Play Therapy in Oakland, CA

I work with individuals of all ages, including couples and families, to foster emotional health and equilibrium. Together, we build a positive therapeutic relationship to explore patterns and find solutions. I bring a tailored approach to treatment that draws on elements of attachment theory, strength-based therapy, mindfulness, ACT, and CBT. I apply these approaches to support clients, including teens and young adults facing anxiety and depression, adults and couples navigating relationships, couples preparing for children, and parents seeking support in achieving work-family-personal balance.

I currently have openings for children, adults, couples, and families at my Oakland office.

I have extensive experience working with adults and children as young as 3. I specialize in helping children other therapists describe as "difficult to treat," including children who are traumatized, emotionally unregulated, physically aggressive, or have difficulty connecting with adults and caregivers. I will work with your child whose needs have not been met in schools or by other therapists. I help children through play, physical movement, games, art, and words. I help overwhelmed parents with sound psychological guidance. I have fourteen years' experience and I teach and train other therapists.

I provide psychotherapy for adults, teenagers and children, consultation regarding parenting issues, and play therapy for children with behavioral or emotional issues. My work with adults has covered a broad spectrum - from people who are having problems with relationships or need help with stress management and coping skills, to people suffering from anxiety disorders and depression. I specialize in women's issues and life transitions. My goal is to help people get through difficult and challenging times and see opportunities for growth.

Are you worried about your child? Are they having trouble in school? Not making friends? Has being a parent become really stressful? Parenting is always a challenge and can be even harder if your child is having emotional or behavioral difficulties. My goals are to help children reach their maximum potential emotionally, socially, and behaviorally and help parents be empowered and have more effective parenting skills. I specialize in working with children who have emotional, behavioral and academic difficulties including ADHD, anxiety, depression, poor frustration tolerance, loss of a loved one, trauma, family conflict, and interpersonal relationship difficulties.

Are you looking to heal from trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, experiences with abuse and family violence? Or years of navigating systemic oppression? Are you motivated to develop into your most joyful and resilient self? Let me help you metabolize pain into triumph. I’ve been helping individuals, families and groups transcend trauma, abuse and grief for over 10 years in California and Hawai’i. I have a liberatory and integrative approach that is authentic, collaborative, warm, creative and joyful.

I believe every person and family is unique and there are many ways to raise a healthy child. I want to honor the strengths within you and your family and offer the tools and support to help your child and family thrive. Through a trauma-informed lens, I work extensively with youth, parents, and families on life transitions, healthy communication, and processing/ healing from grief or abuse.

Selecting the right therapist is essential- here is some information about me and my practice to help inform your decision. I am a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with children and adolescents. I work collaboratively with parents in creation of goals and throughout the course of treatment. Through play I help children to; express difficult feelings, resolve internal conflicts, learn adaptive ways to cope, and to develop resiliency. I offer free phone consultations in order to help determine if I am the right therapist for your child.

Through counseling, I support individuals, couples and families to identify patterns in behavior and communication. Our work together will be collaborative and strengths-based. It will encourage shifts in the family to promote healthy expression of emotions and communication to improve relationships. I use a directive style of communication and an active and integrative approach. I encourage parents, caregivers and other family members to be involved in the therapeutic process.

Therapy is a deeply personal experience and there are as many reasons to seek therapy as there are people who seek it. Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, or shame. You may have suffered traumas or losses and are wondering how these shape your thoughts, feelings and relationships. Maybe you simply have a sense that aspects of your life are not coming together in the ways you desire. Therapy is a space to explore these curiosities, to develop insight into your self, and, ultimately, to find greater fulfillment in your work, relationships, and play.

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.

If you are looking for down to earth & collaborative therapy, I'd be happy to see how I can be of help. I'm dedicated to providing a therapeutic environment that is inclusive, welcoming, culturally humble, compassionate and thoughtful. In addition to treating depression, anxiety and trauma, I specialize in 1. Relational Trauma (when someone has been repeatedly hurt by a loved one, community, institution and/or society), 2. Religious Trauma (when theology, culture and/or religious leader/community has caused shame, fear and pain) and 3. Child/Adolescent Therapy (for ADHD, school refusal, social struggles, depression and anxiety).

When individuals, couples, families or children make the difficult decision to come to therapy they are usually feeling stuck and often scared. Each of us has our own strength and wisdom which we don't see when we are troubled. My goal is for us to work together to rediscover those qualities. I use a cattail plant as a symbol of how I see therapy. Why? Cattails are found stuck in a marsh and often regarded as weeds. But when looked at carefully they are graceful and strong. Let me help you find your strength and grace.

Life guarantees each of us joy and despair. And yet, our highly individualistic culture seems to over promote self sufficiency. I've found that life transitions, relational and professional challenges are considerably more manageable with consistent support. Through reflection, collaborative brainstorming and guidance in noticing response patterns, clients in my care become more aware. This growing self awareness uncovers outdated beliefs, surfaces issues that need tending and, most importantly, gives folks more agency around their daily life choices. I enjoy this discovery process with individuals, couples and parent/child teams.

In my practice, I see children, adolescents and adults who are seeking help for a variety of reasons. Common areas of need include depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and relationship difficulties. With children, these concerns may express themselves through externalizing behaviors at school and/or at home. I offer an open, non-judgmental, and safe therapeutic relationship. My approach is adapted carefully to individual needs and is inclusive in regard to gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, culture, class, and religious/spiritual orientation. I work with many LGBTQ+ individuals in my practice.

While all people experience challenges throughout life, we each suffer in different ways and, as a result, develop a unique style of dealing with stress. During difficult times, ways of coping that once worked often lose their effectiveness. Even after identifying a problem or unhealthy pattern, it may be difficult to resolve the issue without the necessary support. Therapy often involves an increased curiosity toward one's emotional experience, and over time, awareness of how feelings relate to behavior. This allows for a deeper understanding of who we are and can help us approach problems and conflicts in healthier ways.

If you or your child have been struggling with anxiety, panic, stress, trauma fears/phobias, low mood, or relationship/peer conflicts you have landed in the right place. I have had the honor of helping people for more than 22 yrs overcome their struggles and find or regain a greater sense of wellbeing. Several trauma-informed approaches are used but I believe the therapeutic relationship is a key factor in the therapy process. I aim to provide a therapeutic space that feels accepting, warm, empowering, and active while always bearing in mind the need for trust and safety at the center of our work together.

I am a licensed psychotherapist specializing in child and teen counseling. Families come to my practice feeling lost, worried and some at the recommendation of a school counselor, lawyer, friend or pediatrician. Many parents have read multiple books and tried various interventions at home or at school without success. This can feel frustrating and upsetting, although it is a motivating starting place. What these families all have in common is concern for a child who is struggling in some way and in need of a child counselor. I offer child counseling, family counseling, family mediation, reunification, and parent support.

I am well trained as a licensed Clinical Psychologist with more than 20 years of experience providing individual therapy to children, adolescents and adults. I strive to create a genuine relationship with my clients to allow for collaborative exploration of the areas in their lives that interfere with personal fulfillment. My approach also involves listening actively, building trust, being curious, providing empathy, and making direct comments to help my clients develop greater awareness about themselves and the patterns in their lives that cause emotional distress or relationship difficulties. This allows my clients to grow and to live more meaningful lives.