Therapists in Oakland, CA

Are you anxious, depressed and tired? Are you feeling emotional for no reason? Feeling disoriented and lonely? Questioning everything in your life? I help people to deeply listen inside and let their choices be based on what is true for them. While pain and emotions are part of being human, suffering can be minimized by allowing what is inside of us to be expressed and find acceptance in our experiences. I support you to move through trauma, anxiety, anger and depression to empowerment. Stress-management is part of the work and looking at communication with ourselves and others to have fulfilling relationships.

All life is a relationship. From our very first moments and onward, what happens in relationship teaches us about how to be in the world. We continually form certain core beliefs, ways of thinking, patterns of tension, and ways of moving our body that can be both healthy and limiting. Trauma, abuse, neglect, and other wounding contribute to how we form our relationship with the world and with ourselves. All of our past experiences have an impact on our present experience. Our day to day life can then be full of a sense of meaninglessness, emotional and physical pain, chronic anxiety, mistrust, or general unease.

As a psychotherapist, I act as your collaborator, witness and guide, and bring curiosity and warmth to your exploration. Trauma, past wounding and internalized negative beliefs can make it difficult to know what you need from moment to moment. Therefore, in session, I support you in cultivating self-agency so that you may become familiar with what is right for you at a pace that is both constructive and safe. I am here to help you navigate difficult transitions, past and new traumas, grief and loss, shifts in identity, and a desire to change patterns in relationship on your path towards fulfilling connections to self and others.

No matter who we are or what our background in life, much of our behavior is influenced by our unconscious mind, and I have learned that facing these unconscious motives in a relational therapy setting can lead to psychological healing, especially when combined with the physical body and somatic experiences. I enjoy engaging with clients in exploration, analysis, and reflective interpretation, and through this, developing a path of healing and growth.

I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in the East Bay for over 30 years, providing psychotherapy for adults, couples, families, adolescents, and groups. I work from a holistic perspective, creating a safe environment to encourage the therapeutic process. I specialize in working with: relationship issues, recovery from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and other childhood traumas; depression; anxiety, low self esteem; codependency issues; parenting concerns; compulsive eating patterns; body image dissatisfaction, chronic illness, and perinatal loss. I integrate in-depth psychotherapy with EMDR, Expressive Arts Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Jungian Sand Tray, and Dream Work.

Hello I'm Julia Mendoza, a therapist providing therapy throughout the state of California. I have experience working with children and adults, in the areas of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, LGBT+ issues, OCD, personality disorders, family problems, relationship and partner conflict, and traumas. I truly enjoy helping others and I have been told that I am funny, genuine, open-minded, and a good listener. Se habla Español!

Many people come to therapy uncertain of how they got here. They're hungry for deeper meaning in life, to understand their inner world and discover a self they can love. You may have experienced narcissistic wounding as a child, feel caught in self-destructive patterns or low self esteem. Perhaps you yearn for meaning and a sense of belonging. Your life may feel marred by co-dependency, anxiety, shame or hopelessness. Maybe you just need a place to feel seen. Our work together can help you uncover your deepest needs and teach you to regard yourself with compassion and self-awareness.

Are you too stressed to even be in touch with yourself? Too worried and tense, having a hard time to relax? Are you avoiding people and their expectations (and judgments) because you're tired and feel you don't have much to give at the moment? Stress feels like having a super sensitive burglar alarm ringing loudly throughout the mind and body. It confuses our thoughts. We are unable to see facts or future clearly. Our creativity is blocked or showing up as destructive energy. The body is in fight (frustration and anger) or flight (anxiety and overload) or worse - feeling frozen (numb and depressed).