Feminist Therapists in Oakland, CA

**Women, BIPOC, and the Queer & Trans community are the heart of my practice.** You are a high achiever, successful, & persevering. Despite outward signs of success – ‘being the first in your family to ___' or 'having made it’ – you are suffering from imposter syndrome, low self-worth, and non-acceptance (yours or your family). You're longing for relief from high-stress levels, crushing anxiety, or depression. Your relationships are strained & you have difficulty setting boundaries. You feel like nobody understands you. You don't feel truly seen. You rely on avoidance to escape feeling this way. Except that it's no longer working.

I continue to be humbled by the bravery, vulnerability and courage it takes to enter into therapy. The very act of reaching out is one of resiliency and strength, particularly during times when you may be experiencing difficult transitions, questioning patterns in life that no longer serve you or your relationships, feelings of worry, sadness and overwhelm.

You deserve to thrive, not just survive. I work with diverse communities, including global citizens, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, tech professionals, creatives, and more. Rooted in multicultural experiences, I bring a deep understanding of the complexities of identity, trauma, and healing. Committing to therapy can be challenging, but I've been there myself, and therapy transformed my life. I'm here to provide a safe space—physically, mentally, and spiritually—where you can explore different parts of yourself, uncover memories, and confront experiences with compassion and expertise. I dare say it can sometimes be fun.

Bilingual, Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-informed, Relational Psychotherapy. I believe that engaging in therapy is an act of courage because change is by definition radical. An important goal of therapy is to connect to your authentic/creative self as a way to make meaning in times of suffering. Together we will explore your personal, family, cultural, and political history to understand the ways in which your experiences shape how you feel in the world. Whether you are struggling with life transitions, finding/keeping good relationships, or trying to integrate different identities, our work can help you find some sense of cohesion.

I work with a diversity of individuals and couples, many of whom have felt “stuck” or disappointed with some aspect of their lives. I offer support around relationship issues, work/school challenges, major life transitions, loss/grief, as well as concerns around self-esteem and identity. Many of the people I work with find that they are also managing mood or anxiety symptoms.

Therapy can help you overcome difficulties, live creatively, and feel more alive. Many people become stuck in ways of thinking and living that no longer serve them. Through a caring therapeutic relationship, you can develop the courage to live in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Over the past 25 years, I have helped people with a wide variety of issues work through significant challenges, freeing them to make better choices. In addition to my clinical work, I teach and supervise at various training programs throughout the Bay Area, and was the Director of Counseling at California College of the Arts for 15 years.

Whether you or your child struggle with depression, anxiety, phobias, trauma, grief, life transitions, addiction or other conditions, I would be honored to accompany you or your loved ones on your healing journey. Our work will focus on creating the safety and acceptance that allows for change. Because our lives are shaped by the culture in which we live, we can also consider the social forces that may have shaped you, including racial, gender, and class biases.

The pace and complexity of life these days is making it harder and harder to connect to how we are really feeling, and to understand why we are feeling that way. It feels like, too often, we are urged to ignore or push away key parts of ourselves in order to be or do what seems to be required of us. In response to this, the therapy I provide is an opportunity to slow down, to get clear about what we each need in order to feel okay (or to even just remember the ways that we actually already are okay, in the midst of it all), and to move into steadier and healthier versions of ourselves.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” - Audre Lorde. Individuals seeking to examine and change patterns that harm themselves and inhibit healthy interactions with their community and the greater world around them will benefit from our therapy sessions. Those looking to relieve anxiety, alleviate depression, mend interpersonal relationships, and learn to sit with challenging emotions will find here a safe and supportive environment.

I specialize in working with adult children of dysfunctional families of origin. I help folks who didn't receive emotional and psychological attunement from their parents as children, due to parental narcissism, trauma, substance abuse, and/ or mental illness, or due to abandonment, neglect, excessive criticism, and/ or abuse. I offer support with anxiety, finding one's voice, self-esteem, social anxiety, sensitivity, and life meaning, purpose, and transitions. I offer support in cultivating authentic connection and in healing struggles in relationships around assertiveness, boundaries, enmeshment, co-dependence, and isolation.

During unsteady times, we can become consumed and overwhelmed by our own pain and suffering. We may hide from the world and even from ourselves. The idea of being seen may evoke shame, fear, and anxiety that can keep us stuck. In our work together, we will practice navigating the crashing waves of life, diving below what seems to be true, and connecting with something larger than ourselves.

Therapy is a space you carve out with me to reconnect - with yourself, your goals, your life’s meaning, your passion, your creativity, your spiritual path. We all struggle with difficult things at times; they pull us away from who we want to be, or the path we intend to walk in life. I believe relationships are the most important healers we have in our lives – starting with your relationship with yourself! Extending to all your other important and beloved relationships - with family, friends, community, planet, and spirit. No matter where you are, your journey to self-empowerment and joy begins Right Here. I will be there with you.

Adults/Teens/Families. Bring your anxiety or depression, issues with identity, life purpose and meaning, your trauma, your grief. I draw on 15+ years of experience as a case manager, special educator, and wilderness first responder.

The decision to begin therapy is not simple and often comes at a particularly challenging time in your life. I know how difficult it can be to reach out during these times and my goal is to respond with curiosity, open-mindedness, and empathy. I believe that lasting change can come from exploring and ultimately freeing ourselves from the underlying causes of current symptoms. I want to work together with you to find ways to gain insight and relief. I work in an open and transparent manner, to help answer any questions or concerns you have along the way.

Therapy is a deeply personal experience and there are as many reasons to seek therapy as there are people who seek it. Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, or shame. You may have suffered traumas or losses and are wondering how these shape your thoughts, feelings and relationships. Maybe you simply have a sense that aspects of your life are not coming together in the ways you desire. Therapy is a space to explore these curiosities, to develop insight into your self, and, ultimately, to find greater fulfillment in your work, relationships, and play.

I specialize working with trans, queer, bisexual, lesbian, questioning, and gay people of color (Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latino/a/x/e, Multiracial/Biracial), providing gender- and queer-affirming care. I can provide letters of support for gender-affirming surgery. I work well with folks who are self-aware but sometimes "to a fault." You find feelings hard but really want to work on "feel the feelings!" You are willing to take risks and be real when something is hard. You want a change but feel stuck, and are down to try both new and old things. You want to be a better person/friend/partner/coworker/child/etc.

Would you admit that you are your own worst critic? When you beat yourself up inside, it's difficult to find joy in your work and relationships. Finally softening towards yourself will free up energy for you to fulfill your goals. I use mindfulness and IFS (Internal Family Systems) strategies to help clients do deep and meaningful work in sessions. "I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side..." -Maya Angelou. When my clients begin to truly be a friend to themselves, they notice positive changes in many aspects of their lives.

Navigating through our human journey can be daunting, and everyone can benefit from support along the way. My role as a therapist is to help you gain more insight into the nature of your inner world and a greater perspective of your outer circumstances so that you can become empowered to create the intentional and meaningful life that you truly desire. With compassion and deep presence, we will identify unconscious patterns that are limiting you so that you can gain the awareness and tools needed to create effective changes for yourself.

Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and weighed down by critical self-talk? Is it difficult to stand up for your needs and set healthy boundaries? Many of us have the desire to be truly listened to, seen, and deeply understood. I believe all of us have the answers within ourselves and our unique experiences, and sometimes we just need a little help from someone else to help us discover them. I'm not going to talk your ear off or mansplain your nervous system to you. I will listen, we will talk through things, I will challenge the way you look at things, there may be tears, and there will definitely be laughter.