Family Systems Therapists in Berkeley, CA

We all go through difficult times at some point in our lives. How we adjust, cope, and learn from these experiences will help us regain the sense of empowerment, inspiration and resilience to endure the many stages in life. Todos pasamos por momentos dificiles en nuestras vidas, pero el como nos ajustamos y lo que aprendemos de esas experiencias, es lo que nos ayudara a volver a sentir la capacidad, inspiracion y fortaleza para sobrellevar las diferentes etapas de nuestra vida.

I aim to breathe life and spirit back into those who were made to believe they are not enough. In my style of practice we work to improve your understanding of yourself and identify what is inhibiting you from living your best life. We explore internal processes like your feelings & beliefs as well as systemic processes that impact LGBTQ+ BIPOC identit(ies), relationships, and life experiences. I take a similar approach to my assessments which are both strength-based and neurodiversity affirming. All services aim to move you towards your unique treatment goals and improving your mental health. You will feel more balance and peace.

My practice is devoted to therapy with gay men and counseling for gay couples. I specialize in gay, bisexual and trans issues, including relationships, intimacy and sex, as well as depression, anxiety, trauma, isolation and HIV. I have written extensively about the psychological and social issues of gay men and gay communities. My most recent book, released by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (and Penguin Random House in the U.K.), is "Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men's Lives."

Currently I am only offering Teletherapy via hipaa compliant methods. I enjoy working with clients looking to make positive changes in their life. I work with them to develop coping skills to assist them in managing extreme emotional states and distress, as well as to develop increased interpersonal skills. By developing communication skills clients are able to improve their relationships in all areas of their lives. I have expertise working with a diverse spectrum of individuals including those in non-mainstream relationships and those with chronic mental illness.

I am a trauma-informed, somatic therapist, passionate about supporting and empowering adults and children through therapy. I have an interest in working with adults on: complex & acute trauma, emotion regulation, anxiety, relationships, self-esteem, grief, and life transitions. With children, I treat: anger, traumatic events, adjusting to change, general/social/separation anxiety, friendship skills, bullying, frequent arguing, self-esteem, school-based issues, OCD, and PANS/PANDAS. I welcome clients who are queer, gender-nonconforming, and in poly/kink/non-traditional relationship structures.

Holistically oriented, I believe we each have wisdom inside waiting to be tapped into, utilized and developed. I provide a supportive and nurturing space where you can discover your capacity to feel alive and whole. I help people develop and enhance their relational skills. I bring a sensitivity and knowledge to the effects of inter generational trauma, societal and cultural realities that may impact one's sense of self and connection to others. I help with self-esteem, co-dependency, surviving/thriving, sexuality, relationships & developing one's intuition. I help and support individuals and couples/relationships.

I am passionate about supporting people to quickly move through psychological blocks that create stress and stop the flow of creative, productive energy. I focus on facilitating freedom from anxiety and depression created by past experiences, opening the mind to what is present and possible, instead of old and no longer useful. I work extensively with the therapeutic technique known as EMDR, which is clinically proven to be an effective treatment for Anxiety/Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am an EMDRIA approved Consultant and a Trainer for the Trauma Recovery Humanitarian Assistance Program. www.emdrhap.org

It's been said that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Helping client's heal and go from maladaptive coping to healthy adaptive behaviors is extremely gratifying for me. I have had the privilege of working as a Licensed Therapist for the past 23 years providing therapy to individuals and families in the Bay Area. Let me provide you the support & tools needed to heal & get your life back on track. These can be stressful times, remember you don't need to do this alone; support is here for you & your family.

My ideology is inspired by the juxtaposition of American narratives, originating from the Deep South and Urban Midwest. Growing up in a Pro-Black, Christian Baptist home I learned how gender, sexuality, and white supremacy can greatly affect our culture, happiness and well-being. Early exposure to the mental healthcare system taught me that oppression can be as multi-layered and intersectional as the oppressed, and diagnosis will continue to be an act of oppression if it ignores cultural context, societal phobias, and systemic oppression. For a great number, our mental health is a representation of how we survive our social climate.

Finding the right therapist can be daunting, and for some, it can be the most difficult step. I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation so that you can assess if we are the right fit. I work with teens and adults presenting with concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/ loss, chronic health concerns, relationship issues, and life transitions. In our work together we will explore your strengths and root you in them. We will define your values and explore how to live your life in harmony with them. We will also create space for the areas in your life where you want change and navigate the path to get you there.

I offer neurodiversity-affirming, client-focused care to children, adolescents and adults. My clients tend to have several of these qualities: They are highly intelligent and verbal. They often feel like they don’t fit in, but may form fewer and deeper friendships. They throw themselves enthusiastically into the things they’re passionate about. They struggle to find appropriate outlets for intense emotions. They often have “geeky” hobbies. Many identify as neurodivergent, autistic, or a person with ADHD, with or without a diagnosis.

Are you a healthcare or social service provider, entrepreneur, or executive in need of psychotherapy or health coaching? Are you seeking to improve your mental health, career, relationships, and life satisfaction through increased awareness, attunement, and purposeful action? If you are seeking psychotherapy or coaching to sharpen your intuition, strengthen your experience of being grounded and alive, support you to cultivate intimacy, create alignment with desires and behavior, and develop greater alignment of mind, body, and soul. I would love to partner with you.

I am a clinical psychologist in private practice who specializes in couples and family therapy. I have researched, written, and lectured nationally for mental health professionals and general audiences about relationships and cross-cultural issues in love and work for over 30 years.

By the time most couples come to my office, they're frustrated, discouraged, and tired of going in circles. Many think their problems are insurmountable, that they're beyond help. Very few couples are beyond help. If your relationship is in trouble, don't wait. And don't give up. I have been in practice for nearly 30 years, specializing in psychotherapy with couples. I bring extensive training in relationship dynamics, marital systems, and sex therapy. I use a collaborative, positive approach that makes sense of what's hard and offers tools and encouragement to even the most troubled relationship.

In my practice, I work with individuals, couples or families on a variety of topics, including work and school stress, couple's, and physical health issues. I also work with clients who are experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, life transitions, and with those in the LGBTQ community. I completed my MFT (Master's in family therapy) degree in 2013, and later completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I work with children (ages 8 and above), adults, couples, and families.

Are you too stressed to even be in touch with yourself? Too worried and tense, having a hard time to relax? Are you avoiding people and their expectations (and judgments) because you're tired and feel you don't have much to give at the moment? Stress feels like having a super sensitive burglar alarm ringing loudly throughout the mind and body. It confuses our thoughts. We are unable to see facts or future clearly. Our creativity is blocked or showing up as destructive energy. The body is in fight (frustration and anger) or flight (anxiety and overload) or worse - feeling frozen (numb and depressed).

Perhaps no one can ever inhabit fully the lived experience of another, nor would I presume that I could know it, yet our therapeutic relationship can—without disrespecting the integrity of your lived experience—present the opportunity to take your perspective. I hope to imagine your experience because, as Carl Jung articulates: “Loneliness does not come from having no people around you but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you," and in the memory of childhood’s loneliness and solitude, creative power resides.

Wrestling depression, anxiety, relationship problems, work stress or alcohol and drugs? Do others see you're at odds with yourself or your circumstances? Are inner conflict, harsh self-criticism, rigid thinking, and refusal to accept yourself blocking a life you want? Therapy doesn't need to last years nor require endless focus on the past. You can decide what to work on and have a say in the direction of that work. There are solutions for what's happening, and sometimes just seeing and keeping focused on these brings change without attention to much else. At other times it's more complicated. Give yourself room to explore.

Therapy is a place for inquiry and finding meaning. If you are hoping to better understand your relationship patterns, process past and/or ongoing trauma, explore shifts in your identity, make a difficult decision or choose your next step(s), I bring a curious and warm presence to your exploration. I use trauma informed, mindful, and somatic approaches, which means we will let your process unfold at your own pace.