Adults Therapists in Emeryville, CA

My work is based on a positive theoretical orientation which assumes that all individuals possess an innate desire for emotional/mental health. A person enters therapy with a strong wish, whether conscious or unconscious, to overcome obstacles and free themselves from constraints that are holding them back. I find that each individual needs a slightly different approach in order to accomplish these goals, so I make adjustments in technique for each specific case. I truly enjoy the experience of guiding my clients through this process and consider it a privilege to play such an important role in a person's life.

I work on all sorts of issues and specialize in adult autism and new moms. You want a life you love. I'll work with you through difficult feelings and tough situations that block you from that life. Expect compassion and expect to laugh. We will work through tough stuff, but I will be down to earth and real with you- and you can do the same with me. Our work will be practical-- finding real solutions and strategies for your unique situation. Holistic therapy recognizes that our minds, emotions, bodies, and spirit are inherently connected and influence one another.

Anxiety, sadness, anger, regret are natural and human, but when one is stuck thinking and feeling these ways, something is wrong. If you are stuck, repeating the same kinds of experiences, or if there has been an unmanageable disruption in your life, I have been in practice helping people in similar situations for more than 20 years. Through talking and thinking together to deeply understand your experience, we discover and create new ways for you to think and act in the world. Your sense of self and of life expand, opening up space in which to move, breathe and grow.

I see therapy as an opportunity to have a new kind of relationship, a relationship in which you come to know yourself in a new way. In therapy we work together to uncover and make sense of confusing or conflicting desires, thoughts, and feelings. With understanding, awareness, and the practicing of new skills comes the freedom and capacity to make conscious choices, relate to difficult feelings and situations differently, and change entrenched patterns or habits that are no longer working for you. Many people come to see me after years of trying to "feel better" or "fix things" on their own. You don't have to do this alone.

My work has focused on repairing relationship bonds. Please view my Website at www.paultgulloryphd.com for more details. I am Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy both as a Trainer and Supervisor. This means I have successfully under taken rigorous advance training and been approved by the International Centre for Excellence in EFT. I am the author of: "Emotionally Focused Therapy with African American Couples: Love Heals. I am dedicated to helping couples address and resolve conflict, repair emotional injuries, and revitalize their bond. I also offer Masters level Training in Emotionally Focus Therapy.

I strive to create an authentic connection with my clients so we can develop an effective partnership in which healing, trying on new ways of thinking, and exploring change can happen safely. I believe that the foundation of mutual trust, empathy, and curiosity that I create with my clients will help them build meaningful relationships with others, mend old wounds, and learn more about themselves and how they contribute to their struggles. Helping my clients see themselves through a new lens will help them achieve the growth and fulfillment they want in their lives. Please don't hesitate to call for help.

I bring to my work understanding, compassion and extensive training as a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst. I have years of experience working with issues related to addiction; depression and anxiety; trauma; relationship, parenting, and family issues; life transition and questions like "What do I really want?" and "What is important to me?" I believe psychotherapy is a process that offers a way to understand troubling experiences and relationships that result in unhappiness, disappointments, and dissatisfaction, which build up over the course of life. Working with me offers new ways of thinking, feeling and relating.

You will feel it when you sit with me, this is my life's calling. I was lucky enough to walk the path of healing from an early age because of a devastating life trauma. This brought me to my deep understanding of the healing process. I am committed to accompanying you and catalyzing your journey to health, self-love, ease in relationship and empowerment in the world. My ideal client is going through change, loss, or questioning, needs support and desires a deeper connection to themselves, and satisfaction from their life. Check out my podcast The Healing Feeling Shit Show, a free course in emotional healing to sense how I work.

You feel like something is off but you're not exactly sure why. Your mind races and you feel stressed most of the time. You have a hard time slowing down and feeling connected with yourself as well as other people in your life. These statements describe the experience of many clients that I work with. I specialize in helping people who feel anxious, disconnected, or just "off." If you experience general anxiety, panic attacks, agitation, or disconnection from yourself or others, then I may be able to help you feel less alone and more settled in your life.

My role as a psychotherapist is to help clients acknowledge and harness their innate strengths, to attain and sustain the well-being they are searching for. I am passionate about gently questioning unspoken norms and expectations, whether learned from family or society, that can limit our ability to connect with our most authentic selves. I empower clients to take supported risks, guiding the therapy with empathy, honesty, humor, and a belief in the transformative power of relationships.

I feel the theraputic experience is a rich and exciting way for someone to reach their full potential. We all have feelings at times that "something is missing". These are real feelings and will be explored through our relationship. I believe everyone is unique. I don't have a "cookie cutter" approach to treating people. We will get to know each other and deal with the issues together. I work from a psychodynamic viewpoint.I feel everything that you have gone through as a child, young adult, and adult is connected. Our job will be to put the puzzle together.

Are you the outsider of your family of origin? You might be the family scapegoat. If so, you've probably experienced some of the following: treated as less-than, blamed, excluded, gossiped about, disowned, and more. And then, if you'd tried to address things, you might have been met with gaslighting, denial, or being dismissed. Your healthy anger might have been used as further "proof" of your badness or a narrative that you're mentally ill. And around and around it goes. But there is a way out.

When personally challenged, you might draw on strategies that help you through without helping you grow. When heard and valued, the human spirit is resilient in sometimes surprising ways. I work collaboratively with you, respecting and listening for your particular and unique challenges and potential. I help you to cultivate as well as practice what needs to be developed and integrated in your life. I consider my own study of psychotherapy to be a lifelong practice and work with somatic and relational principles. I welcome you to bring your concerns. I am committed to bring the skills and training of my years in this work.

When challenges, pain and loss insist themselves into our lives, we are left with two options. We can work hard to protect ourselves, harden up, soldier through and try our best not to get hurt again. Or we can feel our way through the breaking down, we can get curious, and allow ourselves to soften and move into our broken heartedness. Sometimes it seems as though we have a choice about whether to move forward in our lives. And then there are those times when it's clear we can't continue in the same way.

I strive to co-create a safe, compassionate place to explore past relationships and experiences that have molded you and the past patterns that may have held you back from the happiness and peace you deserve. I can help you identify what you want to do differently in relationships and in life. My approach to therapy is deeply relational. I offer the warmth and connection to allow you to gain insight, self-knowledge & self acceptance. Whether you are carrying feelings of sadness or anxiety, the work that we can do together will show you that the changes you want are possible.

Do you have relationships in your life that are not working, and no matter what you do, it doesn't seem to get better? Are you looking for a partner, but find that it never seems to work out? Do you feel disconnected from others and are longing for relationships that are solid and fulfilling? Relationships take work and psychotherapy is an opportunity to understand who you are in relationship and how to create and healthy and supportive connections. I work with both individuals and couples to explore, cultivate and sustain intimacy.

I work with individuals and couples on issues related to anxiety and depression, trauma, relationships, parenting, grief, transitions, body-image, and navigating the ups and downs of ones 20s and 30s.

Most folks who find their way to me are incredibly hard workers. They’ve survived by striving to manage their emotions, overcome their fears, and hold back problematic impulses. By the time they meet me, they may be exhausted, or they may be so entrenched in the endless struggle to feel well that it just feels normal. But they’re stuck because the level of effort is not sustainable, and they need something else. They need a soft place to land. To slow down and be present. To listen and feel heard. To heal, so that wellness blooms naturally rather than as a constant project.

What would it feel like if you allowed yourself to express your authentic truth, your deepest desires and dreams? Notice your gut reaction to this question. Does it excite or scare you? Perhaps it does both, brings up judgment, or simply sounds impossible to answer right now. Whatever your response, this can be a generative entry point for exploring your relationship with yourself and your impulses, feelings, and dreams. If you tend towards perfectionism, people-pleasing, or taking care of others before yourself, this question might be particularly anxiety-provoking or difficult to answer. I get that, and I'd love to help you!