Therapists in Oakland, CA

You are feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts and emotions. You feel disconnected from those around you and maybe from yourself. Maybe you shut out the world. Maybe you don't feel like yourself. Maybe you are not sleeping well. Maybe it is challenging to create boundaries. Past negative experiences may be contributing to your current concerns. You want to find a way to manage these feelings. Your goal is to have an awareness of yourself and triggers. With the right tools and interventions customized to your needs, healing is possible.

I am a clinical psychologist specializing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for mood and anxiety disorders. I treat adults with depression, anxiety (panic, worry, phobias), social anxiety, ADHD, insomnia, and life stress. In addition to my practice at the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, I am an Assistant Clinical Professor at UC Berkeley. I believe in a collaborative approach that emphasizes symptom relief, skill building and self-exploration.

Compassion and respect are critical to every relationship. I use a collaborative, non-judgmental approach to therapy, using individualized techniques tailored to meet your specific situation and needs. I work with teens, couples, adults and elders. I provide Couples therapy and individual therapy. I'm an artist and occasionally use art as an expressive avenue during therapy. My pursuit of the "why/how" behind life's events led me to pursue Psychology as my profession. I have over 15 years of experience.

We are a small practice specializing in resolving depression, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship issues. We practice research-based therapy using the science of good relationships and other evidence-based models. Cognitive behavioral therapy is our specialty and has excellent outcomes.

Over the last 18 years, I've worked with a diverse group of child, teenage, and adult clients (individuals and couples) across a wide range of settings, both inpatient and outpatient. I use a client-directed approach, where you and I collaborate to determine what the therapy process will look like, rather than the therapist taking the "expert role" on your life. Some of the problems I most often help people with are depression, insomnia, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, grief & trauma, and adjustment to life's stressors and changes. I am taking new clients in-person at my office in Alameda.

Do you struggle with low self-worth, addiction, or intrusive thoughts? EMDR helps to process trauma, negative self-talk, reduces cravings, and allows you to live your life with more ease and regulation. I work with adults and teens to relieve symptoms of PTSD, OCD, addiction, and insomnia. I utilize internal family systems/ego-state parts work and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy as needed. Throughout the healing process, you will notice increased self-trust and a release of old coping strategies. You deserve to live life fully, free from the distraction and pain of old wounds.

Many of the people I work with come to therapy because they feel stuck or overwhelmed, are seeking relief from anxiety or depression, need support as they adjust to a new life circumstance, or want to develop a better understanding of themselves. During therapy, we will explore unhelpful patterns by looking at the relationship between your thoughts, behaviors and emotions and the ways in which these things are interfering or impacting your quality of life. I can offer tools and concepts that may be helpful for coping with difficult emotions, improving relationships, promoting self-acceptance, and regaining balance in your life.

I have been privileged to have experienced a very diverse clientele. Currently I am accepting clients who are LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, those who are working on trauma or traumatic pasts, 'outside the box' or deep thinkers, and/or those who have lived diverse/alternative lives. When contacting me, please say what about this profile you were interested in, and why you think we might be a good match.

I enjoy working with individuals and couples in both short and long term therapy. I have extensive training in IFS, EMDR, CBT, and Relational Psychodynamic Therapy. My objective is to work with you using the appropriate approach that best fits your goals for therapy. I have a wide range of experience working with the effects of addiction on families, substance abuse, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I also have considerable training in sleep disorders and enjoy working with clients to adjust their sleep schedules, thereby improving their daily mood and functioning.

INDIVIDUALS (couples below): Energy Psychology is a group of self-calming practices involving breathing and touching one’s own face and body. Scientific studies and clinical experience are confirming that Energy Psychology can help with anxiety, relationships, and trauma. You will learn practices to calm down during a conflict, sleep better, or let go of things that bother you. These practices help you by enhancing nervous system regulation, changing the way your brain stores upsetting memories, and bringing in more happiness and focus. You'll learn practices to use at home, in moments of stress or to start your day on a good note

I am a licensed psychologist with expertise in neurofeedback, neuropsychology, chronic pain treatment, individual psychotherapy, meditation, and qEEG brain mapping. I am board certified in neurofeedback and I use cutting-edge techniques to determine the best treatment and to improve outcomes.

In our work together, my intention is to help you break away from the maladaptive thought patterns, emotions, actions, and external circumstances that keep you stuck in an unwanted experience. My goal is to help you create progress towards the life you do want for yourself. I’ll want to understand the changes you’d like to see in yourself. With this in mind, I’ll want to identify the behaviors you’d like to demonstrate, the lasting emotions you’d like to feel, and the outcomes you’d like to see present themselves in your life. With that information, we'll set the overall goals for therapy. Now providing Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.

Something is calling, beckoning you to go on an adventure. You may feel resistant towards it, receptive, ambivalent, or stuck. You may feel all, some, or none of these things, but you feel pulled by the current of something greater—a longing, a curiosity perhaps, for something different, for wholeness, for a chance to know yourself. You can think of me as a companion accompanying you on your journey. I listen—concretely and symbolically—to stories told/untold, what's said/not said, what's felt/not felt, what's remembered/what's been forgotten. I use presence, honesty, and playfulness to both support and challenge you.

I specialize in focused treatment for individuals who are suffering from the after effects of trauma and other stressful events. I have worked with people who've experienced a variety of terrible events, such as combat, accidents, abuse, sexual assaults, and near death experiences. After such events, it is common to experience a variety of problems, including PTSD, guilt, shame, anger, depression, anxiety, substance use, or emotional dysregulation. If you are experiencing any of these problems, I can help. I also offer psychedelic assisted therapy, including integration of ketamine or other psychedelic medicines.

Want to see results in your psychotherapy? My twenty years in the field have informed my safe, supportive, solutions focused style using empirically proven techniques. I collaborate best with motivated Clients who are working through the following challenges: depression, anxiety, addiction, traumas, communication/relationship and workplace issues. I have an office in Oakland and San Francisco, and take most insurance and self pay Clients. Please call for a free telephonic consultation.

I work with a diverse clientele and specialize in providing social justice oriented psychotherapy to Black people and other POC, as well as members of LGBTQIA+ communities. I provide culturally responsive therapy, which focuses on the strengths you already have. I tend to use a cognitive-behavioral theoretical approach (CBT), while also paying attention to your environment and access to social support. I work with you to build a safe space where you can share your experiences without the fear of being judged, and where you can focus on becoming clear about what you want, and how you want to go about making that happen.

My framework as a psychotherapist is inspired by black feminist sci-fi writer, Octavia E. Butler who saw the possibility of many more worlds than just our own. I believe that transformative internal healing is critical to envisioning and building these worlds without the presence of imperialism, white supremacy, capitalism and cishet-patriarchy. The tools I use to support the exploration of individual, interpersonal and intergenerational trauma are shaped by abolition that rejects punitive and scarcity mindsets and disability justice which strives to value every body.

I create an experience tailored to your individualized needs and goals. Instead of sticking to a template, we’ll identify how to ensure you feel most comfortable expressing yourself. Therapy can deepen your awareness—which could mean welcoming back parts that you feel disconnected from, discovering new thoughts or ideas, or working with feelings that don’t seem to fit easily in your day-to-day life. As a result, you’ll start to better understand the unique factors that influence your relationships and behaviors: your strengths, values, intuition, and emotions. With new perspectives, you can prepare to live with greater authenticity.

Online sessions available now. The research-based techniques I use work! All that’s required is that you show up, engage, and practice. These are the key to addressing depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and Covid-19 (coronavirus) fears, to name a few. I bring a dynamic, engaged style and years of experience to my work. Other clients are entrepreneurs faced with the complexities and demands of Silicon Valley start-ups, as well as professionals in medicine, law, education, psychology, entertainment, and business.