Therapists in Berkeley, CA

I work with individuals and couples facing significant life choices and transitions in areas such as relationships, marriage, divorce, parenthood, career, and identity. I also have a sub-specialization in work with survivors of trauma. I am experienced in working with clients from a wide range of cultural and geographic backgrounds. In our sessions I provide clients a place to find support, acceptance, perspective and hope, to explore themselves and their lives in depth, and to develop more effective ways of relating to themselves and others.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and work with individuals, families, couples and children. I particularly enjoy working with people who are navigating difficult interpersonal relationships (with family members, partners, spouses, etc.) or are in the midst of healing from heartbreak, grief or loss. I also have extensive personal and professional experience with chronic pain/illness and have deep regard for the experiencers and caregivers dealing with the challenges that accompany. I also love working with clients who are looking to decrease symptoms of anxiety or panic that are interfering with their quality of life.

Welcome! I'm Terra and I am a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. I work with adults who are experiencing anxiety, negative self-talk, perfectionism, burn-out, and those who wish to explore how their early childhood experiences are showing up in their lives today. I also enjoy working with parents and mothers, as well as couples looking to reconnect and strengthen their relationships.

Feeling disconnected and alone? Stuck in a loop of unhappiness? Maybe you aren’t sure how you got here or maybe you know exactly what the issue is, but you don’t know how to get past it. You can see the vision of the life you want so clearly, but it’s like you are wading through mud, struggling to even make it an inch forward towards that vision. And in the meantime, the gap between where you are and where you want to be is so painful.

If you find yourself struggling in life to feel whole, happy, at ease with yourself and being in the world, or feel frustrated with a lack of intimacy in your relationships, I can help you. It is important when searching for a therapist that you feel an honest connection. I give a free 30-minute consultation to help you decide if working with me is a match. I have trained in trauma recovery, somatic work, psychodynamic, cognitive, mindfulness, bioenergetic analysis. My focus has been working with individuals around healing from PTSD, anxiety, eating disorders, bi-polar, and marital relationship issues.

When psychological suffering feels unbearable, seeking a therapist to help you find your way is a great act of courage. Psychotherapy is an active collaboration in which we tend to your inner life, bringing care and curiosity to the deepest parts of you. Profound change is possible in a therapeutic relationship based on trust. From your most disturbing and shame inducing symptoms to your greatest strengths--every part of you belongs here. I have been successful in treating individuals/couples with: anxiety, depression, self-esteem, trauma, relationship troubles, sex, cultural identity issues, perinatal mood disorders, problem drinking, infidelity and grief.

Whether you are depressed, anxious, confused, or wanting better communication between you and your partner, family, friends or self, I can help you get to know yourself and what is driving your thoughts and feelings. This self wisdom leads to greater choice in your relationships. You can only change you, but changing you leads to changes in the world around you, including the people in your life. I would love to help you listen to and trust your inner guidance in making choices that support you.

Life transitions, such as childbirth, parenting, divorce, and stepfamilies can be challenging. I have 30 years experience applying an integrative approach based on family systems research, psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, and hypnosis. I am a pioneer in perinatal psychology. www.Petersonchildbirthmethod.com describes my work with women and their partners preparing for birth and motherhood for the first time, or after previous loss or birth trauma. I also treat individuals for depression and anxiety and am skilled as a life coach.

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in anxiety, depression, and trauma work. It’s my passion working with people with the number of challenges they can face to help them learn how to manage their feelings and develop ways to better cope with life. My approach to therapy is personable and genuine. I find that my style is particularly beneficial to those looking for a safe space free of judgement while getting honest engagement. I’m expressive, use humor, and genuinely enjoy getting to be a therapist.

I am a Berkeley clinical psychologist who has been in practice for forty two years. I see children, adolescents, adults, couples/families who are seeking help for relationship problems, depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, losses and life transitions. I am known for my excellent dedicated patient care, warmth, trustworthiness, problem solving and good sound advice. I provide a supportive environment to enhance healing and change. I enjoy working with business leaders and helping employees with work related difficulties.

My work as a therapist is grounded in trauma-informed, feminist, and attachment based principles that highlight the importance of safe and trusting relationships. I am here to provide attuned feedback and guidance as you navigate sex and love, anxiety, grief and loss, the ongoing effects of childhood trauma, unlearning codependency and strengthening or softening boundaries. My goal is to help you develop tools for self-awareness, resiliency and intimacy building, and conflict resolution. I believe deeply in the power of healing work, and the great courage it takes to turn inward, to turn toward pain, and to face and love ourselves.

I specialize in working with those who identify as women, using somatic methods that increase awareness of the body in the present moment. These methods allow past experiences that remain "stuck," within us to be contacted in the present and internal states can begin to shift. "Stories," or habitual patterns, that keep us from experiencing optimal well-being are interrupted and replaced with new possibilities. Somatic methods are effective in addressing a variety of treatment needs such as trauma, anxiety, depression as well as challenges with children and in families.

I am a trauma-informed, emotionally focused therapist working with couples, families, and individuals. I specialize in improving relationships with others and most importantly, the relationship we have with ourselves. I want to help couples and families reduce conflict, increase connection, and learn new ways to communicate. My goal is to help my clients repair wounds from the past, step out of old patterns, and improve emotional intelligence. I strive to create a safe and judgment-free space where my clients feel heard and seen.

Regardless of our histories, healing is possible. I know because I have experienced it myself & have accompanied people in untenable conditions deepen their awareness & access what they need to heal. I provide therapy for people who want to transform limiting beliefs & patterns, heal attachment trauma and abuse, navigate relationships & complex families, & take accountability for past harm. I support people to feel compassion for all parts of themselves & live with more resilience and joy. My clients are queer & transgender people, social justice organizers, survivors, people impacted by the legal system, addiction, and/or violence.

Entering psychotherapy is an important and courageous decision. I view therapy primarily as an opportunity for a human encounter, and believe that through the therapeutic work you can grow, heal and develop healthier and more adaptive ways to deal with ongoing and new challenges. Our work will be based on your unique needs and the difficulties you are facing. I have an empathic, collaborative and direct approach to therapy that will allow you to see improvements. I am dedicated to assisting you in overcoming difficulties in your life, and will work with you to identify goals you wish to achieve.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training conducting psychological assessments of children and adults, identifying and tailoring therapeutic goals to each individual in order to provide compassionate and effective psychotherapy and psychological consultation. I earned my doctorate at UC Berkeley and completed my clinical training, working with children and adults, at the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, UCSF Medical Center and UC Davis Medical Center.

My commitment is to the practice of working with individuals to heal their whole system through a multidisciplinary and personalized approach by touching many aspects of one's life, including somatic, emotional, spiritual, and historical imprints. I believe that healing is an integral and whole experience unique to each individual's ecology. I am committed to exploring what makes us feel healthy, happy, and whole. I believe that we are intrinsically powerful beings with the capability to have radical healing experiences, enhance our lives with joy, to release trauma that affects us in our lifetime.

I believe people are inherently oriented to heal and grow. Sometimes on the healing journey we need support to navigate difficult transitions, especially if old traumas are clouding our current vision. My role as a psychologist is to accompany you on your personal path. I welcome people with all types of concerns. I am especially experienced in treating people struggling with trauma, eating and body image issues, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, life transitions, relationship and parenting issues.

I believe in taking a developmental approach to understanding the root causes of your difficulties (understanding patterns over time) and then addressing the problem within the given context of your life. I facilitate a deep inquiry into what has blocked the healing process and help people to recognize how to create the life they desire. I believe in the innate resilience of all people to heal if given the space and time. All of my training and clinical experience inform my work and allow me to use an integrative style that is adapted to the individual needs of each client.