Female Therapists in Albany, CA

Are you finding this season of parenthood harder than you expected? Maybe you are trying to find your stride with parenting, experiencing challenges in balancing parenthood with all of your other life roles, or managing the mental load of parenting a kid who needs extra support. In these circumstances, we can find ourselves experiencing fear, shame, and guilt in ways that interfere with our wellbeing as parents. But with support and time, we can find our joy, rhythm and wisdom as parents.

During these stressful times, more than ever people need support for positive change. Being able to connect with someone can open up the possibilities for better relationships, and a better life. Finding someone to partner with can help make the shift from suffering in silence to working together to create solutions.

Many people are struggling to live purposefully in the tension of our changing world. You may feel overwhelmed with emotions and experiences that are difficult to bear. Painful issues and conflicting feelings inside yourself and in your relationships are good reasons to seek a therapist. I provide a safe and thoughtful place where you can face your obstacles and increase your ability to live your life with more fullness and meaning. My approach is engaged and collaborative. I offer empathy, knowledge, and tools to help you understand yourself and others in new ways.

The discomfort of facing life's challenges may set off an impulse to hide. We may turn our backs on ourselves through isolation, sleep, or running away into busyness or substances to take our minds off "the problem." Yet these discomforts are quite often our body's way of trying to get our attention, telling us that it's time to look at something we have put away for too long and that is now ready to come into the light. Like martial artists, our movement toward the thing we fear allows the energy to shift and lighten.

Therapy Without the Angst! Therapy doesn't have to take years and be intensely painful. I help clients to develop the skills to feel better soon. I'll teach you to calm your anxious mind, feel more confident, and find meaning in life challenges. As a licensed psychotherapist for over 30 years, I've culled the best of many different techniques, for instance: CBT helps change unproductive thinking and behavior; insight therapy offers awareness; and DBT helps to regulate intense emotions and reactions. I offer not just therapeutic techniques but good-old common sense!

Life can be hard... and we don’t have to do it alone. I work with couples to strengthen connection, deepen intimacy, rebuild trust after betrayal, and find their voice within the relationship. I work with individuals around issues of anxiety, depression, grief, self esteem, relationships, and parenting. My own challenges, and the work I have done to heal, have afforded me the ability to be present and sit with people in their own pain. I have a natural inclination to seek out deep connection with people which has aided my ability in guiding my clients to deepen connections with others,

My approach to therapy emphasizes self knowledge, empowerment and insight helping move towards a more integral, meaningful and gratifying life. It is with passion and kindness that I witness the healing transformation a person goes through in the therapeutic relationship. Originally from Brazil, I speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese working with clients who speak these languages. Three theories permeate my work: the Integral theory of Ken Wilber, Psychodynamic theory, and Hakomi. I integrate into the analysis the physical, mental, emotional, and social parts of the self (Integral) in a mindfulness-based, body inclusive, and experiential perspective (Hakomi).

"Are you worrying that you are stuck in old patterns of thinking and behaving regarding yourself and others that make you unhappy, depressed, anxious, or irritable? Are you trying to connect and communicate with a partner, friends, or co-workers, but find youself misunderstood, angry, or lonely? Are you longing to be happier yet unable to figure out how to change? I have helped hundreds of people with similar concerns to experience more joy and success in their lives. Together we can examine your concerns from new perspectives and overcome the obstacles preventing you from achieving your innermost goals.

Would you like to feel less anxious, depressed and/or overwhelmed? Do you want to feel more joy, motivation and/or hope? If so, I'd love to support you with compassion, insight & encouragement to live your best life, emphasizing your strengths, needs/desires, as well as acknowledging and minimizing the challenges. Sustainable personal growth and healing is rarely easy, but with experienced support there is hope, lots of it. What I most want for you is to feel much better emotionally, as well as authentically and fully enjoy the life you've been given from the inside out. Let me know if you'd like this too.

Has your love, joy, and excitement in your relationship slowly faded away? Does it seem that no matter what you say or do, things are just not getting better, and you feel further from resolving your conflicts and understanding your loved ones? There is a way back to enjoying your relationships again. I have been doing this work for over 24 years, and I know that if you have not left the relationship, there is still hope. Learn how to get rid of the unhealthy patterns and learn new skills to get unstuck so you can enrich your marriage, family, and many other relationships.

I specialize in working with parents, families, and youth ages 7-25. My work can support an assortment of childhood issues, including: somatic complaints (stomach aches, headaches, etc.), behavioral issues (defiance, aggression, inattention), neurodivergent issues (autism, ADHD, sensory processing), problems with friendships, attachment issues, separation anxiety, depression, excessive worrying, or panic attacks. Childhood can be a magical, joyful time, but it can also bring a host of issues, unique to each child or family.

You may be feeling temporarily overwhelmed by the situation, in your relationship, at work, in the culture you live in or you may have felt emotionally distressed over a long period of time. In both cases, therapy can be the first step to bring relief, self actualization and happiness to you and your loved ones.

Dr. Ponting is a licensed clinical psychologist specialized in treating anxiety, traumatic stress, and depression in adults and children. In her roles as a researcher and clinician, she focuses on improving mental health during the transition to parenthood, including pregnancy and the postpartum period. Dr. Ponting also works with families with young children ages 2-6 who have experienced a recent traumatic event.

I have been working for over 30 years helping a wide range of people create lasting, meaningful changes in their lives. My INDIVIDUAL THERAPY is personally tailored to each client. I use a solution focused approach for short-term issues and an in-depth model for longer term problems. In COUPLES THERAPY I work to create positive connections of closeness and depth, fostering intimacy and trust. In my DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE AND ANGER THERAPY my goal is to establish abuse free relationships based on trust, cooperation and mutual support. Through my THERAPY FOR HABIT CHANGE unwanted problematic patterns are transformed.

I am a bicultural/bilingual, latinx psychologist with extensive experience working with youth of all ages who are struggling with mood, anxiety, and impulse control, and families who have experienced trauma. Key to this work is the relationship we build together. My goal is to help your family better understand what is happening for your child based on what research has taught us about how our brains work, while honoring your child’s unique experience and normalizing that we all have struggles. I use a strengths-based collaborative approach to get to know your family and identify and practice skills to help your child cope.

Do you feel trapped by your past and anxious about your future, unable to live in the present? This malaise of modern living is often a sign of past trauma. I can help you uncover and release the experiences that keep you from living a full and zestful life. My primary focus is women and parents, particularly those with a history of trauma. We’ll explore the feelings that arise in your body, and notice their links to your thoughts and behaviors. I’ll empower you to choose a more positive narrative, to look at your life through a different lens.

Evening, weekend, early morning appointments available. If you are struggling with stress, anxiety, parenting or relationship issues, give me a call. Together we will get clear on what results you want to see, and create a potent “healing space” for initiating positive change. Whether you’re wanting a fresh perspective on patterns that are no longer working for you in your relationships, need support for you and your partner or child, or feel stuck in terms of creating the life you’ve envisioned as a result of anxiety or other issues, together we will find a way forward.

Therapy is a partnership between you and me. My desire is to help you achieve your goals, to find your life purpose, to resolve your issues, whatever they may be. Change comes from within you—and that’s where we focus—on your body and the traumas it holds—so with can release them through various techniques that can really create true change inside you. Whether you are an individual or a couple, whatever you bring into the therapy office can be transformed.

Summer used to be (and sometimes still is) a chance to rest and enjoy, but this does not diminish stress related to residual academic pressure, parenting challenges, or feeling disconnected from relationships. I often work with people who notice themselves feeling overwhelmed, numb, or burned out due to life stressors. I have special training and experience working with new parents, students of all ages (college and graduate school included) and people with disabilities. In all stages of life, I hope to offer a supportive space for you to process your experiences and determine next steps.