Marriage Counseling Therapists in Oakland, CA

My name is Christie Pfalzgraf and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in North Carolina, and working with clients statewide via telehealth. I work with adults and adolescents and specialize in trauma, coping skills, life transitions, loss and grief, relationship difficulties, and personal growth, using Mindfulness Based Psychotherapy, EMDR, The Flash Technique, Focusing, Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help my clients make progress and start feeling better.

Hello, my name is Chandra Thomas, and I am a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, LMFT41447. Congratulations in having the courage to reach out for support; it is a significant and meaningful decision to prioritize your mental health. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combines cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy to form a more holistic approach, and is one the models I am trained in. Additionally, I have specialized training in dialectical behavior therapy. I treat individuals, couples and families. I have experience in working with relationship issues, grief and loss, anxiety, depression and mood disorders.

Hi! My name is Michael Southerland, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist working in the Los Angeles, CA area. This means I focus primarily on relationships, be it individuals having difficulty with rough spots in life, couples, children, and families. I am comfortable working with almost any problem. However, my specialties include depression, anxiety, substance abuse and addiction, codependency, ADHD, and especially LGBT + engender identity. Don't hesitate to reach out to me and ask me if I have experience in working with clients like you. I'm looking forward to hearing.

Hello! I am Abigail Vickery, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Credentialed School Counselor. I am a John Maxwell Certified Coach as well. I am trained in Clifton Strengths and DISC. I specialize in working with children of all ages, women, parenting issues, and couples (both pre-marital and marital). I have over two decades of experience in the mental health field in various settings and with the following focus areas: depression, anxiety, children with behavioral issues, parenting issues, divorce, blended families, marital conflicts, and work-life balance.

Welcome! My name is Alana Jones and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist dedicated to helping children, adults, and families navigate the unforeseen complexity and stress in their lives. Early in my development, I faced several difficult experiences that nearly turned my life upside-down. Thankfully, I had been introduced to a therapeutic support system at a young age which provided me with new perspectives, acceptance, and reinforced me with a sense of confident optimism. My relationship with therapy has had a profoundly positive influence on my life and my goal in practice is to instill those same benefits in you.

In my practice, creating an environment where you feel accepted and understood is of upmost importance to facilitate healing and growth. I believe each person holds strengths within themselves and their families and, when harnessed, can create greater fulfillment in life, intimacy in relationships, and connection to others. I specialize in working with children, teens, and young adults with a wide range of mental health concerns. My training and expertise are in areas of depression, anxiety, trauma/PTSD, loss, family conflict, culture and diversity factors, and stress related to life transitions (marriage, children, college).

How did you end up here? Stuck in an unfulfilling marriage and paralyzed by fear. Your anxiety and other men’s issues are causing you to struggle to connect, communicate and resolve conflict with your spouse. It is having a negative impact on how you show up as a parent. Now might be the time for you to connect with a marriage counselor who can help.

Hi! My name is Jill Jackson. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. As a therapist, I try to hold a person’s experience and how that experience has been impacted by their context, be it related to culture, age, language, gender, sexuality, religion, and/or other factors. I also support people to think about how they make meaning out of the things they have experienced and then use that meaning to move through and create the life they are living or want to live. As partners in the therapeutic process, we will hopefully dive into understanding your story and making meaning of that story over time.

Tamara Hagy-Lopez is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience working with children, teens, parents, adults, and families in a variety of clinical and school settings. Tamara's focus is on building a safe and validating environment that allows families and individuals to increase self-awareness and helps them create a narrative that supports their growth.

Hello! My name is Patricia Soto and I’m a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. I am dedicated to empowering individuals on their journey to mental well-being. I work with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues providing services that span from depression, anxiety, life adjustments, grief, and work stress, to family or relationship stress. Let's work collaboratively to get you on the path of healing & happiness. My approach to therapy is being a Client-Centered therapist who also utilizes Solution-Focus.

**Accepting New Clients** Feel cared for and heard, experience a safe and authentic connection, find clarity, heal from a past or more recent traumatic event. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Provisional Art Therapist and Mindfulness-based Practitioner, I offer a person-centered, strength-based holistic approach to healing. In addition to traditional talk therapy, I work with the creative mind, this work includes art and expressive mediums to understand how our earliest experiences in life create the implicit, behavioral patterns that we can potentially carry with us for a lifetime.

Are you struggling to cope with life’s difficulties? Are you feeling out of control? Hopeless? Whether this is a recent experience or a life long issue, I am here to help. I believe every person has the innate ability and power within themselves to manage life’s challenges and improve yourselves—you just don’t always know how to access it. I will assist you and challenge you into accessing your tools, utilizing your innate strengths, and finding new insights into yourself.

What sets me apart from other therapists is my incredibly unique variety of work experiences including specializing in OCD and anxiety treatment, international social work, juvenile justice, childhood trauma, and service to several different communities: undocumented families, individuals with developmental disabilities, LGBTQIA, and the non-binary community. I have an ongoing spiritual practice and believe in the importance of continuing to do inner personal work even as a therapist. I meditate and practice mindfulness regularly.

With over 25 years as a licensed therapist, I am a skilled and compassionate guide in helping people feel better, function better, and have more fulfilling relationships. I am able to understand people from multiple perspectives, how their family system has shaped them, how their attachment style impacts them, how their connections with others cause them joy and pain. I am very present in sessions and have an interactive style, giving direct feedback. You won't find me just listening and nodding, I am there to understand you and collaborate on a plan with you for meeting your goals.

Do you feel like you're doing everything you're supposed to do, but feeling constantly stressed, overwhelmed, or helpless? Are you stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns? Are you living in your head so much that it’s getting in the way of your relationships, health, or work? Are you constantly busy yet feel unfulfilled, like the ‘go’ button is stuck in the on position? Maybe this is you, or maybe this is your partner. I’ve worked with lots of clients like this — working through trauma, identity issues, anxiety, and stress to live a healthier, more meaningful life.

I believe that our experiences in life are reflected in our behaviors, shape our thoughts, are held in our bodies, and trigger our emotions often outside of our consciousness. Increasing awareness at all levels allows us to have access to more choices in our lives. I see the goal of psychotherapy is to help people find a place in them where it feels safe, loving, and truthful, accessing their authentic selves. To facilitate this process, I explore with clients their thoughts and belief systems, behaviors, feelings, and physical sensations, helping to connect and integrate the mind, body and spirit.

Do you struggle with feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt or low self-esteem? Do you find yourself avoiding social engagements or so preoccupied with excessive worrying? Finding ways to navigate these difficult feelings can help you get back on track. I use a psychodynamic approach and CBT that focuses on uncovering patterns of behavior and ways of relating to ourselves and others that are often outside of our awareness. I also consider how our past impacts who we are today. Through acceptance and empathy, we will establish a trusting therapeutic relationship and work together toward your personal growth and self-discovery.

I have practiced as a therapist for over twenty years and specialize in helping people integrate unresolved aspects of the past in order to live freely in the present. Exploring adaptive strategies which used to help but now are limiting; meeting all parts of ourselves with curiosity and compassion; cultivating consciousness around our thinking and feeling patterns; bringing attention to the body and working with the nervous system to soften areas of tension and holding - these are ways therapy can deepen insight and support ease and well being.

I strongly believe that all of us are capable of connecting to an experience of profound well being, whatever the circumstances of our lives may be. My goal in therapy is to help you access that state within yourself. I aim to help you recognize and accept the many layers of your experience and to support you in acting skillfully and authentically in the world. My first priority is to create an atmosphere of safety and trust so that you are able to freely explore your challenges, concerns and desires. After we understand your difficulties, we can collaborate to create the desired change and growth.