I strongly believe in an individual's ability to change and improve the quality of his or her life. I view my role as a catalyst for transformation, and work to create a safe collaborative environment of mutual trust, where any issue can be discussed and explored in depth: www.drsophiesoltani.com

I strive to create a space where you can be yourself without fear of judgment. I have a compassionate and attentive style, and I often use humor. I engage the mind, body, heart and spirit and I am interested in Western psychological thought as well as Eastern spirituality and wisdom traditions. Although I have been primarily trained in a psychodynamic approach, I have also received training in mindfulness-based, humanistic, and transpersonal modalities. I also have training in cognitive behavioral therapy, and I value a sense of empowerment and choice this therapy can provide in our day to day.

I am not your run of the mill therapist. Oh sure, I listen well and am very compassionate and calm. But I just don't sit there and ask you how you feel. I do care about your feelings but I am more curious about your experience and how we can increase your awareness so that you can make helpful and inspired choices. As you can imagine I help people deal with any issue you can possibly think of- from depression to life transitions to the loss of a loved one or trauma.

Awarded Oakland Magazine's "Best Therapist" 2020, my specialties include: relationship issues (such as conflict resolution, dating, pre-marital counseling, divorce, blended families and infidelity); grief and loss; addiction, recovery and codependence; anxiety and depression. My approach is both warm and direct-- my clients experience me as accepting and empathic, while also feeling challenged the right amount to grow and change. I am an integrative therapist, meaning I integrate more than one way/theory/model to view and treat psychological and/or relational concerns. See my website for education, experience and credentials.

I provide a safe place to address what's not working for you in your life. We will explore your life journey while bringing issues to light, encourage better life choices to be made in the present. I've worked with a spectrum of issues that leads someone to seek psychotherapy. We will recognize how you came to behaviors that may impact your ability to function and discover what will work better for you to live more comfortably. By creating a healing relationship within therapy we can work together to shed light on issues, developing your motivation to make adjustments.

I work collaboratively with adults and families across the lifespan, co-creating a therapeutic relationship that helps clients recognize behavior and thinking that no longer works for them and discover new options for living. Using a relational, non-judgmental and compassionate approach, I help people navigate difficult life transitions, work through grief and loss and adjust to living with physical or mental illnesses, including addictions.

Most people come into therapy in the midst of a crisis. Usually they have been sitting on their feelings and anxieties for weeks before they bite the bullet and seek help. They come into my office in a sort of terror, and their immediate goal is to make the pain stop as quickly as possible. I am much more interested in getting to know your pain than in getting rid of it. I want to know where the pain stems from, how you suppress it, why it scares you and from whom you hide it. That way we aren't "fixing" your pain in this moment, but we are preparing for the next time life inevitably throws a version of that pain at you.

Tired of feeling hurt in your relationships? Wow, things can get confusing and overwhelming so quickly! It is my job and my pleasure to help turn the tensions and pain you're experiencing into opportunities for growth and expansion. If you are ready to make changes and open to new possibilities, now is the time. I work with couples and individuals. We will find the nourishment within the pain while not losing track of what feels good...laughter is not uncommon in my office. If you are a man interested in working in a group, check out IRL Men below.

Maybe you are pursuing something that is important to you--a relationship, family, degree, a career... Yet you find yourself overwhelmed, depressed, angry, or unable to move forward. Maybe you act differently in an effort to meet someone else’s expectations, win the approval of others, avoid being picked on, or just to fit in. This act of contorting one’s self can be taxing, and you might wonder who you actually are these days. Sometimes remnants we carry from our past can impact the building meaningful relationships with others. This can interrupt the pursuit of important life goals and stifle us from becoming our truest selves.

I work best with clients who are looking for a safe and caring therapy relationship in order to pursue goals that have previously seemed too difficult to achieve alone. These goals typically range from wanting to experience life more fully, including a fuller range of emotions, to having more rewarding relationships and more fulfilling work lives. I have been practicing psychotherapy for 33 years, have been teaching it for almost as long, and feel comfortable assisting with a very wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, parenting challenges and other relationship and family conflicts.

To schedule your first visit with me, please use this online scheduling link - (https://portal.geneticforesight.com/book) --- I believe that each person has a unique purpose. Life presents with situations where depression, addiction, anxiety, eating too much, eating too little, low self-esteem, and no self-identity can distract a person from finding this unique purpose. I like to explore a variety of issues that keep you from experiencing your purpose in life and help you find your meaning and make sense of that meaning.

I am a clinical psychologist who provides individual and family therapy for youth and adults, and parenting support. I have experience with mood disorders (depression, anxiety), trauma, managing learning challenges, adoption, grief, and loss. My approach varies, drawing from one’s strengths in helping address their unique struggles. I integrate socioeconomic, cultural, gender, and sexual identity issues into therapeutic work. One of my specialities is reflecting on one’s challenges in the context of intergenerational trauma. A person’s family history can shape our relationships with others in both resilient and challenging ways.

What if 2021 is the year you create a lasting foundation of well-being? Are you wondering how to stop feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by the “new normal?” Maybe you’re feeling worried, lonely, tired, depressed, or burnt-out. The uncertainty of the pandemic can magnify doubts and fears lying just beneath the surface while creating new challenges at the same time. It’s a lot to handle and may leave you feeling ill-equipped. But you are more resilient than you know. Working with me, you’ll find courage to face what now seems impossible.

I have tremendous respect for individuals who desire to face what is not working personally, professionally, socially, or in finding meaning and purpose in the universe. Whether you are struggling with emotional-mental stress and confusion, relationship, work, or family issues, or anxiety, depression, trauma, or addiction, I offer a trustworthy place to create a better life. I will collaborate with you during the process of psychotherapy to help you overcome your emotional and mental difficulties, discover your true self, and gain the freedom to live in alignment with your deepest values, beliefs, and desires.

Do you know what you want? Do you want to be free? Happy? Relaxed in your body? Content? Passionate and sexy? Courageous in the face of fear? More connected to your partner or to the Divine? How do you get in the way of living the life you want? Do you constantly judge yourself? Noticing all the ways you "fail" to live up to way you "should" be. Or do you tend to direct that criticism outwards? Blaming others, feeling envy, or always waiting for external circumstances to line up just right so you can finally live how you want.

As a therapist I believe each person has the capability and potential of living outside the bounds of fear, anxiety, apathy, and/or depression if they so desire. I see my role as both collaborator and guide, bearing witness to my client's stories and helping grow insight so new, more empowering stories might be written. I do this using several techniques including changing maladaptive, deeply ingrained thinking/feeling/behavior patterns, and exploring challenging childhood, family, and relationship history. I have experience treating issues of anxiety, depression, destructive relationship patterns, and clients with painful spiritual experiences they want assistance healing.

When it's an uphill battle to manage anxiety, low self-worth or impulsive self-sabotaging habits, it’s probably time to get some help. Life doesn't need to feel so hard. I facilitate the wisdom and drive to heal already inside you. It's normal to feel transformation may be out of reach. But I have helped many people thrive. Impulses, emotional overwhelm and habits often get "updated." It's common to feel more ease, self-accepting and empowered to make key changes. I excel at supporting and guiding my clients along their path. Many indicate they feel refreshed, transformed and nourished. Feel free to call. I'd love to tell you more.

My role as a psychotherapist is to help clients acknowledge and harness their innate strengths, to attain and sustain the well-being they are searching for. I am passionate about gently questioning unspoken norms and expectations, whether learned from family or society, that can limit our ability to connect with our most authentic selves. I empower clients to take supported risks, guiding the therapy with empathy, honesty, humor, and a belief in the transformative power of relationships.

Are you ready to make changes? Are you feeling stuck? Does it feel like the same story in your mind? I am here to help you create a different chapter. I utilize evidence based approached grounded in attachment/relational based therapy to help you transform the beliefs you may have about yourself and develop tools that help address your situation. I am an attachment focused EMDR therapist. I am authentic, provide feedback, and consider myself an active component in your process. I also treat substance use issues as well.