Internet Addiction Therapists in Alameda, CA

Every individual has a unique life story that leads them to seek help. Each stage of life provides challenges that are opportunities for growth. I work with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief and loss, and a variety of stress related medical conditions. I also have a special interest in working with men struggling with intimacy in their relationships and maintaining work-life balance. In over 20 years of experience as a therapist, I have learned that listening with empathy and developing trust with my clients are the most essential elements for healing and emotional growth.

I’m Mark Dombeck, Ph.D, a trauma-informed licensed psychologist with 20+ years experience. I’m based in Alameda, CA, near Oakland, CA. I work with adults and seniors (not children), with individuals and couples, both in-person and online. I have three areas of specialization: 1) trauma & dissociation, 2) couples therapy, and 3) adult neurodiversity. I can help you address depression, anger, anxiety and shame issues, emotion-regulation and impulse control issues, executive functioning issues, interpersonal issues, relationship issues, personality issues, attachment issues and trauma issues.

I look forward to addressing your individual needs. I specialize in treating adolescent issues of all types with a specific focus on depression and mood disorders. I also offer services for people suffering from addiction, in all its forms. I work with adolescence, adults and couples, and of course with the entire family when indicated. I am considered a technical eclectic, which means I use whatever theoretical approach I feel will work best for your situation. We will also draw from film, literature, culture and spirituality in our sessions so that we can make use of your unique personal interests.

I am a licensed clinician with over 15 years experience and an extensive background in trauma, childhood abuse, substance abuse and co-occurring disorders along with codependency and relational/attachment issues. Together we will work to develop healthy coping skills and healing that allow you to navigate life's challenges. In this healing space, we can address your anxiety, depression, fears, anger, grief and underlying trauma in a safe, caring and non-judgmental environment, meeting you where you are in your journey. Let's work together to find a solution that works best for you.

Confidence and connection are the key ingredients for a meaningful life, but they can be compromised in times of stress or transition. The foundations of the past, once familiar and secure, are shaken. Anxieties encroach. Connections are lost. Yet, I believe that despite the pain and difficulty of these phases, there is immense potential for positive change and personal growth. Helping you discover that potential is what I love most about my work, so I encourage you to reach out to me to get started today. You can email me at vanpeltcounseling@gmail.com or text me at 510-859-4448 to set up a free consultation. I will respond ASAP.

I'm a blue collar mental health therapist and coach. I specialize in providing mental health therapy and coaching to adult individuals and couples who come from a blue collar background. I'm based in Alameda, CA. I provide online mental health therapy at this time. I provide discrete, confidential, and professional mental health therapy to blue collar people. Most of my clients have never worked with a mental health therapist / coach before.

Mike's work has been empowering adults from a variety of cultural backgrounds and identities for over 25 years, helping people to live their best lives with brief and longer-term individual or couples therapy. His expertise in work and career issues, trauma, depression, unhappy relationships, and more offers clients new hope and opportunities for growth. A compassionate therapist committed to providing high quality psychotherapy to discerning clients, he uses a variety of approaches to support your growth, based on collaboration in the therapeutic relationship, understanding and the power of genuine concern to promote healing.

My main goal in the therapeutic relationship is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, trusting environment where individuals can explore their feelings in their search for a more fulfilling life. I provide therapy personalized to your unique situation and needs, treating each person’s problems within the context of each circumstance. I will work towards developing a relationship with you where you can feel safe to express your thoughts and feelings and what is holding you back from living life more fully. I am not just a passive listener, I will give you feedback in a direct and honest way.

You navigate this world each day doing the best you can, but life's biggest sources of pain, confusion, or stress can leave you lost and overwhelmed. You have to just "figure it out". Therapy provides a space to step back and examine yourself: intentionally, and with a plan and goal in mind. I believe that therapy should ultimately allow you to "become" your own therapist, bringing what you learn from our work back into your own world. I will challenge your long-held beliefs and habits in therapy and encourage your honest self-reflection, but always with elements of humor and compassion.

I will interrupt you a lot, that is what meditation does. It interrupts our stories about ourselves and the world around us. I will also listen to you, deeply. That is another way meditation helps, we learn to listen to ourselves deeply. The word akrasia means 'out of control' and is used to describe the way we continue to do things that we know is not in our best interest, or don't do things that we know are in our best interest. Most people feel relief just to know there is word for it. The cause of akrasia is said to be a lack of information and meditation gives us access to the information we need to change.

I enjoy working with adults who are interested in becoming more conscious. We all have reactions to things but there are some reactions or triggers that cause emotional pain. These triggers are usually a leftover piece of unprocessed pain. Unless they are understood and healed, they'll keep coming up. I enjoy working with clients who are motivated and curious about this process. The result is more peace of mind and a more fulfilling relationship with oneself and others.

Our life experiences can lead us to question our identity and purpose in the world we live in. This can lead us to anxiety, depression, and trauma. Do you want to improve how you face challenges, function in your relationships, and face overwhelming feelings? I place heavy importance on addressing trauma. Trauma disintegrates the parts that make up your whole self, which can leave aspects of who you are hidden from your awareness. Left unaddressed, anxiety and depression can worsen, which can rob you of the necessary connection that all human beings need to thrive. I aim to help you process unresolved trauma.

Having issues with anxiety, sleep, weight loss or addictions? I am a clinical hypnotherapist and can help with many issues. With the help of therapy, and hypnosis, many issues can be alleviated quickly.

Life can feel impossible to avoid struggling and we often don't feel we have the skills to cope successfully through. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't have all the resources we need for a given situation. Parts of us take on desperate roles trying to help us to survive. This might look like anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and relationship/family issues. I aim to help you process unresolved issues and feelings and find solutions.

I treat couples and individuals, specializing in sexual and relationship problems, sexual abuse and PTSD, as well as depression and anxiety. I know that it takes courage to make that first phone call. Having empathy and even a sense of humor, when appropriate, helps my clients with this initial step. I work together with my clients to identify and change dysfunctional patterns of thought and behavior. My style is warm, direct, and interactive.