Therapists in Oakland, CA

Do you feel lost or stuck? Disconnected from your body or emotional needs? Perhaps unfulfilled or as if you can't seem to break free from a relational pattern? I see you. You're not alone & I'm passionate about supporting you back home to your truest self. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, or are experiencing obstacles in your relationships, I want to work with you to gain more clarity & confidence around communication, needs, boundaries & intimacy. I believe that healing happens in relation- whether to self, other, or the environment & I am intentional about creating a conscious, trusted relationship with my clients.

Do you feel unsettled in relationships? Or limited by other peoples’ ideas of who you should be or how you should act? Is it hard to turn off that critical voice inside? Do you feel exhausted putting other people’s needs before your own? Do you seek a greater sense of authenticity in yourself and others? Sometimes we don't have the words to describe our experiences and that's ok. Together, we can work to transform old patterns. Whether its clarifying what you need, improving communication, or getting past the unresolved, my goal is to support you and help you learn more about yourself and your most important relationships.

I bring forth a comprehensive and compassionate approach to psychotherapy. My practice is rooted in embodiment and practicality, aiming to foster profound insights and sustainable growth. Through a collaborative journey marked by playfulness and genuine curiosity, you will embark on a transformative exploration of your inner world. Together, we will uncover the intricacies of your psyche, guiding you towards a deeper connection with your core self and a heightened sense of resilience.

I work with people who face challenges that often arise but are not exclusive to the second half of life such as: the trauma of illness & death, caring for aging parents, loss of satisfaction or sense of meaning in relationships and work, loss of a job, and/or loneliness. I also work with folks suffering from love addiction or love avoidance. These challenges can often be baffling and carry symptoms such as depression, fear and anxiety. The rational mind may understand what is going on but somehow the emotional and physical body can't always take solace in rational solutions.

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.

You can be free from the patterns and struggles that keep you from living fully, authentically, joyfully. You may be feeling stuck or overwhelmed by recent challenges or past traumas. Wherever you are in your journey, I can provide you with the support and tools to stay present while addressing ongoing issues such as anxiety, depression, limiting self-beliefs, harmful behaviors, or painful cycles in relationships. As we attend to these issues with compassion, you will begin to heal the disconnection from self, relationship wounds, family dynamics, and trauma that may be at the root of these struggles.

If you or your child have been struggling with anxiety, panic, stress, trauma fears/phobias, low mood, or relationship/peer conflicts you have landed in the right place. I have had the honor of helping people for more than 22 yrs overcome their struggles and find or regain a greater sense of wellbeing. Several trauma-informed approaches are used but I believe the therapeutic relationship is a key factor in the therapy process. I aim to provide a therapeutic space that feels accepting, warm, empowering, and active while always bearing in mind the need for trust and safety at the center of our work together.

I believe healing is a multifaceted process that requires a holistic and collaborative approach. I help individuals and couples overcome challenges like anxiety, depression, relationship stress, trauma, grief and loss, or life transitions. I will listen and engage with you authentically to help build a safe and trusting alliance. I use a trauma-informed and client-centered approach to better understand your unique situation and personal goals. I believe we are mind, body, and spirit and my aim is to treat the whole person so that we can live in balance with ourselves, our environment, and feel a sense of integration.

Your body is always communicating information to you, and your emotions are the messenger. Maybe it's the consistent feeling of overwhelm, or the throws of depression. Maybe you are experiencing physical pain as a result of emotional pain. Whatever it is, I believe in the wisdom of your body and I want to help you become an expert at your own body language so that you can have more autonomy over your life.

Welcome, I'm Carter, a somatic therapist passionate about empowering people to discover their distinct voices. Through a holistic approach centered on body awareness and mindful exploration, I create a safe, sensory-sensitive space. Guiding clients in understanding how their bodies hold and express emotions, we uncover pathways to self-expression and healing. Sometimes it can be hard to sift through the noise of our world. By slowing down and tuning into our bodies we can illuminate the parts of ourselves that yearn to be seen and heard. I will support you to identify and honor your values, strengthening your authentic voice.

I take a holistic, somatic and transpersonal/spiritual approach to therapy, looking deeply into the interplay between mind, body and spirit and working at the root level of our physical experience: the nervous system. I work collaboratively with clients to explore socio-cultural considerations, how we fit or don't fit in that context and our opportunities for growth. We'll sort through to find and examine unconscious patterns and get creative to generate alternatives that put you more in line with your goals and life purpose. If you don't know what those are, we'll figure that out too.

I welcome those into my practice who are struggling with a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I am trauma-informed, with twenty years of experience working with adults, children and families. I have worked with adults and teens who have come to seek treatment for various types of developmental traumas such as childhood physical and sexual abuse, neglect, as well as single incident trauma. I welcome anyone who is looking to create a safe working alliance through which to explore issues with boundaries and self care, whereby I can assist you in the cultivation of a compassionate inner awareness.

As a therapist for over thirty years, the focus of my work is helping people to create and sustain healthy relationships, and to learn how to thrive in their lives. I listen carefully to the nuances of what you say and don't say, and help you to become more aware of your unconscious beliefs and the energy that you hold in your body that may be an obstacle to your creating the life and relationships that you yearn for. Together, we take the journey of understanding and resolving what is in your way, so that you can discover new pathways to live your life with more joy, ease and connection.

I believe that coming to therapy is about making a home in ourselves: a home where we feel at ease, where all the different parts of us are okay and we don't feel that something is wrong with who we are. When life gets hard we can feel isolated and cutoff - from the people around us, and also from ourselves. When we most need to feel compassion towards ourselves it can be hardest to find. My work is to help you find that compassion for yourself and to support you in strengthening your capacity to meet whatever life brings with courage and confidence.

Therapy with me involves working with the body as much as the mind. This can be challenging for some, but leads to long-term resolution and healing in a more complete, organic nature. Through Somatic Experiencing (SE), I have been trained to work with various forms of trauma (developmental, event specific, chronic/long-term) and the way in which our survival energy becomes trapped in our bodies. We embody our lived experience.

I am a Somatic Coach who specializes in somatic coaching with neuroscience that understands how the triune nature of the brain explains human behavior in ways that empower us. Using a blend of evidence-based in somatic techniques, and psychology, you will transform your life immediately. I want you to know you can understand yourself, heal, rewire, move forward, and become a new version. Your brain interacts with your emotions, behavior, and body as a whole. I can help you become conscious of how science and your fantastic brain play a role in your thoughts, environment, relationships with others, habits, and values.

I believe that the soul has an innate drive toward healing. We each have the capacity to heal ourselves if we can slow down enough to notice what is asking for our attention. I approach therapy as a weekly collaborative ritual in which clients can become more skilled at listening and giving voice to their inner knowing. Weaving together tools from expressive arts, somatic experiencing, and trauma-informed relational psychotherapy, I offer an integrated, whole-person approach in which we work as a team to uncover your intuitive guidance and learn how to tap in to the wisdom of your higher self.

I use my extensive somatic training to help my clients build more capacity to be with and understand their feelings so that they can be in charge of their lives instead of their feelings pushing them around. I help clients with issues ranging from social anxiety, relationship challenges, depression, sleep issues, chronic pain, navigating difficult family and work environments, finding and focusing on their passion in life, and dealing with the traumatic state of the world.

Deep down you’ve known for a while that you have something potent to offer this world and your relationships. But bringing that knowing into daily life feels out of reach. Life can deal brutal cards, and habits can be hard to shake. You are capable and thoughtful, and you have mutually supportive relationships. You have grown and deepened through many of life’s challenges. But this threshold life has brought you is not something you can walk (or crawl) through alone. You are aware that life is impermanent, what you do with it matters, and there’s no time to waste not getting the care you need to be who you came here to be.