Therapists in Oakland, CA

Having issues with anxiety, sleep, weight loss or addictions? I am a clinical hypnotherapist and can help with many issues. With the help of therapy, and hypnosis, many issues can be alleviated quickly.

I approach therapy as education - helping clients to better identify patterns associated with difficulties, develop skills to overcome these difficulties, and learn how to utilize these skills in their daily lives in order to live as optimally as possible. We focus both on addressing the issues that have been plaguing you as well as learning to live more fully and comfortably in each moment and activity you are engaged in. Learning powerful skills helps overcome specific problems, boost resilience against future problems, and more fully enjoy daily life. Therapy is individually tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle.

Are you feeling stuck or alone in your struggles? Are you dealing with anxiety, depression, or relationship problems? Are your past traumas getting in the way of healthy, emotionally connected relationships? You do not have to go through it alone. I can provide a safe space, collaborate with you to make sense of what is happening inside of you, and guide you towards healing and growth. Communicating more effectively, understanding and connecting with self and others on a more deeper level can help you feel more empowered and free to live life to the fullest.

It's never too late to understand yourself. If you can synchronize your heart and mind, you can harmonize your life. The therapeutic space I create is to help you learn about who you are as an individual and see your blind spots. Regardless if you're coming on your own or as a couple, the therapeutic work that we will be done is not just about solving problems. It’s primarily to help you figure out what's behind these issues and increase your self-worth along the way. Therapy is challenging, but can be fulfilling. The goal is to facilitate you in witnessing your life in the healthiest of ways as you become closer to your true self.

I am a clinical psychologist based in Walnut Creek, CA. My graduate and postgraduate training included most major approaches to psychotherapy. When I begin psychotherapy with someone, my intent is to work in partnership with you. My style is one of active collaboration. Only with both of us involved, sharing our thoughts and ideas, can a safe and effective working environment develop. Change isn't easy. If it was, you might not be thinking about therapy.

I have over 35 years experience as a clinical psychologist. I work primarily with individual adults but also have considerable experience working with children and adolescents. My focus is forming a trusting relationship in which together we work to improve your own sense of well being as well as connection to others. Above all I view our work as collaborative and mutually respectful. Clients have described me as highly empathetic, while helping them to achieve real life goals. I work with depression, anxiety, trauma, intimacy, health, and habit disorders including addictions.

My extensive work with trauma, grief, and loss has earned worldwide attention spanning across four decades. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and International Certified Life Coach, I work with individuals, families, and groups to transform mental and emotional challenges into experiences of thriving health and well-being. My early career defining work began in the 80’s alongside John Bradshaw and focused on addiction, recovery, and codependency. Together with a team of cutting-edge psychotherapists, I developed groundbreaking techniques for understanding trauma: when it starts, how it affects the brain, and how to heal.

I love working with women who want to move beyond trauma, anxiety, narcissistic abuse (parent/authoritarian only-not romantic) and I enjoy working with women who have children/adult children with exceptional needs. I believe that with effort, consistency and the right tools, people can not just survive but thrive. I am licensed in both California and Arizona. I am a international Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy therapist, having completed extensive training at Oxford University in England. I have been a therapist for over 35 years and I have trained in many, many modalities.

I have a deep desire to provide healing to those who are hurting, to give each individual the resources for positive change, and to help them gain insight and understanding into the world; resulting in a brighter tomorrow. I believe that you cannot change the past, but you can be strengthened by it. My favorite quotes is 'It's okay to look back into the past, just don't stare." The client-therapist relationship is of the utmost importance to me and my goal is to lead individuals on a personal journey of awareness while providing them with hope, empathy, and unconditional positive regard.

Helping to uncover the root cause of distress by addressing painful mental states such as avoidance, isolation, people-pleasing, low self-esteem, confusion, worry, stress, and anxiety while working together to come up with a customized plan to manage the situation to feel more in control and live a happier more fulfilling life. Our approach is direct, positive & uplifting using a customized therapeutic approach in a supportive and accepting manner. We believe that through education along with a focused therapeutic approach yields the most successful results and I am there every step of the way.

Life is complex at all ages, but we know that...right? Yet knowing this does not necessarily help or give us direction. In my work, I try to help guide people through this murky life, examine choices and explore options, personal history, and experience. I have a deep respect for my clients, for their wisdom and their struggles. I provide an encouraging and non-judgmental space to look at each unique concern and situation. I often explore the role of meaning and choice in our lives, and how both powerfully (but often invisibly) affect how we live our days.

Anyone who has ever experienced trauma cannot overlook the excruciating pain and fear it instills in the body and mind. Such pain, if left unattended may morph into depression, anxiety, chronic physical pain, and profound sense of loss and continuous grief. It can mask our identity and destroy our lifestyle. We turn out to be disoriented, stuck, and confined. Our lives become foreign to us. We find ourselves witnessing its broadcast, as opposed to fully experiencing it in the moment. Hence, we turn to our defenses in the form of compensatory behaviors, such as addiction and compulsions or lose the meaning of life.

You are struggling. Your life isn’t what you want it to be. We can help! We specialize in anxiety, depression, couples issues, addictions, sleep problems, concussion, ADD, and trauma. We are friendly and goal oriented. I have 25 years experience with adults, teens, and children. And, if you wish, we can also use Neurofeedback training. I taught Neurofeedback at San Francisco State University. This modality teaches you to change brainwave patterns that keep you from being your best. I’ve written three books, including a new one on enhancing brain function.

Briana is extremely compassionate, attuned, non-judgmental, and deeply cares about her clients. She is an advanced practitioner in CBT, DBT, and EMDR Phase I-III. She most recently worked as a psychotherapist at Mental Health America Los Angeles Wellness Center (MHALA) and was widely loved by her clients. Briana has worked with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, family crisis, and relationship conflicts.

I work with people who are struggling, and decide take the courageous step to ask for help. Many have a history of trauma and suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, parenting challenges, sleep issues, sexual difficulties, chronic pain, relationship problems, and other post-traumatic responses. Also, present-day situations in our personal or collective worlds can be objectively hard to bear. Our experiences leave traces psychologically and somatically, so I use evidence-based, body-oriented, mindfulness techniques to address limiting patterns so that you can live more authentically today's challenging world.