Communication Problems

Teen Empowerment Group

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For teens who are survivors of violence, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying, school or community violence, parental substance abuse, who have witnessed violence in their home, or have experienced any other child maltreatment.

This group focuses on self-esteem building, healthy relationships, gaining a sense of community and skills for growth, and helping teens access their own strength and courage to claim a healthy and positive future.

Parents, the reality of teen trauma is painful and overwhelming. Figuring out how to begin the healing process can be confusing. You want to protect your teen and ensure their safety and happiness. When you see your child suffering, it hurts.

We understand, and we are here to help.

Any of this sound familiar in regards to your teen:

– Anxiety or worry

– Falling grades

– Persistent sadness, lack of energy, changes in sleep or appetite, withdrawing from normal activities, or feeling “down”

– Changes in self-care, such as paying less attention to hygiene, appearance, or fashion than they usually do

Our Teen Empowerment Group is hands down the best way to help your teen:

–  Understanding of the symptoms of trauma to support self-regulation

– Develop greater understanding of themselves and their needs in a safe and supportive community so that they can set self-directed boundaries 

– Experience mindfulness-based practices to induce and deepen relaxation 

– Increase self-compassion in order to reduce self-criticism and self-blame

We are here to help your teen engage in the body and mind through arts based expression in order to heal and re-connect with joy and purpose.

NEXT Step? Email our office to schedule a brief phone chat with leaders Melissa or Megan. We would be delighted to answer any questions you have about the group. We look forward to hearing from you!

Expressive arts is an evidence based practice that provides practical tools for healing and emotional growth. Some art modalities we will use include; drawing, painting, collage, mixed media and digital art or photography. No experience or skill with art making is necessary to benefit from art therapy.

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Laura Schmidt

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I entered the clinical field of psychotherapy from a background in experiential education and adventure therapy in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. After receiving my MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Syracuse University, New York, in 1999, I worked as a therapist and advocate for survivors of sexual trauma for four years at the Syracuse Rape Crisis Center. I restored from this demanding work by competing internationally as a professional road cyclist alongside Olympians on the World Cup Circuit–one of the most invigorating experiences of my life. The two jobs complemented each other remarkably well. Work hard and restore hard was my motto!

In 2003, I moved to Spokane from Syracuse, NY, with my spouse, who is a philosophy professor at Gonzaga University. (Go Zags!) While building my private practice, I consulted with the GU Administration on developing their sexual assault response policy and taught a senior seminar to GU Psychology majors for several years, introducing them to the field of family systems therapy.

I was unexpectedly introduced to IFS and its founder, Dr. Richard Schwartz, in 2008. Following that workshop, my foundation for the Model was built working individually with Dick for a year. After years of intensive training, supervision and clinical practice, I became a Certified IFS Therapist in 2010. I continue to consult with Dick regularly and have maintained therapy and supervision with two IFS Lead Trainers for over twelve years.

I’m passionate about teaching IFS and supporting clinicians doing their own work so they can be more Self led, effective and energized.  I lead IFS consultation and process groups for healing professionals around the world. I assist at IFS Trainings and lead IFS workshops.

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Elana Morgulis

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As a psychotherapist, I work on the level of the heart. I bring warmth, presence, deep empathy, and unconditional compassion to my clients. My work is grounded in mindfulness which allows us to open up to our experience with presence and compassion which supports change rather than judgment which keeps us stuck. I believe we have a natural capacity for growth, healing, and self-actualization which often gets blocked by our beliefs. I blend mindfulness based therapies such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Somatic Awareness with other evidence-based modalities such as Internal Family Systems and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. I also draw from Non-Violent Communication to teach effective communication skills.

What I love most about doing therapy is helping people find self-love and grow their self-worth. I’m passionate about providing an emotionally safe and physically comfortable space for people to connect with themselves and express their deepest truths. I feel a deep honor to be a compassionate witness, support, and guide through times of both darkness and light.

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Relational Growth Group for Bodies of Culture

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For adults who are ready to go from internal turmoil and suffering as the result of old wounds to thriving with internal safety and social confidence!

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to better understand your inner world and how to:

– slow down or completely stop being triggered & high jacked

– quiet the inner critic or inner perfectionist that sabotages your greatest efforts

– release yourself from the grip of stuck, stale and painful relationship patterns

This group uses Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a foundation for teaching about parts of your personality and exploring how they interact with each other. Group members will learn to recognize and identify those emotions, thoughts and reactions that create internal and external challenges throughout life. Sessions will include getting to know those parts of ourselves, and learning how to access the core qualities of a Self that is present within all of us. 

With others, you will have an opportunity to:

– Work through discomfort and anxiety so that you can achieve the level of closeness and intimacy you desire

– Courageously connect with vulnerability and anger rather than engaging in avoidance and repression

– Experiment with expression of Self which will help you to increase assertiveness, self-confidence and calm

– Practice welcoming all of your parts while increasing presence, awareness and mindfulness

IFS is a powerful tool that can help you achieve greater well-being and balance by not only becoming more aware of these internal patterns, but by going toward them with curiosity and compassion to better understand and heal them. 

Get to know your Self better, understand why you act the way you do, and develop a toolkit you can use to empower your sense of courage and creativity.

NEXT Step? Email our office to schedule a brief phone chat with leaders Karla. We would be delighted to answer any questions you have about the group and support you with preparing for the learning and growing experience ahead.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

All Identity Adult Relational Growth Group

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For accomplished adults who are ready to go from internal turmoil and suffering as the result of old wounds to thriving with internal safety and social confidence!

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to better understand your inner world and how to:

– slow down or completely stop being triggered & high jacked

– quiet the inner critic or inner perfectionist that sabotages your greatest efforts

– release yourself from the grip of stuck, stale and painful relationship patterns

This group uses Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a foundation for teaching about parts of your personality and exploring how they interact with each other. Group members will learn to recognize and identify those emotions, thoughts and reactions that create internal and external challenges throughout life. Sessions will include getting to know those parts of ourselves, and learning how to access the core qualities of a Self that is present within all of us. 

With others, you will have an opportunity to:

– Work through discomfort and anxiety so that you can achieve the level of closeness and intimacy you desire

– Courageously connect with vulnerability and anger rather than engaging in avoidance and repression

– Experiment with expression of Self which will help you to increase assertiveness, self-confidence and calm

– Practice welcoming all of your parts while increasing presence, awareness and mindfulness

IFS is a powerful tool that can help you achieve greater well-being and balance by not only becoming more aware of these internal patterns, but by going toward them with curiosity and compassion to better understand and heal them. 

Get to know your Self better, understand why you act the way you do, and develop a toolkit you can use to empower your sense of courage and creativity.

NEXT Step? Email our office to schedule a brief phone chat with Karla. We would be delighted to answer any questions you have about the group and support you with preparing for the learning and growing experience ahead.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

6 UNIQUE Black-Indigenous-People-Of-Color (BIPOC) Telehealth Groups [times in description]

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 6 UNIQUE Black, Indigenous, and/or People-Of-Color (BIPOC) Online Therapy Groups in California Opening This Week

Calling In:
  • Clients who may be served
  • Those who can share this message to support their communities
  • Those down to 1:1 or connect me to community folx to share this with
For Further Info / To RSVP or check on available space: https://tinyurl.com/FreeBIPOCGroupTherapies
Group Descriptions: 1 session/week, 90-minutes, 10 sessions, video chat, pay-what-you-may, available now
🏿 Black Adult Group – Tuesday 8:30-10 PM, 21+, 8-10 people, centering being Black and grown, covid, and community
🏾 Black Teen Group – ages 14-19, Tuesday 2-3:30PM, centering being a Black teen, covid, and community
🏽 Asian Pacific American (APA) Group – Tuesday 6:00-7:30 PM, ages 21+, 8-10 members, co-facilitated*, centering restorative justice, covid, and the APA experience
🏼 BIPOC 7th and 8th Grade Group – Thursday 2:00-3:30, 8-10 members, centering covid, restorative justice, and being a POC teen
🏿 BIPOC Adult Group – 8-10 members, 21+, centering covid, restorative justice, and being BIPOC

🏾 BIPOC Law Enforcement Group – 8-10 members, co-facilitated**, centering being BIPOC while working pandemic & protests

About Christhmus (pronoun them at your pleasure):

Christhmus Presence will be facilitating all groups above. They are a 3.5-generation Muwekma Ohlone (San Francisco) land-settler and Chinese-American Queer. Pillars that guide them are liberation psychology, narrative psychology, somatic psychology, spirituality, and expressive arts. Tools held in support of self-resourcing, clarity, and ancestral connectivity include meditation, Tapping, and Brainspotting. They enjoy plants, creative expression, the power of community, and being in water. MFTI/PCCI supervised by Josie Valderrama, License# Psy27913.

*About Lai (pronouns she/her/hers):

Lai Chien is a 0-generation Hong Kong born cisgender Chinese-Vietnamese American by way of North Carolina, Georgia, and finally landing in the east bay of Oakland/Alameda.

She is a harm-reduction focused, strength-based, and change-oriented therapist utilizing narrative psychology, motivational interviewing and DBT concepts such as radical acceptance to empower growth and promote well-being. She can be found tending to her aquariums, cooking and/or eating, days at the beach and planning the next camping trip.  

AMFT #98435 supervised by Sandra Stultz, LMFT #43047 of Sankofa Holistic Counseling Services www.sankofatherapy.com

**About Annie (she/her pronouns):

Annie Chen is a marriage family therapist who has been helping people have better relationships with one another and themselves for over ten years. She is the author of a book on attachment theory and uses tools that are informed by neuroscience, trauma, and somatic psychology. She worked as a therapist for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Youth and Family Services Bureau from 2011-2014 and is interested in supporting those at the forefront of reforming law enforcement culture for the benefit of all. CA License# 80025

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Raven Fisher

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Whatever circumstances you may be facing, I am here to walk with you through it. It is my desire to help you live a healthier, more fulfilling life. I specialize in anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, self-esteem/identity issues, life transitions, and women’s issues. I provide a safe space for individuals to develop personal insight and awareness into the unique parts that make up their entire being. I am passionate about traveling with clients on their personal life path and empowering people to flourish.
My approach to psychotherapy blends psychodynamic and existential theoretical orientations with some acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Each orientation emphasizes a different time era – past, future, and present – all of which are necessary in the psychotherapeutic process to promote holistic mental health.
I currently offer video and phone sessions. I accept BCBS PPO or self-pay.

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