I am warm, honest, direct, and passionate about empowering my clients to discover the best version of themselves, creating the possibility of a more meaningful and fulfilling life experience. There are moments in all our lives when we feel overwhelmed and vulnerable by change. However, transitions in our lives can also create opportunity for growth and greater connection to ourselves and our environment. I can help you find greater joy and fulfillment in your life.

I believe everyone has power to heal. Let me help you regain clarity and joy, while striving towards individual and collective resilience. I love working with individuals & couples who are wanting to feel grounded in a sense of happiness and purpose! Perhaps you're experiencing activism burn-out, relationship difficulties, or family stress? Are you Asian or Filipino/x American and wanting support navigating cultural expectations? Maybe you want to love yourself better, or overcome intergenerational family issues? I respect and honor the journey you're on, and value the courage it takes to make this step in working with a therapist!

If you find yourself struggling in life to feel whole, happy, at ease with yourself and being in the world, or feel frustrated with a lack of intimacy in your relationships, I can help you. It is important when searching for a therapist that you feel an honest connection. I give a free 30-minute consultation to help you decide if working with me is a match. I have trained in trauma recovery, somatic work, psychodynamic, cognitive, mindfulness, bioenergetic analysis. My focus has been working with individuals around healing from PTSD, anxiety, eating disorders, bi-polar, and marital relationship issues.

If you are wanting to improve your relationship with yourself or others to build better communication, boundaries and assertiveness you came to the right place.

You’re struggling with difficult feelings in your relationship with a spouse, partner, your child, family members, friends or people at work. Or you may be trying to come to terms with painful feelings about things that happened in the past. When you’re hurting or feeling confused, you don’t know what to do. People in your life may not understand you or your experiences. You may want to develop greater self-awareness and hope to find a greater sense of choice and freedom in your life. It takes courage to sit with the layers of your experience. And it also takes time. Therapy allows for time to look inside and be present.

So much is happening in our world right now. Perhaps in the past, you have developed ways to feel okay with yourself and others but these ways of coping simply are not helping anymore. Although a part of you might want to keep going as is, deep down there is another part of you that desires better relationships, less anxiety, and inner confidence. I can help you. I successfully support my clients in developing outer and inner resources in order to have greater relationship success and the resiliency to not just survive but to thrive. My expertise includes working with highly sensitive adults, teens, and families.

We all need support and connection. Humans are hard wired for community, predictability and safety. With life as we know it disrupted by COVID, you might be feeling anxious, overwhelmed or stressed. It can be isolating to work from home, and hard to balance relationships with your work life. I believe that what is "shareable" becomes bearable, and I am here to see you, support you, and help you navigate life's challenges.

I work with individuals, couples and families that are ready for help and wanting to make a change in their life. For over 20 years I've treated depression, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship problems, as well as difficulties stemming from past abuse or trauma. I do not have a one size fits all philosophy of psychotherapy. I have been trained in Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral, Family Systems as well as other methods of therapy; and I draw on whatever techniques and methods work best for each unique individual or individuals with whom I'm working.

I believe in the wisdom of the body, it is constantly communicating something to you, and your emotions are the messenger. I want to help you become an expert at your own body language so that you can heal what has happened to you, and make room for the truth of your soul, by learning to listen to your body's deepest desires.

Therapy can help you overcome difficulties, live creatively, and feel more alive. Many people become stuck in ways of thinking and living that no longer serve them. Through a caring therapeutic relationship, you can develop the courage to live in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Over the past 17 years, I have helped people with a wide variety of issues work through significant challenges, freeing them to make better choices. In addition to my clinical work, I teach and supervise at various training programs throughout the Bay Area, and am the Director of Counseling at California College of the Arts.

I offer treatment for both individuals and couples, primarily addressing depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, relational issues, family conflict, life transitions and health issues. I focus on the comprehensive picture of each person’s circumstance in order to bring about change that is sustainable and lasting for you. I will work with you in a collaborative manner, discovering your strengths in order to build upon the tools and skills that you already have to work towards your objectives.

Healthy and rewarding relationships take work. It is common for most people to experience problems at some point in their relationships. Sometimes these problems can be easily resolved on their own, and sometimes they cannot. If you have relationship difficulties that aren't going away, seeking the help of a professional is an important step in achieving a healthier life balance. Problems that aren't addressed can, and do, go underground and fester. The sooner you address them, the better.

Do you wish for greater success, self-acceptance, love and connection? Do you desire to live your life more authentically? Difficult life histories and current obstacles hinder us from becoming who we want to be. With my help, past events and unfruitful ways of being can be processed and transformed so that they no longer impact your present or future. Modalities such as EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, emotionally focused therapy and sensorimotor psychotherapy will help you discover and embody a new way of being. I am fiercely committed to helping you clear your path forward to embrace greater ease, integrity, belonging, and love.

Life can be challenging. Sometimes we need objective professional support to work through the challenges that are present for us. It is essential to have a safe and supportive environment to share what you are going through. Working with a compassionate therapist can help to untangle the areas of your life that are not flourishing in the way that you need them to.

Living a life where struggling is a regular experience is difficult to change, because no one wants to feel worse. Therapy helps by talking through what's happened, what feels wrong and what ideas you have about it, all which may be conscious or unconscious. What's unconscious surfaces naturally through our dialogue together. Most people enter therapy afraid, because they don't know where to start or are overwhelmed because so much has happened. With over 25 years of experience, I can help you navigate this terrain to relieve pain, clarify thoughts and beliefs, and to improve feelings of well-being.

Most people I've seen in my many years of practice seek psychotherapy in response to personal loss, trauma, relationship difficulties in love or work, or self defeating thought or behavior patterns that have become unmanageable. As we begin to meet on a regular basis, the anxiety, depression or crisis that propelled them into my office starts to calm. Broader questions like “Why do I keep waiting to live my life in the way I always imagined it to be?” and “Why have my personal or professional accomplishments not provided the fulfillment I hoped for?” then begin to emerge.

Dr. Barbara Grelling is a licensed psychologist with more than twenty years of clinical experience. She specializes in the treatment of adults with anxiety, depression and life stress. Dr. Grelling helps women who are dealing with anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and throughout motherhood. Dr. Grelling also specializes in helping older adults cope with the emotional consequences of loss, caregiving demands, illness, disability and other age-related changes.

As a clinical social worker, I have an eclectic approach to treatment. I help you examine your life experience holistically. I walk beside you in treatment, support you in your endeavors, and cheer you on towards wellness. My therapeutic approach and compassion are rooted in my past work with the homeless population, foster youth, the severe and persistently mental ill, and survivors of rape, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. After receiving an M.S.W. from the University of Southern California, I practiced in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area.

Now offering telephone and online therapy to address trauma, addiction, depression, anxiety, relationship challenges and support to get you through reactions to the Coronavirus pandemic. Call (510) 917-4001 to book an appointment. I am a licensed clinical psychologist, a certified Brain Spotting therapist and provide Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma survivors. A specialist in addiction, codependency, dual diagnosis as well as an expert in family and marriage counseling and communication. Author of the "Let's Make a Contract" series of books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and my website. Learn how to re-script your life!

When your child, teenager, or family is struggling or even suffering, finding a therapist who is authentic, engaged, and a direct communicator is vital. As a clinician who is experienced addressing mood, anxiety, and behavioral disorders in both individual and group therapy settings, I strive to offer deep listening and effective strategies that lead to significant changes and greater well-being.