Therapists in Oakland, CA

My name is Kate Franza, and I am a licensed therapist, providing services in both California and New York. I am originally from New York, where I received my MSW degree from Fordham University. My practice is grounded in my community mental health background, with a focus on LGBTQ issues, anxiety, depression and substance use. My clients experience relationship struggles, trauma, chronic relapse, and many are interested in exploring and understanding their sexuality and gender identity. I use a harm reduction approach and I draw from a range of therapeutic modalities, including cognitive and mindfulness-based skill building.

I am an associate Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in sex therapy, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, PTSD, and LGBTQIA+ issues. I am currently accepting both couples and individuals at my practice. My work is non-judgmental, client focused, sex positive, open to those practicing ethical non-monogamy and polyamory, kink-positive, and welcomes humans of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds. I love to help people navigate through their relationships, both casual and serious, and offer support and care in making tough changes or realizations. Together we can explore shame, identity, and what scares or challenges us.

Welcome! My experience and education are rooted in working with individuals from various backgrounds to help them identify a path towards feeling more safe in their own bodies. I have vast experience working with substance use disorders or folks that are supporting a loved one with a substance use disorder. I also help individuals focusing on harm reduction efforts. I have a passion for helping individuals to identify stressors in their lives and help them manage their experiences of depression, burn out, stress, trauma, anxiety, grief, and loss more effectively.

As an experienced therapist in private practice, I work with people of all ages who are struggling with a wide variety of challenges through different stages of the life cycle. I work collaboratively to help people reach their goals while offering insight and support. I offer a unique and thoughtful approach, developed through years of experience working with hundreds of individuals, teens and parents.

A licensed clinical psychologist, I provide psychodynamic psychotherapy to individuals and couples throughout California. I offer compassion, patience, and safety as we endeavor to better understand what has brought you to therapy, and how to move through to something new. My work is trauma-informed and grounded in principles of empowerment.

Though I work with most issues, I specialize in helping people recover from complex trauma. People with narcissistic, abusive, or neglectful parents or partners sometimes develop issues with trusting themselves, have difficulty maintaining close relationships, struggle with an inner critic, vacillate often between depression and anxiety, lack a solid sense of identity, or feel a sense of emptiness when their lives seem great on paper. Sometimes that trauma can even become part of one's identity - I work with clients to build insight, boundaries, self-compassion, and acceptance to free themselves from it & live more fulfilling lives.

I want to assist you in examining why you feel like your life is not where you think or sense it should be. Why you have a nagging feeling that perhaps you're wasting time and not living your life in a more deep and fulfilling manner. You may think you're “not good enough,” or “if only this would have/not have happened," life would be different. The activities you do feel banal, going to work/school is dreadful, relationships and family are difficult, and the values and beliefs that once held you have lost their ground. You feel lonely, depressed, anxious, and perhaps substance use is worsening. You’re wondering about doing therapy.

I am a non-judgmental, active therapist, specializing in substance use/addictions, anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic pain and illness, relationships, and work stress. Prior to private practice, I was the Clinical Director at a San Francisco non-profit serving veterans. I enjoy working with adults, older adults, older teens (16+) and couples. Whether you want to get support around new changes in your life that are causing you pain and worry, or work through problems that have been with you for years, my goal is to help you feel relief, feel empowered, and work through the things that are out of your control.

Everybody has a story to tell, and I want to hear yours. I work with adults & teens struggling with a range of issues (anxiety, depression, trauma, neuroatypical related challenges, disordered eating, body image issues, substance use, and burnout/perfectionism). Whether you are experiencing a challenge or you are interested in finding more balance in your life, I am here to support you. My clients often to come from a variety of marginalized communities: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Latinx/e, bi/multi-racial/cultural, Fat, neurodivergent, kinky, poly/ENM, people who use alcohol/drugs, performers/creatives, black sheep, brujx and witchy folk.

I believe strongly in the power of healing though creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space for you to explore your unique experience. My goal is to help you connect with your innate inner strengths, deepen self-understanding and insight, and build skills that foster healing and resilience. I provide short-term solution-focused counseling, as well as long-term in-depth therapy for adults seeking support around a variety of issues. My clients describe me as warm, engaging, and caring.

Life in the Bay Area is challenging and the additional stress associated with being LGBTQ+, a woman, pregnant, a parent or all of the above can push it over the edge. Sometimes, especially if you didn’t feel protected or cared for as a child or if something bad has happened to you, life can feel like you’re in over your head. Relationships feel out of control and painful, sleeping is hard and you can’t seem to take care of yourself the way you know you should. Emotions can feel like a roller coaster and daily responsibilities like work or kids are overwhelming. It is possible to feel better and good therapy can help.

Do you want to recover the parts of you that feel stuck? Are you longing to find a place of inner calm and contentment? Looking to to free yourself up to live more authentically? Everyone has an authentic self that is calling them home. Sometimes, this self gets buried or forgotten, leading to symptoms like anxiety, a lack of purpose, unfulfilling relationships, or substance use and addiction.

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.

Hello. What is keeping you from thriving and being the best version of yourself? For many, it might be trauma, ​people-pleasing, inner criticism, shame, addiction, substance use, lacking boundaries, worrying what others think about you, challenges in relationships, low self-esteem, worry of failure, stress, overwhelm, feeling powerless and alone. It can be hard to ask for help. But in doing so, you might experience relief. I offer individual, family, & couples therapy via video (for now). I recommend having consultations with multiple therapists to find the best fit. Contact me for a 20 minute consultation, free of charge.

Are you struggling with overwhelm, gender identity questions, stuckness, shame, or patterns that don’t feel good? I am a queer, trans associate clinical social worker providing individual telehealth therapy to adults living in California. I partner with folks in navigating anxiety, PTSD, substance use, gender alignment, and other areas of concern. I help folks feel more at home in their bodies and aligned with their authentic self. I tend to connect most effectively with folks who are trans, queer, kinky, helping professionals, students, recent graduates, neurodiverse, artists, witchy, and/or spiritually inclined.

We all have the capacity to feel a full array of emotions, which serve to both protect us and connect us to others. However, often due to socialization, family of origin, or individual temperament, we learn that some emotions are dangerous to feel and express. Through individual therapy, the therapist is the "trusted other" who can help both acknowledge and witness the emotions that may have been long hidden. When these emotions are uncovered, we can more easily discover our true want and needs.

Are you struggling to process depression, anxiety, relationship/family issues, and trauma? These emotional ruptures can cause major disruptions in our lives. The work to process these types of life events is multifaceted, and I can help you identify your feelings and potential relational patterns, build tolerance and acceptance around challenging ones, and set meaningful goals. In order to do so, I utilize various therapeutic approaches consisting of ACT, CBT, and Problem Solving Therapy and somatic interventions.

Welcome! I am a therapist and actor aiming to help you discover your most authentic self and deepest desires. I specialize in bringing the transformational power of theatre and improvisation into the therapeutic space, allowing you to safely explore deep pain and access profound joy. I aim to uplift and heal by employing joy, warmth, comedy, creative arts therapy, and an eclectic array of therapeutic modalities (CBT, mindfulness, ACT, REBT, psychodrama, psychoanalysis, Motivational Interviewing, etc.). I am incredibly patient, strengths-based, and adapt my modalities to the specific needs of each client's unique experience.

As a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, my practice specializes in working with people who struggle with depression, unresolved trauma, anxiety, family and relationship issues, and life transitions. Effective therapy starts with a trusting relationship. In a safe space where you feel understood and accepted, we will work toward your goals so that you feel empowered to change and can begin to make positive changes in your life. Practice specialties: Teens, Young Adults, Depression, Anxiety, Relationship and Family Issues, Stress, Life Transitions, Trauma, and Substance Use.