Racial Identity Therapists in Pinole, CA

I believe you are the expert in your life. I believe the decision to seek therapy can be beautiful, and complicated because such is life. Healing isn’t linear and is a journey that can be filled with a variety of feelings and emotions–expansion, discomfort, learning, relearning, and unlearning. My goal is to co-create a space and container that will allow you to explore, discover, and tap into parts of yourself unknown to you. I am committed to using a healing-centered, trauma-informed lens and feel your journey of holistic transformation is unique and valuable.

Are you hoping to find some clarity around resolving a conflict? Having a hard time making a choice in which direction to go? Is it hard to figure out why you are feeling the way you do? As a South Asian, I recall growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area as an immigrant. The experience channeled how I deliver compassion and guidance around navigating situations where we learn about self acceptance no matter where you are from and no matter what phase of life you are in. I am especially passionate about racial identity issues (both ethic and cultural), women's issues, grief/loss, and trauma.

Do feelings of overwhelm, stress or unworthiness have you at an impasse? Struggling with the impacts of trauma, abuse or grief? Working through issues around racial identity, sexual orientation, or internalized oppression? Dealing with depression or anxiety? Do you have difficulty establishing healthy boundaries and making yourself the main character of your life? I am here to support you with holding the range of human emotions and experiences with greater ease, and unpacking patterns and behaviors that no longer serve you. Together, we will create a path forward that enhances your sense of agency, peace and fulfillment.

I am motivated to work with adults experiencing anxiety, stress, depression, grief; feelings of being overwhelmed, sadness, frustration and loneliness. I work with clients who just feel stuck. I meet my clients where they are to collaborate on their wellness needs to meet their goals. I believe that we all have the capacity to become the best versions of ourselves within our families, relationships and community.

The hardest part of finding support is often taking the first step - especially when we are overwhelmed. My experience is working with diverse populations including Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have supported people with various issues including, with anxiety, depression, caregiver stress, relational issues, social/racial identity, dealing with health conditions, struggling with sleep, the elderly, peripartum and postpartum parents, healthcare workers experiencing burnout. I am passionate about helping individuals transition from thriving to surviving.

We all can benefit from having a space to discuss our thoughts and learn more about ourselves. But deciding to go to therapy can be hard. My experience is working with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have worked with people with various issues including, with anxiety, depression, stress, relational issues, social/racial identity, people pondering life choices, grappling with belonging, dealing with health conditions, struggling with sleep, the elderly, engineers at NASA, and people in the Silicon valley technology community. We all need to be listened to and heard by others.

I am a systemically trained and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (in PA and CA) offering virtual individual, couple, and family therapy. My clients seek support around a myriad of concerns - most common among them are: depression, anxiety, loss, attachment trauma, oppression-based trauma, identity exploration/conflict, racial identity, family/relational conflict, and emotional dysregulation. Clients come to me to deconstruct beliefs about themselves and the world that are no longer serving them and instead creating chaos, dysfunction, and pain. Through our work together, they're able to live more fulfilling lives.

I’m a bilingual (English/Spanish) Marriage and Family Therapist with four years of experience treating cultural diversity issues. I believe every individual is unique and finding the strength to defend that uniqueness is my goal as a clinician. Many times, we find ourselves dwelling in a place of discomfort because we are in transit, in a new position, a new career, a new family or a new country. We are living constantly transitioning from one culture to another one, through life phases, starting new traditions. My goal is helping you to succeed in your own special journey.

I provide individual, couples, and group psychotherapy to children and adults. I have experience in treating numerous psychological disorders and supporting patients through difficult times, grieving, pandemic related stress, conflictual relationships, and troubling emotions. Along with the general areas of psychology, I specialize in the treatment of trauma. I have worked as a trauma researcher for ten years at the Palo Alto VA and Palo Alto University, publishing a book chapter on personality disorders and paper in the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management. I also provide assessment and expert witness services.

You want to feel connected and secure in relationships and to be confident and empowered to achieve your aspirations. Something is holding you back. You feel lost, stuck, unsure of yourself. I focus on relationships, self-esteem, South Asian mental health, life transitions, and anxiety. Let’s change destructive patterns keeping you and your partner feeling sad, alone and stuck. Let’s stop the voice that nags: you “are not good enough” or “don’t deserve love”. Let’s transform self-doubt, anxiety and emptiness to passion, vitality and fulfillment. Let’s discover how you can feel present in your life, instead of hiding and faking it.

Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated, or stuck? I can help you find ways to cope with uncomfortable feelings so that you can feel more balance in your daily life and more fulfilling relationships and experiences. Many of us rely on friends and family to help us work through problems, but sometimes our friends or family are part of the problem itself. Or maybe we just don't feel comfortable talking about certain issues with them. Oftentimes we withdraw from our support systems and end up feeling more and more alone.

My ideology is inspired by the juxtaposition of American narratives, originating from the Deep South and Urban Midwest. Growing up in a Pro-Black, Christian Baptist home I learned how gender, sexuality, and white supremacy can greatly affect our culture, happiness and well-being. Early exposure to the mental healthcare system taught me that oppression can be as multi-layered and intersectional as the oppressed, and diagnosis will continue to be an act of oppression if it ignores cultural context, societal phobias, and systemic oppression. For a great number, our mental health is a representation of how we survive our social climate.

You don't have to do it alone. People often come into therapy when they have hit a crisis in their lives. It can be hard to feel like your usual coping mechanisms are not working anymore, or the situation you are dealing with is more than you can handle. Having a warm, compassionate, supportive, and qualified ally to listen and help with these issues in a safe and confidential space can help you feel less isolated and overwhelmed.

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 am offering in person and telehealth appointments for individuals and couples. My practice focuses on the experiences of people of color, adult children of immigrants, young adults ages 18-25 and people working in social justice, helping and healing professions (including healthcare workers, teachers, social workers and therapists). I support individuals and couples who are seeking relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression, race based stress, trauma, generational trauma, grief, burnout and vicarious trauma.