Therapists in Oakland, CA

BAPTA is the only practice in the Bay Area dedicated exclusively to providing psychological and neuropsychological assessment. We offer a free initial consultation. BAPTA's psychologists work with a wide variety of clients, including children, adults and elders. Through the administration of state of the art psychological and neuropsychological tests we are able to evaluate for learning disabilities, information processing disorders, developmental disorders (such as Autism and Aspergers) and other types of cognitive dysfunction. Because psychodiagnostic testing is able to provide accurate diagnostics, it can assist treatment providers by offering recommendations for intervention that have a high likelihood of success.

If previous attempts at stopping substance use have failed or if you want to learn to manage your use rather than abstain, call us for a free phone consultation. We approach addiction as a biopsychosocial phenomenon and can help you understand the biological, emotional, and behavioral factors of your drug use using evidence-based interventions. Our therapeutic style is compassionate and non-judgmental but we will also be direct and challenge you to deeply examine your choices. We strive to create a safe, confidential environment where you feel comfortable exploring your choices.

I am a therapist who believes that healing is done within the context of relationship. This includes an individual’s relationship to their body, their environment, and interpersonally. I seek to help empower my clients in order for them to gain confidence in their own capacity to be successful. I hope to offer individuals an opportunity to enrich and find deep meaning in their lives

I offer psychotherapy, personality testing with feedback, and individual treatment of addictions. My approach to therapy is flexible but especially inspired by psychodynamic, Jungian and existential thought. Collaborative assessment means that together you and I would look at the results of tests and interviews to help answer questions you have about yourself, to get to know you more quickly and to focus the therapy. This kind of assessment can be a brief therapeutic intervention in itself. I also have a specialization in working with addictions, with motivational interviewing.

Therapy should not and cannot be "one size fits all." It should be rooted in a consistent, deep effort to understand who you are and what you need, in relation to the resources you have near you. Therapy should also be practical and offer some fairly immediate results, even though bigger change takes time. It's ultimately about collaboration, and the formation of a helpful relationship. Although I have 25 years of clinical experience to bring to our work, it is more important that you feel we have a good match as we enter this work together. I trust that after we talk, you'll know whether it seems like the right match.

Psychotherapy is a uniquely effective way to address and process deeply rooted issues that manifest in ways that are painful, confusing, and make people feel out of control. I work with children, adolescents, and adults in individual therapy, using a collaborative approach that centers on empathy, understanding, and exploration. My orientation is predominantly psychodynamic, and I tailor my approach to each individual to address unique circumstances and complexities. I strive to create a safe, warm, and validating environment that enables people to share and be vulnerable without fear of judgment.

Dr. Anna Blanken (she/her) is a licensed psychologist in California providing telemental health. Dr. Blanken received her graduate degree at the University of Southern California with an emphasis in neuropsychology. She received her advanced psychology training on internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, where she is currently a staff member. While she has specialty training in geropsychology, she is also well experienced in treatment of all adults for a range of mental health concerns.

We provide neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy for adults. Common concerns for our clients include: Autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, post-concussion syndrome, TBI, aging, and cognition. Specialty areas of competency include: neuropsychological assessment, gender diversity, gender affirming evaluations for medical care, veterans, and longstanding medical care.

I'm Dr. Dean Leav, licensed psychologist and qualified medical evaluator (QME). I've been featured on ABC, NBC, KCAL, and other programs as an expert psychologist. I provide Evaluation Services, including (and not limited to): diagnostics (ADHD, Autism, Learning Dis.), cognitive/neuropsychological evaluations, workers' compensation (QME/AME), immigration-related evaluations, pre-adoption psychological evaluations, parenting/bonding assessments, drug & alcohol evaluations, pre-employment evaluations, and legal/forensics/criminal evaluations. These evaluations may be used to meet eligibility for certain services or accommodations.

People are often hesitant to try therapy because they feel it won't work or believe they should be able to handle difficult things on their own. If you're willing to try personal trainers, babysitters, house cleaners, and other services to better your life, doesn't your emotional happiness or the happiness of your family deserve the same focus? I believe that it absolutely does.

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.

At Ability Psychological Services, we are dedicated to providing compassionate and professional psychological evaluation services. With expertise in neurodevelopmental and psychological evaluations, our team is committed to helping individuals and families achieve optimal well-being. Our approach is rooted in evidence-based and culturally comprehensive practices, ensuring our clients' highest quality of care.

While all people experience challenges throughout life, we each suffer in different ways and, as a result, develop a unique style of dealing with stress. During difficult times, ways of coping that once worked often lose their effectiveness. Even after identifying a problem or unhealthy pattern, it may be difficult to resolve the issue without the necessary support. Therapy often involves an increased curiosity toward one's emotional experience, and over time, awareness of how feelings relate to behavior. This allows for a deeper understanding of who we are and can help us approach problems and conflicts in healthier ways.

I'm Dr. Dean Leav, licensed psychologist and qualified medical evaluator (QME). I've been featured on ABC, NBC, KCAL, and other programs as an expert psychologist. I provide Evaluation Services, including (and not limited to): diagnostics (ADHD, Autism, Learning Dis.), cognitive/neuropsychological evaluations, workers' compensation (QME/AME), immigration-related evaluations, pre-adoption psychological evaluations, parenting/bonding assessments, drug & alcohol evaluations, pre-employment evaluations, and legal/forensics/criminal evaluations. These evaluations may be used to meet eligibility for certain services or accommodations.

In session, I will provide you with a safe and supportive environment focused on your healing. I incorporate different techniques and approaches, based on your needs as well as my assessment of what can be of true help to you. I believe it is important that I hold the space for you to incorporate your own healing practices if that is what you desire.

My style is warm, direct, and empowering. I collaboratively use evidenced-based treatments to identify unhelpful patterns and redefine old values in order to live a more authentic and rewarding life. A trusting and genuine therapeutic relationship is the foundation for growth, and through this space you will gain insight, awareness, and be gently challenged to see new perspectives and solutions.

We place special emphasis on all addiction disorders moderate and chronic issues. We specialize in non-medical detoxification that place emphasis's on spirituality. We promote abstinence by providing individualized treatment plans, family education, legal resources, local community resources, and Twelve Step groups. We provide other valuable classes court ordered domestic violence (men & women), driver under the influence and marriage/relationship classes. We offer four hour marijuana education classes.

I am bilingual in Spanish, and offer therapy for individual adults, couples, families, teens, and children 6 and older. My specialties include trauma, interpersonal violence (IPV), and loss, especially for human beings who have experienced displacement and/migration. I offer services for expecting and new mothers to aid in the transitions and attachment issues that arise. Also I am interested in bridging periods in human development. I embrace a culturally humble stance, and am LBGT welcoming.

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.