Therapists in Oakland, CA

Adolescents (and adults) have many difficult issues to face as they transition through different phases of life. These issues are often compounded by trauma, low self-esteem, and problems within interpersonal relationships with peers and family. Therapy is a tool that can be used to help individuals identify and access inner strength to overcome life's hurdles.

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.

Relationships are complicated! I've helped many couples who have been interested in becoming happier and more effective in their relationship. It's not unusual to reach bumps in the road as you progress in your lives together. When we are in session, I'll talk with each of you to find out about you as individuals including your history and emotional strengths as well as challenges. As well, I'll learn what is working and what is not working for both of you in your relationship.

Are you concerned about your child’s behavior? Are you struggling to understand what is happening for your child? Are you finding parenting overwhelming? I work with children and parents to help them make meaning of life’s challenges and work with children and parents, both individually and together. I bring more than twenty years of experience providing therapy, consultation, and assessments with children and their families to my clinical practice. I have experience working with children and families around many issues including, loss, attachment, adoption, anxiety, depression, atypical development, learning differences and trauma.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with many years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families, as well as adults. My interventions are heavily rooted in behavioral therapy and evidence-based practices including feminist and attachment theories. However, I tend to conceptualize clinical presentations from a multicultural and social justice perspective. While I employ empirically validated treatments to ignite change, I am also of the belief that there is no single story to any individual. Consequently, it is important to understand the social, cultural, political, and spiritual context of each individual.

Finding the right therapist can be hard. Maybe you're facing difficult experiences of grief and loss, serious illness, or family conflict. Maybe you're wrestling with depression or anxiety. Or maybe you just have a general sense that your life has lost meaning and direction. Whatever brings you in, I'll offer a warm-hearted and positive space for us to learn together about your particular situation, and about the possibilities for healing and transformation that can be found within it. Having someone to talk to makes a real difference.

Life can feel overwhelming, isolating, or riddled with anxiety and depression. Perhaps things feel stuck and you are seeking a change and want more out of life. Early adulthood is a particularly challenging time. It can be difficult to challenge the perceptions of the world shaped by our families and upbringing, while maintaining the shared connections and values. It is a time to explore racial, sexual, and gender identities. A task made more complicated when layered with neurodiversity, trauma, grief, or a life circumstance that makes you feel different. Therapy can offer a sense of insight, stability, and self-acceptance.

Are you sensing a budding awareness in yourself of difficult patterns in your life that you wish to transform and grow through? It would be an honor to support you on your healing journey. I’m a therapist with a trauma-informed, client-centered lens and I utilize various creative modalities to help my clients experience greater insight, self-love, and balance in their lives. Some of the tools I use are art therapy, narrative therapy, meditation, dance movement therapy, as well somatic and sensory interventions. I also have training in SE, ACT, DBT, and CBT and these modalities influence my eclectic therapeutic technique.

These past years have been a struggle for you. Any of the issues you faced before the Pandemic have been intensified. In other ways you have found inner resources you didn't know you had. Reaching out for help takes courage. Call me for a free 15 minute consultation to see if I might be a good match for your needs.

I have a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Clinical and Health Psychology. I work with an array of individuals and specialize in concerns related to LGBTQ, POC and allies on a variety of concerns. I pay special attention to cultural factors related to wellness. If you have a specific concern like difficulties in relationships or a more general interest in improving your well-being by learning how to better deal with strong emotions, I will provide a warm and supportive space to foster your personal growth.

As children, and throughout our lives, many of us are taught, through our families, our peers and our culture, that parts of the truth of who we are—our feelings, thoughts, desires, expression or identity—are bad or wrong, and that we must cut off and bury those unacceptable parts of ourselves in order to be loved. We spend much of our lives living with a fractured sense of self, without ever really knowing why we suffer, feel incomplete, ashamed, and never enough, filling the holes in our hearts with poor substitutes for the acceptance, love and connection we so truly need.

Do you recognize some of these ways in which your or others' unhealthy anger gets expressed? Verbal abuse (yelling, cursing, insulting making threats, getting in people's faces). Emotional abuse (criticizing, putting down, intimidating). Physical aggression (hitting, shoving, slapping, kicking, choking, forcing sex). Property damage (breaking things, slamming doors, throwing objects). Internalization (stuffing feelings, seething, developing health problems, doing self-harm). Externalization (blaming others including intimate partners, bosses, co-workers, family, friends, the legal system).

I am here to help you reach your full potential. I meet you where you are at by listening and helping guide you through life's different journeys. I will assist by providing tools that help empower you to believe in yourself and build internal strength in order to manage what life brings.

I am licensed in clinical and developmental psychology and have been in practice since 1991. I enjoy doing individual psychotherapy with adults but also have a great deal of experience working with children, adolescents and their families. I view each person as an individual and work to help them develop to their full potential, whatever that may be. I tailor my approach to the needs of the person and work to develop a strong relationship based upon trust and respect.

Do you find yourself shut down or suppress your feelings? Do you struggle in relationships due to your trauma? Are you unsure of where you belong? I work with people of all identities to process unresolved feelings due to trauma. I strive to provide you a safe and non-judgmental space, in order for you to develop coping mechanisms for trauma symptoms (anxiety, depression, addiction, etc.) and to explore aspects of yourself. I can help you LET GO of past HURTS and develop tools to find RELIEF.

I'm particularly interested in providing psychoeducation, support and family psychotherapy with the parents, siblings, adult children and close family friends of adults who experience psychiatric and/or substance abuse symptoms. They have often neglected their own needs in the wake of the intense focus they have placed on their troubled loved ones, and they may be overwhelmed and confused by the symptoms, medications, diagnoses, systems of care and treatment options available. We can start with three to five sessions to review symptoms, medications, and the general understandings that the family has already gained.

I am a licensed psychotherapist and have worked in mental health and social services since 2011. I provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy that is individualized to each client and their specific needs, strengths, and goals. I am passionate about partnering with my clients to help them achieve their personal goals and reach their fullest potential. I have spent over ten years working with individuals, couples, and families, and have had experience working with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, life transitions, and trauma.

I believe each person who comes into therapy has unique experiences, knowledge, strengths, and needs. I believe in gaining and providing insight to draw from each of those areas in a way that allows clients to feel seen, heard, and validated in an authentic relationship. I know that time is valuable and I aim to share as much knowledge, insights, and coping strategies as possible to assist clients in their journey to feeling and living a better life. Taking the steps to seek therapy can be a challenge. It is my mission to create a safe space for clients to heal and grow, and encourage personal freedom.

You don't have to struggle with day-to-day life difficulties alone. Are you facing personal growth blocks, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, grief/ loss, life transitions, family challenges, health or injury problems, work stress, or other types of emotional pains? My clients are diverse and I take the time to get to know your unique needs and goals. My approach is warm, sincere, and direct. You can expect a safe space to express yourself, relief from overwhelming thoughts and emotions, learn tools and get the right support to aid in healing. We can work together to help you regain balance in your life and feel empowered.