Marriage Counseling Therapists in Oakland, CA

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.

Do you feel stuck in the same loops, repeating old patterns, and self-defeating behaviors? Through a mindfulness-based, somatic, and trauma-sensitive approach, I support you to break these cycles, let go of limiting beliefs and be free to live the life you want. I specialize in supporting individuals who struggle with issues related to anxiety, perfectionism, low self-esteem and depression. My style is warm, authentic and direct - I'm here to help you feel more grounded and self-assured so that you can better navigate relationships, life transitions, and daily stressors.

I want to thank you for being here, for taking this very large step towards your growth and towards enhancing your wellbeing. Whether you're looking for support with a specific issue or to build on your insights and quality of life, I am here for you. I am a queer therapist and enjoy working with other LGBTQ+ individuals. I also enjoy working with adults, teens, and couples of all identities and intersections. I look forward to connecting with you.

I use a warm, down-to-earth approach in my work with children, teens, adults and couples. I collaborate with clients to develop a whole view of challenges and strengths, which is informed by my wide breadth of clinical experience across the lifespan. I have expertise in working with infants and parents, developmental disabilities, trauma, and both anticipated and unexpected crises across all ages. I integrate these perspectives so that I can attune to your needs and provide responsive support. My hope is to help you water the seeds of your inner strengths, push through stuck situations, and live with more connectedness and vitality.

At times, we find ourselves stuck and feeling frozen. We get overwhelmed with emotions and burn out from the demands of everyday life. In our work together, we can filter out external pressures, voices, and expectations to learn to tune into your inner wisdom. By fostering a deeper understanding of yourself, we can identify what’s causing pain and work towards feeling better. Together, we will work on finding acceptance, clarity, and a goal toward peace.

Deciding to start therapy is a sign of strength. I believe all people have a natural inclination toward growth and wholeness and sometimes things get in the way. Exploring these obstacles with compassion and courage can help you cultivate the most important relationship of your life -- your relationship with yourself. Whether your challenge is depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationships, addictions or career challenges, all you need to get started is the desire to change.

What would it be like to be understood? No really?! The journey truly starts when we first seek to understand ourselves. Through personalized, identity affirming intervention and an unconditional judge-free zone, I implement healthy relationship building with each one of my clients first. As a result, trust can be established and influences you to be empowered yet vulnerable, ultimately leading to healthy behavior modification and a deeper awareness of how to thrive even through adversity.

I work with individuals and couples in any stage of relationship. If we work together, my goal is to help you access and understand the root causes of your struggles so you can truly heal. In my experience, when the origin of conditioned thoughts, feelings and behaviors are fully felt and understood, they no longer have power, can be let go, and in their place comes a sense of freedom, choice and empowerment. Whether you struggle to manage stress, anxiety, and/or depression, or have found the goal of creating a satisfying relationship or career to be elusive, I believe you can move past any limitations with the right help.

I specialize in working with young people and the LGBTQIA community. My professional background in education, clowning, and physical theater deeply informs my work. Using embodied play alongside talk therapy, I find that my clients are able to access expression, relief, and growth. This type of work is useful for kids experiencing anxiety, school and family challenges, and struggling with self esteem. It is also useful for LGBTQIA people to become more deeply in touch with their identities, using a creative lens. I am committed to meeting clients where they are at to develop a space for creative healing.

Are you suffering from PTSD, anxiety and depression while struggling to make changes in your life that support your health and well-being? Have you been through something painful and traumatic and are having difficulty moving on or making meaning out of what happened? I completely understand how paralyzing these feelings and events can be and I would love to support you on your path to recovery. Trauma and painful life experiences can offer a profound opportunity to understand ourselves deeply while we learn how to heal, allowing us the possibility to transform our pain into fuel for the inevitable growth that follows.

Many of our current struggles are repeated patterns that stem from early experiences. I offer a space to try out different ways of relating so that you can gain insight and stop feeling stuck. The process of therapy can lead to profound change, more authentic expression, and deeper connections.

Do you find yourself shut down or suppress your feelings? Do you struggle in relationships due to your trauma? Are you unsure of where you belong? I work with people of all identities to process unresolved feelings due to trauma. I strive to provide you a safe and non-judgmental space, in order for you to develop coping mechanisms for trauma symptoms (anxiety, depression, addiction, etc.) and to explore aspects of yourself. I can help you LET GO of past HURTS and develop tools to find RELIEF.

My ideal client is anyone—individuals, couples, or families—yearning for a compassionate and culturally attuned therapeutic journey. They face life's challenges with resilience, eager to embrace the vibrancy of feeling "alive." Seeking a therapist who comprehends the impact of social inequities on wellness and life quality, they aligns with my values. Together, we navigate towards the restoration of a beloved community, unlocking the fullness of their lives beyond the burdens. My commitment lies in fostering a therapeutic space where they feel profoundly "seen" and empowered to pursue the desires of their hearts.

Are anxiety and stress keeping you from living your life to your fullest potential? Are you feeling stress weighing on you internally or causing you to feel exhausted and hopeless? Together we will explore ways to grow, further develop self-acceptance and unearth traumatic experiences and daily stressors that are hindering you from achieving this potential. I will be available to provide an unbiased listening ear and warm spirit as you reimagine the life you want for yourself. In this safe and accepting environment, we will develop an action plan to better manage your unique symptoms and your life.

Trauma takes many forms; often in the guise of unprocessed grief and loss. Loss of employment, financial insecurity, divorce, separation, domestic violence and abuse; all must be mourned. We become stuck; often not understanding our own reactions to people, places and things. Our partners, children, colleagues and superiors can appear to feel unfairly entitled to what we have to offer. Our ability to tolerate distress is limited.

I specialize in an integrative therapeutic approach that combines CBT, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Psychodynamic Theory. This blend is designed to help you uncover and align with your deepest values, improve self-confidence, reduce stress and suffering, and to find more richness and meaning in your life. I'm here to be in your corner, as an ally and as a guide. Additionally, as a powerful supplement for adults, I am partnered with Journey Clinical to offer legal, safe Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy that can be experienced in the comfort of my office or your home.

Maybe you are dealing with new and difficult circumstances, or maybe you are ready to confront issues that have been bothering you for some time. Wherever you are, I will meet you there, help you discover where you would like to be, and move in that direction with you. Psychological pain often comes from being stuck in patterns of thought, behavior, and emotional response that were necessary to our self-preservation at one point, but that are no longer serving that purpose. You have gotten where you are today thanks to your inner strengths; my job is to help you build on those strengths while helping you change harmful patterns.

If you find yourself seeking new ways to be in relationship to your life, yourself and others, the sensitive and attuned psychotherapy I provide can help. Using inquiry, dialogue, guided imagery, Enneagram explorations and the arts, we can work together to explore and untangle your distress and illuminate the creative solutions that lie within you.

Therapy can be an opportunity to explore life experiences, reconnect with yourself and develop tools and strategies to help you better manage anxiety or worrying thoughts. I work collaboratively with you to uncover and make sense of confusing or conflicting desires, thoughts, and feelings and explore relationship patterns that are not working for you. I understand the need to find realistic solutions and move past critical self-judgments and unhelpful behaviors. I also support women and birthing people with worries during pregnancy, birthing process and postpartum and explore ways to maintain a sense of agency throughout.