Therapists in Alameda County, CA

I am a licensed psychotherapist specializing in child and teen counseling. Families come to my practice feeling lost, worried and some at the recommendation of a school counselor, lawyer, friend or pediatrician. Many parents have read multiple books and tried various interventions at home or at school without success. This can feel frustrating and upsetting, although it is a motivating starting place. What these families all have in common is concern for a child who is struggling in some way and in need of a child counselor. I offer child counseling, family counseling, family mediation, reunification, and parent support.

Psychotherapy can be a life-changing experience - positive, productive treatment begins with a safe, trusting empathic client-therapist alliance. My approach is solution-focused which means I like to concentrate on client strengths. Together, we collaborate toward understanding and resolving concerns and struggles in the present moment. I also focus on origin of concerns (root causes) as well as future health and happiness. To do this, I integrate numerous modalities, as treatment depends on clients needs. Clients I work best with like a direct approach, with a twist of humor.

Fulfilling relationships do not happen on their own: with self or other. The more intimate our relationship is with self lends to how deeply and authentically we can connect with others. My ideal clients are individuals or couples who seek to collaborate to build awareness, the first step to ANY meaningful change. We will work together to honor previous attachment injuries. We will identify your thoughts and patterns, and we will investigate the influences that drive your choices/behavior.

You met someone; you fell in love…is it time to build a family together? What about all the fights you have been having recently? Now you are a mother/father, juggling childcare, professional development, housework… what about US? What about ME? How to teach our kids when we don’t even agree? Things are not working out; Shall we give it one last try before separating? My partner wants to open up the relationship/marriage. What does it even mean?

"Thoughts turn into Words. Words turn into Actions. Actions turn into Character. Character is everything." To create a more joyful and meaningful life is a passion of mine. I work creatively and collaboratively with adults, teens, and children to explore the heart of the matter. Together we consider (investigate, examine, observe) symptoms and emotional pain; we design realistic goals; we develop skills to alleviate obstacles; and, as we work to achieve your dreams, we discover your increased motivation and self-confidence.

How does your culture shape you as an individual? How does this affect your perception of the world and your relationships? Are you in a relationship where you and your spouse/partner have conflicts due to differing cultural backgrounds? If so, I can help. My background is in dealing with multicultural issues, acculturation, life-transitions and stress management.

I’m a relationship satisfaction expert committed to helping partners learn how to move past their issues to create a more fulfilling, joyful, committed relationship. My work focuses on teaching *effective* communication, identifying and alleviating unmet needs, rebuilding connection, re-establishing trust, and creating a stronger sense of intimacy between partners. I’m particularly passionate about working with individuals and couples struggling with issues of infidelity.

Do you find yourself repeating unhealthy patterns in your life? Are you a new parent and finding that you are struggling to stay connected to your partner? Have you adopted a child and need parenting support? I work with individuals and couples (same and opposite sex) interested in reaching a deeper understanding of themselves and their interactions with the rest of the world. In my practice, I provide a supportive and safe environment for individuals to be heard and understood; at the same time, I am active and engaging.

What if we begin with the assumption that you were born to be happy, loved, prosperous and at peace? Sounds good... but then why do I hurt? Why do I struggle? Why are the inevitable changes so hard to accept? Therapy can often serve to identify the barriers to happiness and emotional well-being. Simply identifying beliefs and practices at the center of any emotional turmoil can empower you to begin living a life that you deserve. I work with individuals and couples to get to the core of their issues so that they can start leading happier lives today!

I offer consultation, psychotherapy and shamanic healing. Consultation may be with other professional healers or with people who want to explore an issue. Psychotherapy may look like: counseling, coaching, in-depth psychodynamic uncovering of unconscious material, support through a life transition, or assistance with addictive habits. It depends on who you are. Often we feel we could use some help but we can't quite articulate what the issue is. My goal here is to assist you in navigating your journey and in being your true self.

IN THE TIME OF COVID, WE ALL HAVE TO UP OUR CONNECTION GAME. Face it, you love your partner, they drive you crazy. And now that we’re around each other 24/7 and some of us with kids crawling all over us, we are not getting our needs met and we are hurting each in ways we are not proud of. Before it was an option to just let our old patterns kind of work. Not now! You are not alone! The whole world is experiencing this. What is essential now is for couples to upgrade. You won't have an 8 hour break (at work) to recover from what your partner just did. We need to actively practice COUPLES SKILLS THAT WORK. It's not optional now!

Life isn't always easy. Whether you're dealing with an existing challenge, a current stressful situation, or you're turning a page to start a new chapter of your life, I believe we all can benefit from someone helping us to manage these changes and transitions. My therapeutic goal is to help you better manage your life's challenges and to provide you with tools and strategies to achieve your personal goals.

Research shows that couples wait on average 6 years after problems arise to seek professional help. Whether your relationship is full of conflict or has drifted into the friend zone, this is our area of expertise. We focus on practical strategies that we know from research to be effective. Our goal is to minimize the time you spend with us and give you the tools you need to improve your relationship outside of therapy. Our team of therapists is highly skilled, compassionate and will offer you practical feedback and research-based guidance.

I help singles over forty develop the capacity to find, create & maintain the best romantic relationship of their life. I work with people who want the self-awareness and skills for satisfying long-term intimacy, want to understand past patterns, heal old wounds, quickly assess who's a good match, & create a foundation for new relationship that's healthy and supports their deepest needs. I've taught graduate level Human Sexuality, & offer expertise w/ all elements of relationship satisfaction. As a writer I also help re: online profiles, to attract the best match. You'll get weekly tasks to accelerate progress toward your goals.

I specialize in work with couples and individual adults dealing with relationship problems. Common issues for couples I see include communication difficulties, affairs, arguing or withdrawing, parenting conflict. I have experience working with a diverse range of people, including couples in mixed race/culture relationships, inter-faith relationships and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Are you living a life of "quiet desperation"? Get to the bottom of your problems by connecting with yourself. Psychotherapy can help identify and overcome blocks that prevent you from being your real self. Are you repeating patterns from childhood despite your best efforts not to? Those patterns were likely formed early in childhood as a survival mechanism and now that you no longer need those patterns, they feel like a prison. Psychotherapy provides the key that opens the door. If you are afraid that you cannot do this, please do not sell yourself short and give yourself a chance.

I work with individuals, couples, families and children of all ages. I work in an empathetic, collaborative, and thoughtful way with each individual or family unit. I believe that each individual and/or family unit is different so I bring different tools to assist. I believe being a good listener is important and I want to help everyone achieve their goals. It is important to work together so we can achieve your goals. I also worked years in schools so I have in depth experience working with children of all ages.

You are the expert in your life and I look forward to meeting with you where you are in life.

I use an eclectic approach to working with my clients in a holistic way. It’s important for me to meet my clients where they are and figure out how we want to move forward together in our sessions. How we think about our challenges in life has a strong impact on how we respond to them.