Emotionally Focused Therapists in Oakland, CA

I am an active psychotherapist - listening, asking questions, exploring new ways to understand your experiences and helping you find new strategies. My approach to therapy is one of warmth, empathy, insight and a focus on goal setting. The goal of therapy is to establish internal clarity, more happiness and an increased sense of success. Some people seek counseling to feel happier and more connected in their intimate relationships or relationships with friends and coworkers. I believe one can experience movement towards a whole and satisfying life with yourself, significant others and the world at large.

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 believe that healing happens in relationship, and offer warmth and curiosity to help you explore and name the truth of your experience in order to heal from anxiety, relational trauma, and embrace life's challenges. I work with individuals & couples who want to improve boundaries and communication, create meaningful connection, and align their choices with their values. I support you through circumstances life throws at you - affairs, loss, aging, marriage, divorce, raising kids, job stress. I am keen to explore issues related to gender, culture, health, spirituality, sexuality, monogamy, polyamory, and psychedelic integration.

We all want to feel seen, heard, accepted and affirmed. I support people who are in transition, who are working to define their relationships more clearly, and people who are struggling with issues of identity and sexuality, with a particular focus on polyamory and consensual non-monogamy. I believe we can dismantle behavior and reactions that no longer serve us through self-reflection and challenging entrenched habitual communication. I use narrative techniques, emotionally-focused strategies, and parts work to build acceptance, compassion, and presence in oneself.

I am here to listen and support your process as you define and pursue your own goals in therapy, as you develop your strengths and come into new strengths, as you grow through life changes, challenges, and transitions, and recover from distressful current conditions and past traumas. I currently have availability to meet with couples, families and and teens between 12 and 17 to work on how we relate to ourselves and others, with an emphasis on empathy, connection, communication and healthy relationships.

Many of the people who reach out to me for therapy describe themselves as disheartened and distressed with some major part of their lives. Some feel sadly disconnected in their intimate relationship with a primary partner or spouse. Others feel they can't find a way to communicate and connect with a parent, child or sibling. Other people want relief from feeling anxious, depressed or overwhelmed by stress. What they all have in common is a genuine desire to feel more deeply connected in their relationships and to live more fully and with greater ease. Does this sound like you?

I work with individuals, couples, parents, families and children to develop a therapeutic relationship based on their needs and goals. Through this process, clients get to know themselves better in a safe and supportive environment. I consider therapy a collaborative process that offers unique opportunities to manifest your ideal self through honesty and trust. I draw from the varied types of training and experience I have to find what works best for you and I create a safe space so you can explore the emotions that arise from difficult and painful experiences. I support couples and families in developing empathy, trust, and healthy

Sometimes there are circumstances in life that are overwhelming and are beyond our control. Other times, we are trapped by our own perceptions and projections of the world. My approach is to serve as a guide and help you unravel your perceptions, memories, and beliefs, as well as provide you with some skills to help you cope in your world. I am partnered with Journey Clinical to provide Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. I work primarily with couples looking for deeper communication around sexual intimacy.

I strongly believe that the most healing aspect of therapy is directly related to the safe connection with the therapist. Trainings inform the therapy but only feeling safe and seen will provide the ground for deep exploration and emergence of the new... almost like a birthing process. Client based, my style is warm, compassionate, nonetheless, assertive. Experience and various trainings keep supporting the importance of breath, grounded presence and mindfulness in any therapeutic setting and healing/life process. Therefore, those are central to my work. My sessions combines several psychotherapy approaches together with various somatic practices such as bioenergetics, movement, mindfulness & trauma work.

My approach is collaborative and active. I balance making therapy challenging at times, yet playful enough so that you will want to come back. My clients say this therapy-on-the-move is easier than a traditional sit-on-a-couch scenario in which the confinement of the room can get in the way of the work. I think for some people — especially teens & young adults — the idea of sitting in a room with a therapist is antithetical to being in a space that is good for sharing tough stuff. All that said, the outdoor work is *part* of the practice, roughly 30% of our time may consist of online sessions.

I am a Psychotherapist treating both adults and couples, in-person and on-line. I take a relational and collaborative approach to psychotherapy. We are all unique, consciously and unconsciously influenced by the relationships and life-events that leave a lasting impact on how we address our current situation. Difficulties can sometimes arise when the habitual thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that once served us now have us feeling stuck, depressed, and powerless. Fear, ambivalence, compulsivity and patterned thinking can hamper our ability to address the inevitable twists and turns of daily life.

If you're looking for a therapist, there's a good chance you're having a hard time or want to make changes in your life. That's where I can help. I provide a supportive environment for you to work through the thoughts, emotions and beliefs that may not be serving you. We will develop a plan that fits your lifestyle and puts you on a path toward the fulfillment, ease and well-being you deserve. I will accept you as you are, and help you become who you want to be.

Your body is always communicating information to you, and your emotions are the messenger. Maybe it's the consistent feeling of overwhelm, or the throws of depression. Maybe you are experiencing physical pain as a result of emotional pain. Whatever it is, I believe in the wisdom of your body and I want to help you become an expert at your own body language so that you can have more autonomy over your life.

Are you asking, How can I find love? or, What is missing in my relationships? Are you stuck in complaining and blaming, or avoiding and withholding? Are you noticing your relationship struggles make you feel lonelier rather than more open to each other? I provide an environment of safety where you may explore how you are stuck and how your persistent conflicts spoil your potential for intimacy. Tracking the repetitive patterns of communication, and the stories which confirm your most negative beliefs, I will strengthen your awareness to the influences that affect whether you keep repeating old patterns or open to real change.

Do you feel depleted from finding the "right fit" couples or individual therapist? Have you just entered into a new developmental life phase (relocation/college/graduation/job change/new relationship/engagement/marriage/separation, etc.). Or maybe your mood, anxiety, communication and/or relational problems have you so stuck, you can no longer can focus on what is most important in your life. I am an authentic and integrative therapist who is focused on helping you find your own solutions and voice. I specialize in work with individual adults, teens and families. Call or message me for a free 20 minute telephone consultation today.

My name is Jenna Smith and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based out of San Diego, California. I have experience working with adolescents and young adults and specialize in anger management, depression, anxiety, stress management, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Emotionally-Focused Individual Therapy to support my clients in understanding their thoughts, emotions, and attachment wounds in order to heal and grow.

Welcome! My name is Anna (she/her) and I offer individual and couples therapy in Oakland and virtually for all California residents. I am passionate about helping you feel more engaged and connected to yourself and the people in your life. Maybe you are feeling lost in your relationships, or aren't getting your needs met. Your partner tells you that you are critical or that you don't open up enough. I understand these patterns. Together we can explore them and the unexpressed emotions or needs that lie beneath. Emotions are a powerful tool and when we can access them and express them to others, we feel more empowered and connected.

Sometimes the coping strategies that we use no longer work for us. And the usual support systems we turn to, are at times just not enough. Therapy can be an added support to help us figure out new strategies to cope with the challenges and times of transition in our lives. I provide a calm and reflective space, where together we will reach a deeper understanding of what holds you back and what changes you need to make to live your life more fully. Some areas of specialization include women's issues, perinatal and postnatal disorders, early parenting and cancer.

Are you experiencing relationship issues with your partner or family members? I’m passionate about helping people have healthier relationships within themselves and with others. I work with couples and families who are stuck in conflict, seeking better communication, healing from past wounds, bridging cultural gaps, or adjusting to life transitions. I also provide individual therapy to support those affected by relational issues. We can work on managing anxiety, processing trauma, overcoming people-pleasing habits, improving emotional regulation, working through codependency, and embarking on a journey of healing and well-being.