Therapists in Pleasanton, CA

I am a licensed psychotherapist who has been in the field of psychotherapy for 30+ years. My private practice is a mixture of adults, young adults, youth, families and children. My style is strength- based and empathetic. I believe in therapy and the healing power of the therapeutic relationship. I walk beside you helping to find your best self and create the life you want.

I believe anxiety and stress are at the core of our feelings of disconnection and discontentment. I'm passionate about helping people find relief and freedom from anxiety toward more fulfilled and healthy lives. I use a variety of approaches including mindfulness, coping skills building, distress tolerance skills building, perspective taking, and good old fashioned humor. I'm straight forward and committed to helping you find what works for you. **To learn more about me, please visit my website by clicking the link below.**

In life we try to balance the responsibilities of work, school and day-to day life so we can enjoy our time with our family and friends. However when we struggle with issues related to trauma, grief, addiction, anxiety, depression, or major life changes it becomes harder to find the enjoyment in life. I've been working with youth, young adults and their families for 10 years. My goal is to help you figure out how to meet the demands of day-to-day life while also seeking the opportunities to enjoy life as well.

Life's pressure cooker keeps cooking, and the stew is a blend of fatigue, uncertainty, & quiet sadness. You may want to talk about this and more but don't know to whom or what to say. I’m Angela, and I’m compassionately curious how your lived experience has shaped you and what you're up against. Consider me an emotional escort lending support + care in the form of warm conversations, intentional questions, + encouragement to stretch as you make your way through this exigent time. The therapy relationship can be a powerfully healing, transformative tool when you feel safe, heard + valued. Sessions are tailored to your unique needs.

In the thirtyplus years I have been in practice I have learned a great deal from my clients. This in turn has inspired me to enrich and expand my scope of focus, and to strive for authenticity, thus creating a true therapeutic bond. I feel competent in treating numerous disorders, and am commited to helping my clients improve their coping skills and altering their mindset. Therein lies my primary theoretical approach of cognitive behavioral therapy.

I want to help you build the relationship of your dreams? We can do this together by helping you achieve your potential and develop the quality relationships that you long for. With tweens and teens we explore who you are, who you want to become and improve difficult parent or peer relationships. Couples therapy is designed for those who desire more partnership and intimacy with less conflict. Individual therapy emphasizes healing from the past, understanding yourself and learning the skills needed to prepare you to create the satisfying and long lasting friendships and romantic relationships you desire.

I utilize a holistic and integrative approach that offers a safe, supportive setting, using dream analysis, mindfulness, art therapy, journaling, meditation and other creative ways leading to an authentic and more rewarding life. From my studies under Rev. Kawakami, deputy head priest of Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto in Mindfulness and Zen Meditation, I have developed this therapeutic approach that treats, balances, and nourishes the mind, body, emotions, and soul. I use a variety of therapeutic perspectives and techniques including Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Jungian, and Mindfulness-based interventions.

As a warm and engaging therapist filled with wonder and vitality, I help transform struggles into enlightened and empowered change. With over 38 years in: private practice; residential, dual diagnosis, head trauma treatment programs; agencies (WEAVE, Families First, Yolo Community Care Continuum, NeuroCare, UCDMC Psychiatry Department, Asian Pacific Community Counseling); schools (Associate Professor-Professional School of Psychology in Sacramento). I currently serve as Trauma Response/CISM clinician, Corporate Wellness Presenter, Apple Wellness Center, Mental Tuffness Sports, Board Member of CAMFT-Sacramento Valley Chapter.

I am a strength-based Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist—one who believes we each have the inner resources we need to be successful and happy in our lives. During our life journeys, many of us may need assistance with finding and/or highlighting our inner strengths so we can breakthrough our struggles, whether they be past traumas, family patterns/dynamics, relationship/attachment issues or a simple and current need for change. My hope is to help my clients build on their strengths, pinpoint their patterns, rewrite their stories, and find their way back to the positive aspects of life they deserve to experience.

I'm thrilled you are here. Therapy is a journey of getting to know your real self. Difficult at times, therapy is worth it! I am a client centered, strength-based therapist. I want to collaborate with you within your own value system and worldview, help you uncover what's truly important to you, and live your life in a way that's aligned with your true self. Together we will highlight your strengths and resources. I especially love to work with clients who are new to therapy. For those who benefit from homework, I have a treasure trove of take home resources to help you stay in-tune between sessions.

Accepting new clients: Working toward change isn't always easy. Sometimes what needs to change isn't always obvious. If you're feeling stuck, alone, empty, struggling with change, dealing with overwhelming stressors, addictive behaviors OR if you're in a relationship with high conflict and stress and want to get along better, let's explore tools that will put you on a path toward clarity and a life worth living.

On the outside, you make success look easy, though it comes at a cost. You hide parts of yourself, which leaves you wrestling with overwhelm, anxiety, and self-esteem. You may even feel an internal game of tug of war. My goal is to help alleviate the struggles and difficulties you've been carrying alone by providing a caring and welcoming space. Together, we will look at various parts of yourself and find what's not working, so new patterns can emerge by deepening insight and finding pragmatic solutions. I enjoy helping clients improve communication, understand emotions, and create a healthy relationship with themselves and others.

Reaching out for help is typically not easy to do. It takes courage and bravery to acknowledge your struggles and step outside of the familiar. My overall approach is based on my respect for your bravery in reaching out for help. I provide a respectful, caring, and warm environment that supports a sense of safety. I believe that a key building block of change and healing in therapy is the relationship between the client and the therapist. Developing and nurturing this relationship can support healing, regardless of the presenting problems or concerns.

Are you in search of someone that is able to culturally-empathize, and have the capacity to meet you where you are in life? Often times we are unsure on next steps to take when dealing with life stressors. My core belief is that everyone possesses the resiliency needed to overcome such barriers. Face it we get in our own way sometimes! Individual therapy can help you face some of those conflicts head on. Whether it be professional, or personal struggles, it is my hope to assist you with identifying what's been holding you back. " Nothing you been through shall be wasted" T.J. Jakes

Jhoana Sarabia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California. Whether a client is facing anxiety, depression, experiencing grief and loss, or has substance abuse issues, Jhoana offers a judgement free environment for people of all ages, genders, cultures, and social backgrounds to explore their concerns. She specializes in helping members of the Latinx community, and has extensive cultural and linguistic knowledge.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist, registered with the California Board of Psychology. I have been a therapist in the Bay Area for over 5 years. My goal in therapy is to provide space for clients to better understand themselves and the different dynamics that have created specific patterns of relationships, behaviors, and anxieties. I approach therapy and each client from a psychodynamic and humanistic framework. As a clinical psychologist, I have experience working with trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, family and relationship issues, obsessive compulsive disorders, and serious mental illness.

The therapeutic relationship is the biggest indicator of successful outcomes in therapy. I'm glad you are here in search of the right therapist for you. I work from a trauma-informed psychodynamic perspective. I focus on the nature and quality of the relationships in your life, past and present, to identify strengths, pain points, patterns, and connections. When appropriate, I utilize principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to assist you in moving toward your goals.

I work with individuals and couples in a variety of different areas, some of them include loss, anxiety, depression, and trauma. People often come in to work on a specific issue while others come in because something feels wrong, or because they want to gain a deeper understanding of themselves. My work with couples involves helping them work through areas in their relationship where they are struggling or feeling at a loss and we work together to help them gain new and lasting relational skills, often with a focus on communication.