Grief Therapists in Oakland, CA

During challenging times, people often feel defeated and focus on what is wrong. I want to shift the focus from what is "not working" to identifying what is "working." We will work to uncover patterns (behavioral, thought beliefs, relationship), that will lead you to making better decisions. I want to offer a safe place to process thoughts and feelings around issues that can be challenging. I am interested in helping people who experience stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief/loss and challenges with relationships (social or romantic). Many conversations are around “adulting” and how to manage life, career, relationships, etc.

I specialize in trauma-informed somatic (body-based) therapy for BIPOC. My somatic, psychodynamic, attachment, and spiritual approach supports clients in building a compassionate relationship with themself. My somatic approach also facilitates familiarization with how the nervous system communicates and the relational needs that are expressed through the body.

I provide a safe, warm, non-judgmental space where every part of you is welcome, the parts you know and like and those parts that you may keep hidden. Asking for help is not easy. You may have been taught that you should be able to handle difficulty by yourself, but, in fact, seeking support is the most courageous step you can take toward your own healing and emotional well-being. You don't have to experience sadness, anxiety, trauma, anger, or loss on your own.

I work with people who face challenges that often arise but are not exclusive to the second half of life such as: the trauma of illness & death, caring for aging parents, loss of satisfaction or sense of meaning in relationships and work, loss of a job, and/or loneliness. I also work with folks suffering from love addiction or love avoidance. These challenges can often be baffling and carry symptoms such as depression, fear and anxiety. The rational mind may understand what is going on but somehow the emotional and physical body can't always take solace in rational solutions.

I believe you’re here because you haven’t given up. Some part of you knows more is possible — more joy, more connection, more ease, more fulfillment, more meaning. You're grappling with complex emotions and experiences, seeking a safe space to explore and understand yourself at a deeper level. Whether you're questioning your identity or your purpose, grieving the loss of someone you love, feeling stuck in yucky relationship dynamics, or struggling to find your way out of anxiety or depression — therapy offers the necessary time, space, and connection to heal and grow.

I am a Black therapist with about 10 years of experience working with a wide breadth of clients from various cultural backgrounds and diversities. I primarily work from a Cognitive Behavioral background looking at how your thoughts can influence your feelings and behaviors and developing coping skills to manage thoughts and better regulate feelings. My main goal in therapy is to meet the client where they are at and provide treatment and support based on the goals and needs of the client. I am very energetic, positive, and down to earth while also being mindful to match my client’s energy and personality.

Life can be hard... And we don’t have to do it alone. I work with couples and individuals ranging in issues of anxiety, depression, grief/loss, self esteem, relationships, and parenting. My own painful experiences, and the work I have done to heal, have afforded me the ability to be present and sit with people in their own pain. I have a natural inclination to seek out deep connection with people which informs my work with clients. This can help my clients to deepen connections with others, outside of the room. I work with couples to strengthen connection, deepen intimacy, and find their voice within the partnership.

There are things that happen in life that we try to overcome on our own but realize it has become too much to handle alone. You may be experiencing work related stress, conflict in your relationships, shame, grief, anxiety, depression, or a trauma. As a Therapist I want to support you heal those parts of yourself that hold you back. My goal is to support you in navigating, refining or developing skills to improve and enhance your life. I want to help restore, renew and heal yourself, relationships, life or work. Psychotherapy can be a difficult process; It is important to feel comfortable and safe as you go on this journey.

Coping with illness, injury, disability, or medical trauma is one of life’s most difficult challenges. It forever affects how we view ourselves, our bodies, our relationships, and how our lives were “supposed” to go. These experiences are also impacted by everything else we have been through in our lives. Each of us will inevitably experience being a care-giver or a care-recipient, and specialized therapeutic support can help you navigate the specific difficulties that illness or any health issues present. At any age, stage, or severity of illness or injury, cultivating resilience is possible. You aren't alone.

I am a bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) licensed clinical psychologist who provides psychotherapy services to adults, children, adolescents families. I support clients in fostering resilience and in building more meaningful, connected relationships. In therapy, I take a supportive, curious, nonjudgemental stance. My clients struggle with issues related to depression, anxiety, loss, adoption, psychological trauma, childhood development, parenting, and everyday stressors.

An exploration of your childhood, relationships and deepest self can be a beautiful and powerful journey.Together we can develop a curiosity and exploration of vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of challenges and hardship. I work with you in a collaborative way to understand together the obstacles to having healthy and meaningful relationships. If you feel stuck and unable to understand some of your own behaviors and choices we can talk together and begin to find words to understand your experience. I have a warm style of relating and can at times bring humor to our work.

My work is guided by the tenet, Life is Relationship. If we can trust our stories to a therapist, that therapeutic relationship can transform us. Self-acceptance, and calm return. I listen compassionately to others to understand what is inhibiting their motivation and self-confidence. I consider lifestyle practices, relationships, use of substances; healthy and unhealthy habits, and one's sense of belonging. My clients and I together identify what helps them change. Some practices and tools I use to guide my work are: talk therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness and stress management practices derived from Yogic philosophy and practices.

I am a bilingual bicultural psychotherapist working with adults and couples who are having problems in their relationships and/or who feel badly about themselves or their life situation. The in-depth work I do focuses on one's feelings and significant relationships - past and present. With compassion and deep personal respect, I help my clients to deal with the painful issues, losses and complex struggles of living. I work well with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, parenting issues, inter-racial couples, life transitions, loss, and trauma; toward repairing the relationships that are inevitably affected by these problems.

I have worked as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist for over 25 years. I work with individuals and couples with a broad range of psychological and relationship problems. I very much enjoy the sociocultural diversity of the Bay Area and my psychotherapy practice reflects this diversity. Helping people maximize their individual potential is a never-ending source of satisfaction. I have special interests in relationship issues, women's issues, cultural concerns, and health-related problems. I also enjoy helping people find a balance between the demands of work, self, spirit and family.

When grief hasn't been fully addressed, it can look like depression, anxiety, isolation, addictive behaviors to escape the pain, workaholism, relationships that are fragile, a lack of motivation, or feeling overwhelming resentment and bitterness. And grief can occur after a variety of losses that many people don't realize: divorce, moving, graduation, empty nest, retirement, an impactful change in financial position or physical abilities, a pandemic. My clients acutely feel how unresolved grief has become an impediment to living their lives in full, having healthy relationships, and having the energy to go after their goals.

Therapy is neither magic nor science, but I believe that therapy has the potential to be magical and transformative. I offer a warm, supportive environment to help individuals explore deep trauma as well as ordinary issues that impact daily life and long-term goals. I strive to inspire creativity through nature, and incorporate creative arts into my practice. My specialties: LGBTQQ issues/identity, working through grief/loss, helping with political wounding, healing survivors of domestic violence/sexual assault, positive aging, body image, building long-term relationships, and life transitions. A veteran career counselor, I've over 7 years of experience providing career counseling and coaching.

It isn't difficult to feel scared, vulnerable and not good enough in our complex world, let alone if you have a history of being abused or neglected. Therapy can help you slowly make sense of the past so that you can encounter the present moment with more awareness and vigor. I am psychotherapist with an abiding love of the arts and often work with sensitive and creative individuals, many of whom have histories of abuse/neglect and are struggling to make sense of their past and present lives in order to find a greater sense of freedom/comfort within their own skins.

Finding a therapist can be a hard and vulnerable process, and I feel honored that you are considering me. I believe that psychotherapy is a collaborative relationship which starts with the connection we build together. My approach to therapy prioritizes sex positivity and gender inclusive practices. I love to work with clients that identify in the queer, kinky/BDSM and poly/non-monogmomous communities! I earned my BA Women and Gender Studies at Mills College in Oakland, and my MA in Psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley. I worked in sex-positive activism, heading programs, and running workshops and trainings.

Psychotherapy is an opportunity to develop a new compassionate understanding of yourself and your relationship to others. Whether you are looking for symptom relief or personal growth, the work of psychotherapy begins with establishing a trusting relationship with the therapist who will be your guide, ally, and occasionally your nemesis in exploration. I encourage my clients to become relentlessly curious about themselves by carefully looking at their past and present relationships and the patterns of their emotional and psychological lives.