Therapists in Oakland, CA

Therapy is a safe space that can bring about self-discovery and healing. I take an inclusive approach in my work, where I understand how intersections of culture, sexuality, gender, spirituality, family, environment, and relationships shape our identity and how we experience the world. In therapy, you have a space to let your guard down and explore how various factors at play affect your mental health. You will learn the skills necessary to embrace the full range of your thoughts and emotions, and also incorporate changes that align with your values.

I have worked both personally and professionally, with children, teens, families, adults, and those with terminal illnesses. I have facilitated group work focused around Dreams and community-integration, and have a specialization in Ketamine-Assisted Therapy as an adjunct to psychotherapy. While I work with a variety of demographics and backgrounds, I’ve found my work most focused around those suffering from eating disorders, addictions, women’s issues, terminal illness, grief and spiritual emergence. Those whose realities feel tenuous, who want to take back control of their life. Who they are, and who they hope to be.

I am a bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) licensed clinical psychologist who provides psychotherapy services to adults, children, adolescents families. I support clients in fostering resilience and in building more meaningful, connected relationships. In therapy, I take a supportive, curious, nonjudgemental stance. My clients struggle with issues related to depression, anxiety, loss, adoption, psychological trauma, childhood development, parenting, and everyday stressors.

I help you overcome your struggles in all your relationships and deepen your relationship with yourself. I guide people working with issues including relationship struggles, depression, trauma, anxiety, addiction, sexuality, loss and cultural disconnections. Using advanced modern therapy techniques, I can help support you with a wide array of problems. Couples and individuals have great success in finding more contentment in their lives by experiencing ways together to alleviate their suffering. Anger, sadness, fear and confusion will diminish and feelings of lightness, joy, peace of mind, stability and self-love will grow.

I enjoy working with people who want support as they engage in self-exploration and attempt to make sense of the complexity and intersections of their identities, including race and ethnicity, spirituality, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. I also believe that it is important for the people I work with to approach therapy as more than a culmination of sessions, but as part of a lifestyle and commitment to take time and space to prioritize one’s health. Additionally, I understand the power of self-study and that my role as a psychologist is to provide guidance and reminders as people connect with themselves and others.

You are seeking to gain insight into your current situation by making meaningful connections. You want to make changes in your life, but are struggling to find motivation and inner guidance. You want to move past difficult emotions and need help navigating and uncovering them in safe ways. You need healthy ways to manage stress so you can feel your feelings and not get overwhelmed by them. You long for more satisfaction in relationships, and need tools for communication and boundary setting. You desire to feel more connected to yourself and are in search of someone to help.

Are you experiencing challenges dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship/family issues, and trauma/PTSD? Due to these symptoms, we can be in too much emotional pain and feel too stuck to reframe our perceptions or to find solutions to our problems. Childhood or recent trauma can cause emotional distress that can be difficult to process. I am here to support you in working through unresolved trauma and guide you toward healing. Therefore, you can feel empowered, rejuvenated, and enthusiastic about life again.

Feeling understood, feeling helped, and feeling supported are at the core of psychotherapy. Therapy can help when life’s challenges become too much to approach alone. Together, we can explore and understand difficult issues you are experiencing. Some common therapy goals are to understand important relationships, alleviate anxiety and depression, work through life transitions and losses, deepen self-understanding, and unlock troubling stuckness. In a safe setting with warmth and engagement, I provide an opportunity to gently move through what is bothering you most.

Struggling with anxiety can be a debilitating, frightening, and isolating experience. Whether the anxiety stems from trauma(s), trying to be "good" all the time, or something you can't quite put your finger on, together we can begin to understand and unravel the fears that are keeping you from living more fully. Many people I see are anxious for good reason, and their lives can be improved by learning ways to step back and take a broader view.

Bilingual, Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-informed, Relational Psychotherapy. I believe that engaging in therapy is an act of courage because change is by definition radical. An important goal of therapy is to connect to your authentic/creative self as a way to make meaning in times of suffering. Together we will explore your personal, family, cultural, and political history to understand the ways in which your experiences shape how you feel in the world. Whether you are struggling with life transitions, finding/keeping good relationships, or trying to integrate different identities, our work can help you find some sense of cohesion.

I like to start by making a warm and heartfelt connection with you, supporting and accepting you just as you are. From there, we work to transform difficult struggles into opportunities for greater self-love and richer understanding. Our process is collaborative, with you being at choice every step of the way. I use a blend of innovative approaches that have helped many hundreds of individuals and couples manifest, grow, and savor the relationships and sexuality they desire. In a relaxed, open, and deeply aware state, we discover our truths by gently dissolving shame-filled stories of the mind.

Sometimes, things happen in life that cause us significant pain, whether this stems from early life experiences, life transitions, mental illness, interpersonal difficulties or unexpected crisis. Navigating through these experiences in a therapeutic setting can make the difference between tolerating the pain (or even resorting to methods of easing the pain that create more problems) and coming through it more resilient with the ability to live a life with meaning.

I specialize in working with clients who want to resolve emotional or relational life changes. I do this is by sharing therapeutic practices that serve to overcome emotional distress which, in turn, leads to unhealthy behaviors that interfere with current life goals and values. As we work together in a safe, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship, negative thoughts and behaviors can be changed and replaced allowing clients to free themselves from discouragement, harmful attachments, fearful thoughts, excessive worry, or feeling like they are losing control of their emotions and their lives.

Have you been feeling stuck? Having difficulties making changes, or knowing what to do? Are you navigating a sense that something is off? I can help. My clients say I'm easy to talk with because I'm present, compassionate, and am real with them. I listen actively and reflect honestly, engaging in creative, authentic, and occasionally humorous ways. I share tools to help you change the patterns in your life that make you feel stuck. In my strengths-based, trauma-informed, creative and client-centered approach, you will find your way back to yourself: your unique voice, movement, vision, and your way of loving and being loved.

Am I doing it right? Shouldn't I feel something more than this? My life is pretty good, and I think I should feel more grateful. But sometimes I look around and wonder, is this really all there is? No, no, I should be happier. What do I have to complain about? Yet still... sometimes, I just can't help but wonder.

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.

Difficulties in life limit one’s capacity to experience joy, to move through painful experiences with flexibility and strength, and to live fully. The difficulty might manifest as depression, anxiety, and perhaps just a feeling that more is possible. Is a persistent feeling of lethargy or being down keeping you from taking the steps you feel you need to take? Do you worry excessively about the future, or about what others think? Do you feel that you are missing something? Are you trying to come to terms with existential realities?

I focus on providing in-depth relational psychotherapy services to individuals, couples and families.

My therapeutic intention is to cultivate a safe and supportive space for clients to connect with themselves and express their deepest truths in order to foster personal growth, healing, and self awareness. Together, we will sort through difficult emotions, major life changes, past trauma, negative belief patterns, work stress, relationship challenges, grief and loss, and any other issue that is leaving you feeling stuck, distressed, or not like yourself. We will explore the roots of what is going on, implement tools to promote balance and resilience, process unresolved trauma, and learn how to be more loving to yourself and others.