Expressive Arts Therapists in Adams Point, Oakland, CA

I use a warm, down-to-earth approach in my work with children, teens, adults and couples. I collaborate with clients to develop a whole view of challenges and strengths, which is informed by my wide breadth of clinical experience across the lifespan. I have expertise in working with infants and parents, developmental disabilities, trauma, and both anticipated and unexpected crises across all ages. I integrate these perspectives so that I can attune to your needs and provide responsive support. My hope is to help you water the seeds of your inner strengths, push through stuck situations, and live with more connectedness and vitality.

Therapy is a space you carve out with me to reconnect - with yourself, your goals, your life’s meaning, your passion, your creativity, your spiritual path. We all struggle with difficult things at times; they pull us away from who we want to be, or the path we intend to walk in life. I believe relationships are the most important healers we have in our lives – starting with your relationship with yourself! Extending to all your other important and beloved relationships - with family, friends, community, planet, and spirit. No matter where you are, your journey to self-empowerment and joy begins Right Here. I will be there with you.

I work with adults and youth navigating the oftentimes overwhelming and lonely experience of healing from complex relational trauma. Early trauma, whether from unmet needs or overt abuse, can warp our sense of self and imprison us in frozen fear, shame, or reactivity, impacting every aspect of our lives. Therapy can help us to find more freedom and connection - to all the lost and disowned parts of our psyches; to our amazingly resilient bodies, fiercely compassionate hearts and creative spirits; to other beings, community, and nature; to the present moment; to meaning and purpose; and to a felt sense of safety and possibility.

Are you looking to heal from trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, experiences with abuse and family violence? Or years of navigating systemic oppression? Are you motivated to develop into your most joyful and resilient self? Let me help you metabolize pain into triumph. I’ve been helping individuals, families and groups transcend trauma, abuse and grief for over 10 years in California and Hawai’i. I have a liberatory and integrative approach that is authentic, collaborative, warm, creative and joyful.

I believe every person and family is unique and there are many ways to raise a healthy child. I want to honor the strengths within you and your family and offer the tools and support to help your child and family thrive. Through a trauma-informed lens, I work extensively with youth, parents, and families on life transitions, healthy communication, and processing/ healing from grief or abuse.

I am a dedicated and passionate healer, Psychotherapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. I believe that we are all unique in our journeys and yet deeply connected in our collective human experience. I provide a safe, warm, compassionate space in which to share your unique story, deepen your relationship to self, others, and your community, identify and break down internal/external barriers and challenges, and have more meaningful and joyful experiences in your life.

Therapy provides such a rich opportunity for growth and learning, helping persons to recover from the aftermaths of trauma, abuse and loss, meet the hardships of their lives and thrive. In times like this, with so much anxiety about our collective welfare, it can be an invaluable lifeline. In response to the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, we are now offering teletherapy (therapy by phone and online by video) for all our clients, whether new or established. Also called telehealth or telebehavioral health, teletherapy can provide vital care and support to individuals, couples and families.

I strongly believe in the transformative power of personal storytelling. If you're navigating life transitions, grappling with anxiety, sadness, or feeling stuck, I'm here to offer support. Through Creative Arts Therapy and Mindfulness, I provide expressive, experiential avenues for change. My approach centers on fostering connections through self-expression and intuitive methods. By embracing a holistic and creative path to healing, I aim to help you rediscover the spark that fuels inspiration, adaptability, and stability in your life, relationships, and work.

The pace and complexity of life these days is making it harder and harder to connect to how we are really feeling, and to understand why we are feeling that way. It feels like, too often, we are urged to ignore or push away key parts of ourselves in order to be or do what seems to be required of us. In response to this, the therapy I provide is an opportunity to slow down, to get clear about what we each need in order to feel okay (or to even just remember the ways that we actually already are okay, in the midst of it all), and to move into steadier and healthier versions of ourselves.

The health of an individual informs and inspires the health of the community. Are you, or a loved one, experiencing anxiety, depression, chronic irritation, grief and loss, fear or stuck in a pattern that no longer serves you? I am a healer and psychotherapist with over 20 years experience serving adults, adolescents and families impacted by interpersonal, community and historical trauma. I am committed to fostering healthy communities and families by supporting individuals and couples to access healing that reveals wholeness. Regardless of the past, you can experience a sense ease and wellbeing.

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.

I specialize in trauma-informed therapy for anxiety, depression, relational issues, childhood and lifespan trauma, and more. I understand that sometimes psychotherapy is sought out in a very challenging time of life, and I am here to offer support through that. I have specialized experience working with creatives of all kinds, in being a singer myself. With experience focusing on young adults as well, I offer guidance for the process of individuation that occurs during these formative years. I enjoy working with clients of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, sexualities, and other intersectional identities.

I provide therapy for those experiencing a wide range of life challenges including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, trauma recovery, grief and loss, life transitions and relationship concerns. With my background in Technology and corporate work (over a decade) I am very conversant and knowledgeable of that world. I have extensive experience and expertise in working with Anxiety, relationship issues and highly sensitive people.

Are you finding yourself struggling to adapt to a change or transition in your life? You may be finding yourself overthinking, anxious, overwhelmed and/or feeling stuck. You may be having trouble sleeping, feeling sad, hopeless, insecure or tired of that negative voice in your head that seems to hold you back. You want to feel more confident, calm, clear and positive about the future. You want things to be different, get on a new path, but you aren't sure how to get there.

Whether you are going through some difficult life transitions, are bogged down by stress, feelings of loneliness, are in a process of recovery and/or have experienced significant trauma, my therapy approach will support you in unpacking difficult emotions and restore a deeper connection to yourself, others and the world. I specialize in helping teens and their parents find hope and connection, as well as individuals of any age, who’ve struggled with self harm or any other maladaptive coping skill.

I have always been curious about what causes suffering, how we find meaning, and how we can heal and grow. I specialize in working with clients seeking assistance with negative self-talk, anxiety, relationship issues, post-traumatic stress, and navigating the complexities of breakups. Additionally, I work with couples on issues such as high conflict, communication, separation, and divorce. I offer a compassionate space to heal, reflect, grow, and rebuild.

I am a licensed clinician with over 15 years experience and an extensive background in trauma, childhood abuse, substance abuse and co-occurring disorders along with codependency and relational/attachment issues. Together we will work to develop healthy coping skills and healing that allow you to navigate life's challenges. In this healing space, we can address your anxiety, depression, fears, anger, grief and underlying trauma in a safe, caring and non-judgmental environment, meeting you where you are in your journey. Let's work together to find a solution that works best for you.

It’s girl dinner again tonight. Glass of AIX in hand, you can finally start to feel your shoulders relax. Luke’s makes it so easy: Humboldt fog + rustic bakery crackers + Castelvetrano olives. You deserve it after all: first comforting your boss who was triggered after annual review and then your sister when she called you sobbing because her ex just reactivated his tinder profile–you know exactly how to support everyone else. So, it doesn’t make sense that you were on the verge of a panic attack (again) today, but look at how well you’re handling it.

Feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck? Feel unseen or undervalued? Going through a big transition or feel like you need something to change? Let's unpack this together. We'll delve into what's holding you back, challenge societal expectations, and rewrite your story authentically. In sessions, I offer autonomy and acceptance, creating a safe space for deep exploration. My aim is to walk beside you as you discover yourself, heal, and flourish. It's time to find balance and joy in your life.