Therapists in Oakland, CA

I am truly passionate about my work and believe it is important to find the right match. My goal is to meet everyone where they are at in their readiness and insights, and I work with a wide range of clients from various backgrounds. I have over a decade of experience in working with others, and will bring a comprehensive and eclectic approach to our time together.

Thank you for visiting my page. My therapeutic style provides a warm, nonjudgmental, environment that meets clients where they are at. As we work together clients are able to examine their goals, problem solve, increase positive coping skills and improve their lives. I specialize in working with anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse. I have a great deal of experience with clients who have lived through loss and/or trauma.

Are you overwhelmed with negative thoughts, feeling depressed or anxious? No matter how hard you try, your life is still a struggle? I can help. When we are very young, we adapt to our environments to get our needs met for love and safety. And we continue to use those adaptions unconsciously as adults. I can help you understand your symptoms and help you change so that you may be more " in the moment" and experience more peace and joy. I teach Mindfulness, use Internal Family Systems Approach (IFS), EMDR and Hypnotherapy, and the Polyvagal theory.

I am passionate about working with those who struggle with relationships and boundary setting, and clients who struggle with balancing differing sets of expectations due to cultural, physical, or mental factors. I also work with couples from differing backgrounds to deepen mutual understanding and couples struggling through a difficult phase in their relationship looking to increase communication and understanding. I work well with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, immigrant and first and second generation individuals and families, mixed race or multicultural individuals, and those who are struggling with chronic illness.

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.

Taking the necessary steps towards mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being is not an easy task, and does not have to be done alone. My commitment is assisting and supporting you in finding the unique tool you need to move towards long term healing. My focus is on mind, body and spirit as we work together. I respect the unique and intricate experiences and identities you bring into the therapeutic relationship.

Are you struggling with anxiety and trauma and turning towards unhealthy coping mechanisms in an attempt to manage your emotions? Now is a trying time for almost everyone, and if you have a trauma background what's coming up in the current environment may be reminiscent of the stress, isolation, and fear induced by early childhood experiences. You don't have to handle this alone, and with clinically tested techniques to regulate the mind and body, it's possible to shift from a place of disempowerment to strength.

I utilize a client centered approach in working with adolescents and adults who struggle with anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, and life transitions. In a safe, supportive, and non judgemental space we can explore the negative patterns in your life, work through any barriers, and move towards healing, growth, and change.

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.

Therapy with me will have you leaving my office with tangible ways, for you or you and your loved ones, to facilitate changes in what you want in your life from the very first session. I will challenge you hard but with compassion. I enjoy helping people develop an enthusiasm for the process of self-discovery and healing. I make authentic contact with people help them cultivate a taste for their own Truths while making space to grieve the loss of old ways or relating to people and the world around them. I see starting therapy is a sign of intelligence.

What is it you're trying to shift or change? What do you want more or less of? I start wherever you're at. It's a simple as that, while striving to do that in a profound way. My aim is to help you help yourself. The combined practices of psychotherapy & life coaching have allowed me to dive deeper with people to help them become their best selves. When I'm not doing therapy, I'm making music, hiking, surfing, or reading something thought-provoking. I may even recommend books, movies, etc. to help you dive even deeper and get the most out of our time together. Are you ready to work through your past and move forward in your life?

I practice a variety of different therapeutic styles designed to best address your own particular needs. Genuineness, empathy, and warmth serve as foundational elements of my way of relating. I place emphasis on facilitating an environment where you can feel safe to investigate life experiences in greater depth, identify and question deeply held beliefs that have been influencing your life, connect to and express emotions and bodily sensations as they arise in the context of our discovery process, and ultimately move towards developing a greater sense of strength, wholeness, and openness within yourself as you move forward.

I am a psychotherapist in private practice in the East Bay since 1996. I offer a non-judgmental therapeutic relationship where individuals, couples or families can find self acceptance, safety, access insight and intuition, and cultivate an attitude of kindness toward the self and others. Recovery from trauma, working on communication and relationships, overcoming addiction, spiritual self-development and healing, and coping with depression/stress from major life transitions are common themes. I have taught and supervised therapists in training at various local agencies. I also have a background in holistic and shamanic healing.

I believe that as human beings, we are hard-wired with the need to get our emotional experience into the mind of a trusted other. My work as a psychotherapist is to find emotional resonance with my clients' life experiences, deriving both from their family of origin and from present-day situations and relationships. Whether a client is depressed, anxious, struggling with relationship problems, trying to overcome traumatic experiences, or trying to find their own unique, personal voice in a complex world, talking in psychotherapy can help to expand your capacity for growth and happiness.

Therapy is a highly transformative and fascinating process. It has the power to heal, enliven, and repair. I enthusiastically invite you to begin this process with me. My warm, engaging, curious, and playful approach can help you feel like your personal experience and unique point of view is consistently appreciated. From this place, you may begin to feel more empowered and liberated in your life. I am a doctor with over 20 years of professional experience treating adults, couples, and adolescents.

As a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist, I work with a variety of issues ranging from depression, sadness and anxiety to more severe issues such as schizophrenia and personality disorders. I work best with those clients who are interested in making lasting changes in their inner lives and circumstances. In my practice, I provide you with a place to speak freely, so that through this singular experience of speaking you can articulate your desire and assume responsibility for your life.

Finding a therapist that you connect with can be a daunting task. Making connections is one of my strengths. I have the utmost respect for each person seeking therapy and for the therapeutic process itself. Whether you are struggling, going through a transition, or looking to better understand your inner world our work can help you achieve new levels of awareness. My style is warm and non-judgmental. We can work together to uncover and understand how your unique individual life experiences shape how you feel and live. Together we can strive to make meaning, increase awareness, and minimize suffering.

Damaged relationships with the world and our families can affect us deeply throughout our lives leaving us feeling isolated, uncomfortable in our bodies and generally unsafe. Our energy begins to decline along with our enthusiasm for life. Its confusing. We quietly stonewall everything and everyone while wishing for the right partner, right career and right friends. Feelings of insecurity, loneliness or shame can spiral into deep bouts of depression, acting out, despair and suicide. Prioritizing the needs of everyone else can lead to unhealthy behaviors and choices supplanting authenticity and joy, while swapping virtual reality for real relationships and happiness.

WELCOME to Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Our members provide mental health services including therapist referrals, education, and consultation. We offer a wide range of specializations, allowing us to serve as a unique resource both the LGBTQ communities and to other service providers. Explore our site to find a therapist, learn more about us, or become a valued member.