Therapists in Contra Costa County, CA

If you are someone who is motivated to understand yourself on a deeper level and to challenge and change beliefs and behaviors that no longer serve you than I am the therapist for you. I work well with people who are struggling with addiction and relationship issues; people who keep repeating the same unfufilling patterns and want to change them, whether at work, with their partner or spouse, or with their children. Often these dynamics are reflective of deeper wounds, and need to be addressed so they can change and heal. I am deeply committed to helping my clients get unstuck, and this process takes some time, but is well worth it.

As a long-time practitioner, my way of working has evolved from a more traditional dynamic approach to a deep interest in the bridge between mind/body spiritual traditions and contemporary psychology. I have much varied experience working with both men and women who struggle with the challenges of loneliness and living a conscious, fulfilling and spontaneous life. If you are feeling stressed, or if anxiety or depression have you wrestling with problems that never seem to resolve, perhaps it's time to turn for help to a compassionate and engaged therapist.

I work with individual adults of all ages as well as with couples: I like to listen to you, metaphorically speaking, with two ears: what you say and how you say it. I like to understand your internal make-up and the dynamics of your interpersonal relationships. I also want to understand with you how it all fits together. Perhaps, through collaborative curiosity, I can help you alter habits from back then that don't serve you in the here and now of your life at this time. I believe that relationships to yourself and others are critically important.

My practice is devoted to working with adults, adolescents and couples to help them deal with difficulties in their relationships and in their personal lives. I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist, and I am continually honored and intrigued by being able to help people in their lives. I received my degrees (Summa Cum Laude) from Washington University, and my doctorate in Psychology is from CSPP. In addition to my years of work in private practice, my experience includes years of intensive supervised client counseling, and now I am a supervisor at a well established clinic, in addition to my practice.

I work with adults, teens, and couples struggling with depression, anxiety, and the inability to effectively communicate. With individuals, I help reframe challenges and liberate talents, especially in men alienated from the economy and meaningful purpose. I taught for years in a high school, and thus am comfortable working with adolescents. My orientation is eclectic, however I draw mostly from psychodynamic and relational theory, as well as CBT techniques. I find these approaches complementary, even necessary to establish a holistic treatment plan.

Has the Covid pandemic taken a toll on your mental health and relationships? Have problems that weren't too bad a couple years ago become much worse since the pandemic started? A lot of people and relationships have been struggling to cope with high stress and anxiety, and have developed new, unhealthy coping habits like overeating and drinking, or using screen time for relaxation - leading to anxiety, panic attacks, relationship problems and more. The key to recovery is upgrading your coping skills to help you take control of your thoughts, emotions and choices, and learning new ways to manage life's stressors.

While it can be intimidating to think about beginning therapy, it’s my hope that my warm and collaborative style of engaging with you will offer some ease in initiating our work together. Having dedicated space for understanding and learning about you by speaking can feel relieving, and starts with a good amount of courage in your initial reaching out. In our work together, I will carefully listen to you while building a collaborative relationship based in warm curiosity, offering you my thoughts and connections related to the barriers that may be holding you back from moving towards your known and yet-to-be-known goals.

Welcome, glad you're here. Let's be honest, life often is messy and can feel like a struggle. And yet, what if beneath trauma, disappointments, frustrations, or seemingly poor life choices lie seeds of growth that just need some watering? What if you already contain the ingredients essential for thriving? Might your relationships as well? In my view therapy provides a sacred like opportunity where one is offered a chance to experience renewed vitality, meaning, and an invigorated sense of mind, body, spirit, and soul. A space where the genius in you or perhaps the potentials lying in relationships and parenting roles can emerge.

As an integrative therapist, I draw from different psychotherapy orientations. This allows me to tailor therapy to your needs and allows for a truly collaborative process in deciding where we go and how. Since successful therapy depends on a strong relationship between client and therapist, my first priority is nurturing that bond by creating a safe and supportive environment. I believe therapy is most effective when it is flexible, demystified, and client-centered, so you can expect me to be transparent about my ideas and approaches. My style is at times infused with humor and is always warm and direct.

At times, we may face challenges which can leave us feeling overwhelmed, confused, and alone. I'll meet you where you are and highlight your strengths as we work together to identify patterns or behaviors that aren't serving you. I understand that everyone’s therapeutic journey is different and offer personalized care and coaching as you pursue your therapeutic goals. I work well with individuals who seek to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression and learn healthy coping mechanisms in aiming to foster personal growth. I am also passionate about working with individuals who seek to develop healthier romantic relationships.

Mental health challenges are due to the aftereffects of traumatic experiences. Trauma can place a strain on your family, work, relationships, and even cause issues with self-worth. I specialize in trauma therapy along with treating personality disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and addiction. All these disorders can look different from person to person, and that is where our therapeutic journey of empowerment and self-exploration begins. I concentrate on creating a safe space of growth and self-discovery through unconditional positive regard, emotional regulation, and guided activities.

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.

Are you hindered by anxiety, depression, or trauma, preventing you from expressing your authentic self? Do you find yourself trapped in navigating challenging family and relationship situations? Every minor issue now feels incredibly overwhelming, reopening past wounds and creating new ones. Despite attempting to bury the pain, it persists, leaving you feeling isolated and tormented. The constant exhaustion, stress, and anger make you question your resilience. Unsure of where to seek assistance, you don't have to endure this painful journey by yourself. I aim to assist you in achieving a more integrated and balanced sense of self.

Are you struggling to process depression, anxiety, relationship/family issues, and trauma? These emotional ruptures can cause major disruptions in our lives. The work to process these types of life events is multifaceted, and I can help you identify your feelings and potential relational patterns, build tolerance and acceptance around challenging ones, and set meaningful goals. In order to do so, I utilize various therapeutic approaches consisting of ACT, CBT, and Problem Solving Therapy and somatic interventions.

I believe people can awake at any time to a full life, one that benefits themselves and others. Some therapy clients I see have a mental health disorder while others find themselves in rocky relationships or they feel trapped between conflicting impulses and expectations. Some are facing a difficult diagnosis or chronic pain or unrelenting grief. Others find themselves in a crisis of meaning or a spiritual emergence. Whatever the case, I help folks find their way to freeing themselves of mental and somatic patterns. I believe change is inevitable, and it’s best to put our hearts into it.

Two Chairs was founded in 2017 with a mission to build a world where everyone has access to exceptional mental healthcare. We're creating a better experience for both patients and clinicians by starting with an in-depth, research-backed matching process to ensure the ideal patient-therapist fit, offering hybrid care that gives patients and clinicians flexibility between in-person and virtual sessions, and measuring outcomes to ensure patients get better faster.

Do you feel as though your anxiety and depression are unmanageable? How about feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or helplessness like you’ve hit rock bottom and are struggling to find hope for tomorrow? Once we start to unravel the details of our past and trauma we give ourselves the ability to process feelings that we have long suppressed. I aim to collaborate with you and provide tools to decrease the challenging feelings you are currently facing and achieve a more integrated and balanced sense of self, leading to emotional healing and personal growth.

Throughout our lives, we all have experienced feelings of depression, anxiety, and anger. These emotions leave you feeling insecure, shameful, lonely, unworthy and stuck in unhealthy patterns of behavior. Trauma can have negative emotional and physical effects and can lead to family/relationship issues. I specialize in solution-focused brief therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and CBT. These approaches allow me to work with the client to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression and other health/behavioral issues.

I have worked with children, families, individuals and couples in many different capacities before finding my calling as a therapist. I have specialized training in couples and marriage counseling, family counseling, PTSD/trauma, adoption and foster care, anxiety and depression, and other mental illness, life changes, grief and loss. I also work with adolescents who are struggling in school or with behavior problems, defiance, and depression and anxiety. I work with couples and families for a variety of reasons. I can help you too.