Adults Therapists in Lafayette, CA

I work with clients of all ages and groupings: adults, couples, families, and children from preschool through teens. When working with adults and adolescents, I personalize the therapeutic sessions using a blend of art therapy, mindfulness techniques, sand tray, and traditional talk therapy to explore and transform areas of difficulty. Young children often manifest their emotions and experiences through their behavior, and I use art therapy, play therapy, sandtray techniques, and a positive, warm connection to help work through and translate their inner experience, as well as work with the family system to provide support at home.

For thirty three years in private practice, I have had the good fortune of helping clients cope with and overcome a wide array of problems. My training and experience include many years working in residential settings, developing support programs for adolescents, engaging in scientific research, providing consultation for other mental health professionals and giving public presentations. In addition to extensive clinical experience, at the center of my work is the real care and compassion I feel for clients. I work with adults, adolescents and young adults, couples, families and groups.

I work with adolescents, and adults. It is my goal to work in partnership with you and the appropriate family and community members to consider all factors which may be influencing your mental health and well being. Together we will design a plan to support your own resilience and innate healing response. My philosophy is more pragmatic, than theoretical. The focus is not merely on the treatment of symptoms of the disorder, but on achieving health, and a renewed sense of purpose, meaning, and joy. I strive to provide responsive and effective assistance with compassion and respect.

Trauma and other difficult experiences can impact the way we view our relationships, the world, and ourselves. I support clients in processing traumatic experiences, identifying triggers, and reclaiming their sense of safety and joy. I work with teens, adults, couples/relationships, and families of all kinds. I welcome and affirm non-traditional family structures (donor, adoption, foster, blended families), members of LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent individuals, and people who have had negative experiences with therapy in the past.

Greetings! I am a bicultural, bilingual psychologist with 14 years of clinical expertise, specializing in working with children 0-18, adults, and parents from diverse backgrounds. My extensive clinical background encompasses trauma, attachment, adoption, foster care, parent/child dyad therapy, postpartum depression, anxiety and mood diagnosis, as well as addressing school or social difficulties. My professional journey has spanned community, home, school, and clinical settings. In my practice, I collaborate with co-parents and children, guiding them through the intricacies of new experiences and emotions following a separation.

"Many Bay Area dual income and professional families struggle with the pressures of maintaining their lifestyles and helping their children succeed in school. Many suffer from anxiety, depression, relationship issues that are directly related to the challenges they face daily. As a former lawyer, hi-tech marketing director, and a first-time parent later in life, I am intimately familiar with these challenges. When I began practicing as a therapist, I knew I wanted to apply my life experience to help inspire busy professionals to work through the challenges, transitions, and struggles of living and thriving in the Bay Area."

As a Clinical Psychologist, I help people create meaningful change in their lives. My approach is self empowering and compassionate with a sensitivity to cultural differences and social justice. My strength as a therapist is in making deep connections with people, creating a sense of safety and helping clients identify and confront their issues. My personality style is warm, sincere, and down to earth. Those who see me describe me as someone who is "caring, warm, a great listener, interactive, and offers honest insightful feedback."

Are you feeling unheard, hopeless or constantly worrying about something? Are you struggling to communicate and connect with your partner? Are you worrying about your next meal or the way your body looks? Whether you are dealing with anxiety, depression, past trauma, relationship issues, burnout or body image, I am here to help you navigate these feelings and offer a path forward. I love helping individuals understanding the underlying events that cause them to constantly worry and feel down.

I have worked as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years in the Bay area. My practice is diverse because I like to work with a wide range of individuals and issues. I see adults, adolescents and couples with a broad range of psychological and relationship problems. I have special interest in relationship issues, woman's issues, parenting and health-related problems, including catastrophic illness.

There are so many different reasons to seek therapy and it is my job to get you to where you want to get, as quickly as possible. I am a down to earth, experienced therapist. I use scientifically proven approaches, based on the needs and preferences of my patients. I focus on building strong relationships and providing a space where we can develop and implement a plan to make meaningful change happen. I have over 15 years of experience working in this field and feel very passionate about this work.

Struggling with anxiety, depression, low self esteem or negative self talk? Looking for a supportive, caring and empathetic therapist? Life can be challenging and even unfair at times, as life continues to move forward we may be activated or stuck as things from the past, future and present resurface in a way that feels unmanageable on your own. I work with clients to walk along that path with them as we explore what has brought them to therapy and together create meaning, process challenging events from the past, create insight, create new ways of coping, overall self growth, and positive change for the present and future.

I work primarily with adults who are managing change and transitions, depression/anxiety, relationship concerns including divorce, women’s issues, parenting support, and grief/loss.

My niche is with adults who particularly hard on themselves, especially parents and people experiencing chronic pain. Do you often feel like you "should" be doing more or better? Do you feel guilty taking time for yourself? Do you have mixed feelings about parenthood or your relationship? Learning how to treat ourselves with compassion, accepting our negative feelings as well as the positive ones, and balancing caretaking for others with caring for ourselves is something many of us have to learn as adults. These are areas I help my clients with daily. You don't need to struggle with these issues alone.

Are you an adult who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, or do you suspect you might have ADHD? Do you have a hard time regulating your emotions and often find yourself irritated or frustrated by the little things, or find yourself in awe by the simplest things? Are self-criticism and perfectionism getting in your way? Do you get bored or restless from doing the same thing day after day, week after week? Have you ever been referred to as sensitive or a "deep thinker"? I am currently focused on gifted adults who have recently been diagnosed with or suspect they may have ADHD (and/or autism and/or HSP/SPS), particularly 2e women.

We all need support because at times life can be difficult. It may be enough to talk with friends or other people you trust but sometimes not. Maybe you are feeling alone or not connected with yourself and people around you. Therapy can be a way to help you reconnect. I offer a genuine environment in which we look together how you can get back on track. I believe that connection is a basic human need: being connected with yourself and with the people around you. This is a core value in all of my work.

Do you suspect something is “off,” that you could be doing better? Feeling better? You could, even, be happier? What’s stopping you? Sometimes, it is anxiety or depression. Often it is an addiction to something that for a while made things better - drugs, alcohol, spending, and others. These are false strategies that promised relief, but in the end, caused more suffering. They make anxiety & depression worse, taking one down into a spiral of hopelessness and despair, even shame. You don't have to stay here. You can change.

I provide evidenced based treatment to children, adolescents, and adults with complex mood and anxiety issues, OCD, Trichotillomania, skin picking, trauma, ADHD, social anxiety, and psychosis. My expertise involves providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), social skills building, self esteem & self confidence building, multicultural therapy for minoritized youth, CBT for trauma, and parenting education. I also provide support, education, and consultation to parents of people living with severe and chronic mental illness like schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorders.

If you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, emotional intensity, high sensitivity, loneliness, insomnia, or relationship problems, or if your child or teen struggles with excessive worry, moodiness or sadness, you don't need to manage alone. We are a group of authentic and interactive therapists who are strengths-based in our approach. Let us help you (or your child, teen, family member) gain insight and understanding, learn emotional regulation, improve your relationships, alleviate stress and anxiety, improve satisfaction at work/school, and experience well-being and empowerment. www.TheraThrive.com

Support Available for CA & NY Residents. Your decision to pursue therapy is an important and personal one. Whether you are looking to address lingering issues or searching for support for ongoing concerns, you do not need to do it alone. Therapy is one of the few opportunities in which you are encouraged to explore and express your authentic self, allowing for deeper personal connections and engagement in life.