Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD) Therapists in Oakland, CA

Therapy is a safe space that can bring about self-discovery and healing. I take an inclusive approach in my work, where I understand how intersections of culture, sexuality, gender, spirituality, family, environment, and relationships shape our identity and how we experience the world. In therapy, you have a space to let your guard down and explore how various factors at play affect your mental health. You will learn the skills necessary to embrace the full range of your thoughts and emotions, and also incorporate changes that align with your values.

Adults struggling with symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety (panic, social anxiety, worry, and generalized anxiety), life problems and transitions, stress, or BFRBs such as hair pulling and skin picking. Clients interested in better understanding their problems and using cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and evidence-based treatment strategies to address them. Ideally, clients interested in changing current patterns and learning life-long tools to maintain healthy, more adaptive ways of responding to triggers of their problems.

“The best things in life are on the other side of fear.” You or your teen struggle with anxiety, OCD, or trauma. You spend hours worrying and feeling anxious. You feel tense and you're in a ton of pain. You’ve tried all kinds of ways to get rid of the problem - relaxation, meditation, etc. - and nothing has worked. You’re confused, frustrated, and nearly hopeless. You don’t understand why this is happening, how to make it go away, or even what to do next.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands, my aim is to introduce clarity, authenticity, and self-motivation. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I’ve been successfully treating adults, families, and youth for over 20 years facilitating their self-growth. I teach techniques to better manage the emotional stress of everyday life. I have also focused on extensive training in anxiety/depression, play therapy, parenting, treating past and recent trauma, OCD, addiction, and working with family systems.

Sometimes, we get stuck in patterns that might have been helpful at some point in our lives but are not so helpful to us now. These patterns show up in the ways we respond in our relationships, in work/school, to challenges, and to ourselves. We’ll approach therapy as collaborators to build up your skills and strengths to get you unstuck. In our work together, we'll gently explore the past, so we can create an action plan for a different future. We'll recontextualize what no longer serves you and make space for your curious, creative self to emerge.

I have over 30 years of experience providing cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic insomnia. I am a licensed psychologist, co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, and Board Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. I am an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and an adjunct faculty member of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I am the author of fourteen books and present workshops and trainings to national and international audiences.

Therapy should be focused on you and your needs. Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure about what to do about your teen's anxiety? Do you worry a lot, often leaving you anxious, exhausted and overwhelmed? Has parenting become a constant battle, leaving you feeling drained and exhausted? I can help. I have extensive experience working with teens and parents who have experienced trauma, who have suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviors, school refusal, anxiety, OCD, social withdraw, bullying, low self-esteem, and depression. I specialize in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP).

My approach to psychotherapy is based primarily on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles of exploring and understanding the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. I seek to create a safe, warm and nonjudgmental environment in therapy, while helping you to identify key patterns and specific barriers that are stopping you from living a more fulfilling life. The purpose of therapy is to help you to find new ways of relating to your thoughts and emotions, deepen awareness and insight into your patterns, and learn effective coping skills -- ultimately to help you attain your goals and foster balanced living.

I welcome collaboration and creativity in the therapeutic process! My approach is to listen with curiosity and attention. I enjoy working with neurodivergent adults and adolescents. I support couples and relationships that are experiencing challenges because of different "wiring" that leads to misattunement and dysregulation. I understand the challenges that parents can face in taking care of their complex children. I work with all identities and family structures. I welcome clients who are queer, gender diverse, or in less traditional relationship configurations.

I provide services for children, adolescents and adults who are experiencing challenges with anxiety and depression. I specialize in working with youth and their families who experience Tourette Syndrome, Selective Mutism, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I utilize a strengths-based and whole person approach to help young people find their inner strength and bravery to face even the hardest situations. If you or your child are feeling anxious, overwhelmed or are struggling to find a place in the world I would like to collaborate with you to live a life that feels bright and vibrant.

I am passionate about helping clients understand and rise above that unwanted presence that has likely been a steady companion for some time — anxiety. This anxious part of the brain can have quite a loud voice, triggering uncomfortable symptoms that lead you to avoid what you fear. You can then become stuck in a smaller, less vibrant life, one where you stop pursuing what matters most. Anxiety can show up in the form of worry that is difficult to control, public speaking anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, OCD, health anxiety, and work stress/burnout. I also treat insomnia, which can be a related problem.

In our work together, my intention is to help you break away from the maladaptive thought patterns, emotions, actions, and external circumstances that keep you stuck in an unwanted experience. My goal is to help you create progress towards the life you do want for yourself. I’ll want to understand the changes you’d like to see in yourself. With this in mind, I’ll want to identify the behaviors you’d like to demonstrate, the lasting emotions you’d like to feel, and the outcomes you’d like to see present themselves in your life. With that information, we'll set the overall goals for therapy. Now providing Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.

Marisa T. Mazza, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist. She enjoys helping people learn new ways of interacting with thoughts and feelings so they can live meaningful lives. Her approach allows individuals to face their fears in a gradual and gentle way.

Although I work with a broad spectrum of clients and issues, I specialize in youth and family issues and offer home visits as scheduling allows. My clinical experience has been in school and office settings. I work with clients on issues such as child development, adolescence, parenting, and blended families (lifespan issues, broadly speaking). In addition to lifespan development, I am very comfortable working with anger, anxiety, depression, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

I provide services for 3 types of issues: 1) OCD, OCD-Spectrum Disorders (e.g., Tics, hair pulling, skin picking, and hoarding), and anxiety disorders; 2) Autism of all support levels; and 3) OCD, OCD-Spectrum Disorders, and anxiety co-occuring with Autism. My work is with children, teens, and adults and I provide services in office, home, and community settings ranging from once weekly to daily sessions. I take a family-based approach when treating children and teens by giving parent and caregiver training.

Are you dealing with unwanted OCD thoughts or rituals? Avoiding places, objects, movements, people, words, colors, that you're afraid will trigger anxiety or thoughts? Thinking about the same things over and over with no resolution? Are you lost? Lonely? Grieving? Acting or thinking in ways you don't understand? Looking for something more in your life? Not knowing what the next step is? Wanting to make big, positive changes (or even small ones) and don't know how? Just moved here? I love helping people explore their lives and themselves! Let's find out what's next, what's inside, what you want and who you are!

Do you feel trapped by your anxious rumination, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and people-pleasing behaviors? Have you seen therapists in the past who you feel like listened and validated you but didn't help you figure out what to actually do about your anxiety? Maybe you feel like your previous trauma makes it hard for you to feel like you can connect with loved ones in relationship now? I help highly motivated clients like you learn how to manage your anxiety and get your needs met in your relationships. There is hope for you to live a life that feels worth living.

Do you find yourself struggling with overwhelming emotions, excessive worries or major life transitions? If you're looking for a mental health service that caters to your needs, you've come to the right place! I offer a comprehensive range of services to help you achieve optimal well-being. As a therapist I specialize in treating a variety of disorders, including anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma, among others. I use evidence-based techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), and more to help you overcome your challenges.

As a therapist, I am passionate about helping you to align with what’s important in your life. I aim to create a space where you can feel heard but also challenged. My approach respects you as the expert of your own life experiences. I am here to guide the process with curiosity and compassion. Whatever you're doing makes sense. It may be that it's just not working.