Tel: 925-216-7690
Psychotherapy for Adults
Berkeley, CA

Why Therapy?
Therapy is an opportunity to deepen your understanding and acceptance of yourself. It is a collaborative process and a meeting of two unique individuals. Therapy is different with each client because each person has a unique inner world and language. This process requires courage, curiosity, and patience as we often navigate unknown territory.
It is my experience that symptoms diminish, emotional distress decreases, and growth proceeds when clients can talk openly and honestly about their lives and feel their way through their problems with someone who is emotionally available and an empathetic listener.
My focus on relational psychodynamic therapy means that I pay attention to how our early and most intimate relationships impact our internal world and how we relate to friends, partners, children, colleagues, and others in our present life. It is in part through our therapeutic relationship that we can glean important information about how you relate to others and become more aware of the ways you have learned to protect and defend yourself after getting hurt.
I also integrate cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into my work. CBT focuses on examining your thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the world and exploring their impact on your feelings and behavior. The goal of CBT in my work is to develop more awareness and freedom in how you think, feel, and live.
Therapy is an opportunity to:
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Speak freely and explore what’s on your mind
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Heal from trauma
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Know yourself more deeply
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Connect with yourself
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Be taken care of
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Learn to care for yourself
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Enhance communication
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Build healthy relationships
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Explore your needs, wants, and wishes
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Alleviate emotional suffering
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Clarify ideas and goals
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Manage drug and alcohol use
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Explore struggles with sexuality and gender identity
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Get help with decision making
Specialty & Clinical Interest
Young adults
I specialize in working with young adult issues, identity development, life transition, and first-generation students. Separating from your family, navigating new relationships, and discovering your path and interests are some of the unique challenges in this period of life. I have over four years of experience working in university counseling centers providing individual and group therapy to students, staff, and faculty.
Graduate students, staff and faculty
Having been a graduate student myself and spending years working at several universities have made me very familiar with the challenges of working in the unique and stressful world of academia.
Relationship issues
I believe that a lot of psychological suffering and distress can be addressed in the context of working through relationship difficulty. I have found that symptoms related to anxiety and depression can be addressed when feelings, needs, wishes, and wants in important relationships are explored. You will likely find that your communication improves when you are more aware of your feelings.
Social anxiety
I work with clients who identify as shy, sensitive, introverted, or having low-self-esteem. These are not pathological or clinical terms, in fact, some of them are unique strengths. You may identify as having some of these traits and not others. Regardless, people who identify as having these traits have unique challenges in the world and often feel anxious and misunderstood in social situations.