Depression

Managing Depression and Anxiety Holistically: A Skills and Support Group

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This group provides an encouraging, non-judgmental space to establish self-care practices to manage symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Along with solution-focused goal-setting and tracking tools, we’ll have space to build understanding and compassion for ongoing challenges and blocks that may arise along the way. For the full group description, visit: www.alchemytherapy.org/supportgroup

Schedule:

10 weekly sessions between the dates of March 6th – May 25th

Ongoing day and time TBD based on group member availability – please disregard schedule information input on this listing site

Structure:

Our meetings will blend time for individual check-ins, group experiential practices, skill-shares, and group discussions on topics of interest. The group sessions will be 90 minutes long, all online. We will have the same 6 to 8 members throughout the whole group.

Fees:

Sliding-Scale, $30-$100/week, paid via credit card. Payments for all 10 sessions will be made at the start of the group.

(If the fee range above is prohibitive to your participation, I will reach out if a reduced fee spot becomes available.)

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Managing Depression and Anxiety Holistically: A Skills and Support Group

by

This group provides an encouraging, non-judgmental space to establish self-care practices to manage symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Along with solution-focused goal-setting and tracking tools, we’ll have space to build understanding and compassion for ongoing challenges and blocks that may arise along the way. For the full group description, visit: www.alchemytherapy.org/supportgroup

Schedule:

10 weekly sessions between the dates of March 6th – May 25th

Ongoing day and time TBD based on group member availability

Structure:

Our meetings will blend time for individual check-ins, group experiential practices, skill-shares, and group discussions on topics of interest. The group sessions will be 90 minutes long, all online. We will have the same 6 to 8 members throughout the whole group.

Fees:

Sliding-Scale, $30-$100/week, paid via credit card. Payments for all 10 sessions will be made at the start of the group.

(If the fee range above is prohibitive to your participation, I will reach out if a reduced fee spot becomes available.)

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Sabrina Sierra

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As a therapist, I see myself as a collaborator in an unfolding process of collective liberation. I take a holistic approach grounded in cultural humility and an understanding that our lived identities and ancestral lineages greatly impact our struggles and paths to wellness.

I received an MA in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a BA in Community Studies from UC Santa Cruz. I approach therapy with an interest in spirituality, archetypes, and consciousness. I am also grounded in material realities and bring a critical social justice framework to my practice. Issues related to racism, colonization, and assimilation are key areas of focus for me. Additionally, I have devoted several years to intersectional gender-justice work centered on the experiences of female, trans, and non-binary people, especially youth.

I was born and raised in the Bay Area and identify as mestiza or multiracial with recent generations of my family immigrating from the Philippines and Guatemala. Outside of my family of origin, I’ve found community through participation in DIY & QTPOC arts and music scenes and activist groups.

Tending to ourselves empowers us to more positively evolve our relationships, communities, and world. Supporting you in nurturing self-compassion, connecting to your inner-wisdom, and aligning with your personal values is my intention.

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Chynna Bell

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Chynna is Caribbean American and a Womanist in every way. Her mother’s Trinidadian roots and her father’s Puerto Rican heritage are integral to who she is, how she loves herself and how she loves others. In different counseling iterations over the years, first as a substance abuse counselor and later as a case manager, she watched patients wrestle with their pain while knowing there was a better way but lacking the skills and knowledge. For her it is not about solving issues for her patients, but rather introducing more light for them, so that they are able to see their own path to liberation from pain. Over time, Chynna learned the deep power of curiosity and the roaring strength of silence. She learned to love the non-linear healing and wholeness that inevitably reveals itself to patients. She believes in each patient, and that the goals for change they set out for themselves are attainable. It is imperative to her that it is the patient’s goals, not her own, that are primary. The value she adds to the lives of her patients is that she approaches her work from a strengths-based perspective. In assessment, she spends time identifying her patient’s strengths, because these can often be overlooked. Drawing upon these strengths, Chynna helps patients see their own resources for change and growth. Unlearning long held patterns is important work that requires patience. Having patience as a guide to help patients learn to replace unhelpful patterns is key to developing healthier ways of seeing themselves, others and the world. Chynna knows wellness is achievable so she continues to offer hope and possibility as patients grow towards their goals. Her practice is unique in the way she infuses humor throughout her work. Chynna hopes that patients graduate from working with her feeling confident in their abilities to recognize and meet their needs with deeper knowledge and commitment to their own healing journey.

Anum Rathor

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Anum is a first-generation South Asian American. As a first-generation American, she sees the value in breaking down the stigma surrounding seeking help and the importance of eliminating the negative connotations or assumptions that are attached to therapy. She wishes to be a voice for those that have not found theirs yet. She speaks Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi fluently and is currently learning Arabic. She enjoys working with adolescents, adults, and couples. Anum believes therapy is about creating a safe space for the patient to open up about what they want to address with no judgment. She is driven to make sure her patients feel comfortable, respected, and validated. Through the use of various evidence-based practices, Anum enjoys working with patients to cater to their emotional needs through the use of. She has experience working with people who have experienced trauma, anxiety, and depression as well as with people who engage in substance use and risk behaviors. She feels lucky to have worked with individuals from various sexual orientations, religious, and cultural backgrounds. She wishes for her patients to graduate from therapy feeling liberated and empowered to take on the world and to be able to process their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a healthy way.

LaToya Washington

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LaToya is an African American woman who provides comprehensive counseling and crisis intervention services. Working as a counselor is not only a job but rather a passion. LaToya views her role as a facilitator who helps to guide her patients to and beyond the goals they have set for themselves. She believes it is important to help her patients find their own answers.

One way she adds value to the lives of her patients is by offering space with the opportunity to restore or heal one’s relationships with self and others. LaToya enjoys collaborating with patients to identify and discover their core values and how they can apply them to their current lifestyles.

Dani Salzer

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The journey into and through motherhood invites us to experience intense love and joy, but it also touches our most raw and vulnerable parts. We may experience worries of not being good enough or fears of losing our identity. The practical challenges of becoming a parent (such as breastfeeding and balancing work and home) can be particularly difficult and overwhelming when sleep deprived. Even the strongest/most capable among us sometimes experience stressors that challenge our ability to cope.

The poet John O’Donohue once wrote that our greatest longing is to be seen. I have a warm, accepting style that encourages you to process painful feelings and experiences and move toward healing and growth. My approach is creative and collaborative— based on your unique experience, strengths, and challenges. Drawing from humanistic and experiential theory, I incorporate positive psychology, mindfulness, and expressive arts to help clients accept themselves, challenge maladaptive thoughts, authentically connect with those they care about, and slow down and experience the moment.

As a therapist and mother, I understand how difficult it can be to take time for yourself when you may feel like you are barely keeping up with the demands of life and motherhood. But I also know that taking the time now, to increase self-awareness can move you beyond mere survival and transform your experience of motherhood. I invite you to discover meaning in your new role as a mother, connect with inner strengths and wisdom and recreate harmony and meaning in your life.

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Melissa Villamejor

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As both a therapist and a mother, I understand the complexities and overwhelming feelings that can come with parenthood. Oftentimes it can be difficult to put ourselves first without feeling guilt or shame. I understand, however, the sacredness of everyone’s unique journey and I believe that by taking time to tend to ourselves, it only allows us to love and serve those around us better.

I believe at our core that we are all capable of living as our most authentic selves. I aim to create a nurturing environment to work alongside you and remind you of who that authentic person is. I work from a warm, accepting, and person-centered approach, where you can bring all of who you are to feel seen, heard, and valued.

With over 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families in the fields of education and mental health, I draw from my diverse experiences when working with clients. Being a second generation Asian American woman, I understand the stigma that mental health can hold in communities of color. I know, however, from firsthand experience the effectiveness that therapy can have as a healing tool when we embrace vulnerability and share our challenges. In our work together, I aim to create a safe space where our emotions can be normalized and our healing journey can begin.

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Camara Rajabari

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I am the Great Great Great+ Granddaughter of enslaved Africans and African Freedmen of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation. I stand on their shoulders.

I believe that society is shifting its focus—companies/billionaires are planning to create “metaverses” and it leaves me wondering about the role of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in these new “worlds.” Considering that many of the current roles for communities of color have been that of consumers, are “we” planning to assume the same roles in new worlds?

I am an AfroFuturist and I propose that we RE-Imagine our roles in the new world meta landscape from consumer to CREATOR. I believe we can only do that by REIMAGINING Liberation. So, my contribution is a space for Black, Indigenous, and POC to safely explore lineage healing as a roadmap to a future of our own design—we create our participation from a place of power, imagination, and equity.

The paradox of Ancestor psychotherapy is that it wants us to look back at the past and identify the roots of our suffering to contribute to our future. My theory is that it is in this process we go back and RETRIEVE what is nurturing, what is healing, and what is necessary for our evolutionary journey. This is what the Akan of Ghana refer to as Sankofa.

Ancestral psychotherapy holds that we (BIPOC) are critical shapers of the future and that the key to our survival is rooted in the past wisdom of our Ancestors.

I grew up in a family where social justice was a regular topic of conversation at the kitchen table. My family linked personal success with knowing one’s self, history, and culture as a source of strength. I have worked and lived within a variety of communities and have had the opportunity to learn from many rich cultural traditions. It is important to me to practice cultural humility by being respectful and curious. As a clinician, I believe deeply in the exploration of ancient ancestral wisdom as a psychological resource. Over the last few years, I have been working with traditional African Indigenous practices and honoring the wisdom of plant medicines to help heal generational trauma.

My psychotherapy practice is holistic in its foundation—meaning my primary focus is the whole person. Everything a person brings into therapy is important, valid, and worthy of exploration. I hold sacred the intersectionality of race, age, sexuality, religion, gender, ability, socio-economic background, citizenship status, and more. All identities are welcome in my practice, which I hold with integrity and respect. I work with the understanding that people are multiplicitous and there exist unique relationships to the many parts of the self. As an African American womxn, I understand the importance of linking our mental health to re-remembering our personal narratives and evolving identities. I am an advocate for addressing historical harms and healing intergenerational wounds through trauma-informed practices, that can include ancestral veneration, expressive arts, mindfulness, depth/dream analysis, nature-based spirituality, and the exploration of consciousness.

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