops, so does the trust and ability to be challenged and grow.I have particular specialties working with adults, teens and children in Grief & Loss and Sexuality & Gender. I work with individuals, couples/ diads/triads, families and groups.

As a therapist, I am here to witness and support your process of transformation and growth. A large part of the benefit of therapy comes from your experience of the therapeutic relationship, for this reason I always strive to nurture, and explore this relationship with you through honest, open, and straightforward communication.

Hello and welcome! I offer therapy to adults, teens and couples. I believe therapy is a collaborative process; you can think of me as a companion as we travel down the roads of your growth together. If you have been thinking about starting therapy, I invite you to contact me. You deserve to heal and grow towards your best life. I have helped many clients with issues such as anxiety, depression and life changes. I am committed to helping my clients become the most authentic version of themselves. I love working with issues around sex, body image, gender & with members of the LGBTQIA2+ community. Take a look at my website for more.

Folks come to therapy for a variety of reasons that all boil down to change, whether they're struggling to handle it or make it. Many of my clients' lives don't align with societal norms, either intentionally coloring outside the lines or struggling to fit in. Folks may find themselves overwhelmed, dealing with big emotions, the effects of complex or single-event trauma, complex medical issues, or chronic pain. I am passionate about working with the LGBTQ+ - including trans kids and their families, disabled, and neurodiverse populations. I like to work with individuals, couples, polycules, and families of all shapes and sizes.

I view psychotherapy as a collaborative process between therapist and client, an encounter between equals, where the relationship itself is healing. My style is active, creative, and holistic. I will meet you where you are, not-judging, engaged and curious. I work with clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, relationship distress, life transitions, and existential dilemmas (questions about the meaning of life, questions about dying and death). I also have experience working with individuals struggling with dual diagnosis (addiction and mental health issues combined).

You are not your problems, the problem is the problem! Together we can begin to discern the difference and take action toward change. I am a white, genderqueer therapist dedicated to facilitating personal, interpersonal and collective healing through relationships and organizing. I specialize in supporting people experiencing issues related to boundaries, self-respect, burnout, anger, social/racial justice, healing trauma, identity development, existential questions, sexuality, gender identity, and life transitions. LGBTQ, poly, and kink identities welcome. More at: www.katherinerouboslcsw.com and www.traumaconsciouspraxis.com

CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS Individual, Couples/Relationship, Teen Counseling. LGBTQIA+, Poly, Sex-Positive, & Kink friendly. Folks tend to come to me when they are feeling stuck around their anxiety or depression. They usually are holding questions around their sexuality/identity, life transitions, and processing grief or loss. They know that they have the wisdom to resolve these feelings inside, but they are feeling stuck on how to access them. Everything feels a little garbled, and I help them clear the way to access the answers to the questions they are holding.

Building relationships to last a lifetime! I work with * Individuals from all walks of life * Couples of all kinds - married, co-habitating, dating, divorced * Families of all sorts * Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their partners and families * People who are part of the kink community, or who participate in BDSM in their personal lives * People in open, non-monogamous, polyamorous, or other non-traditional relationships * Cross-cultural couples and families * Genderqueer folks * Current or former workers in the sex industry * People with body image and self-acceptance issues * People with all kinds of mental and physical health problems

My ideal clients are individuals age 16+ who want support navigating anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, identity, family, relationships (monogamy/non-monogamy/poly), sexuality/desire ( kink friendly), racial/multicultural stress, and everyday life stressors. I supporting clients no matter if you are seasoned at engaging in therapy or looking to take this journey for the first time. My approach is client centered and structured to meet you where you are, as we work together to build the best journey for your needs. My specialty is serving Queer/Trans BIPOC individuals.

Are you interested in cultivating insight, self-trust, calm, and a sense of being enough? Do you want close relationships that feel supportive, honest and authentic? Do you hope to feel connected with your most authentic self? Do you seek to connect with pleasure, sexuality, intimacy, and eroticism in a way you never have before? I am a sex-positive and gender-affirming expressive arts therapist who integrates trauma-informed art, talk, and body-based therapies that soothe the monkey mind, nervous heart, and stifled voice. Particularly dear to my heart is supporting folks through experiences of sexual wounding and liberation.

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.

Welcome! I support my Clients' path to arrive at a freer, more empowered version of themselves. I am passionate about working through an intersectional and trauma-informed lens with everyone. I respect my Clients deeply and give them my genuine warmth and attentiveness. I am a good fit for people who are nervous about therapy, people working on boundaries, self love, finding their voice, embodiment, healing from trauma/complex trauma as well as folks from all parts of the LGBT+ family. I am here for gender exploration, questioning, arrival and take a non judgmental stance on all corners of consensual sex/sexuality/ kink /non-monog+

I believe that experiencing loving, nurturing relationships is the best part of being alive. I also recognize that for many of us, creating and maintaining such relationships can be incredibly hard. I view psychotherapy as a means to explore whatever is currently blocking our path to healthy, fulfilling and supportive connections--both to others and to ourselves. Sometimes that means building skills we never learned in the first place. Other times that means examining challenging past experiences. Whatever the circumstances, I am here to support your journey toward growth, fulfillment, and ultimately, greater joy.

My practice is guided by a belief in the healing power of being with. I bring compassionate witness and a warm, collaborative, relational approach that is informed by psychodynamic, somatic, feminist, narrative, attachment, and trauma theories. A deep commitment to social justice, and attunement to the impacts of social and systemic oppression, grounds my work.

I specialize in issues related to Sex and Intimacy. I am LGBTQ+, Kink and Poly Friendly. Sexuality is an important part of the human experience and I offer a safe space to talk about it. I know that fulfilling relationships are possible for everyone; we all have the human need for connection & intimacy, but sometimes as the result of painful experiences we build walls to keep others at a distance. I can help you tackle these walls and find new ways of relating, achieving a balance of closeness, connection and personal autonomy.

Couples/Relationship Counseling. LGBTQ, Poly, & Kink friendly. Clients that like my style seek therapy mostly for anxiety or depression that comes from the feeling that life lacks purpose, feels stuck, or stale; especially during times of heartache, misunderstanding, break-ups, or even death. Many useful moments, crucial moments, can arise at the end of something - unresolved past hurts, spiritual dilemmas, a sudden urgency and passion for figuring out "why we're here" - understanding them and integrating them is what I offer. Closing the old stuff up well means new, exciting beginnings are possible...often in the same relationship!