Psychologist

The Holding Space: A Group for Moms to Build Emotional Resilience

December 8, 2021 by Deborah Pollack

The Holding Space is a 12-week group therapy for moms with postpartum anxiety and depression. We strive to offer a space of hope and healing where mothers’ feelings can be held with compassion, acceptance, and non-judgment. Designed by a psychiatrist and a psychologist with decades of experience treating mothers with anxiety and depression, the group helps participants learn to:

Reduce anxiety
Decrease self-criticism
Manage emotional triggers
Increase self-acceptance
Be more present with themselves and their kids
2021 – 2022 groups will be held online via zoom with two group leaders (either Dr. Pollack or Dr. Broudy and a therapist co-leader). Group sessions will be once a week for 90 minutes for 12 weeks.

Participants will be asked to complete several brief interviews and questionnaires, all online, so that we can study the effectiveness of the group.

To participate in the group you must:
Be 18+ years old
Have current symptoms of anxiety and/or depression that started or worsened within one year postpartum
Have one or more children under 5 years old
Have internet access to participate in online group sessions
Further eligibility will be determined over a screening interview

Deborah Pollack

December 8, 2021 by Deborah Pollack

Raising children can be one of the most joyous parts of life, but it’s also filled with many challenges. Our kids evoke complex and powerful feelings in us, often right in the moment when we need to act fast to figure out how to respond. Parenting books and classes give helpful strategies, but strong emotions can cloud our judgment and our abilities to put those strategies into practice. This is why we believe that many parents can benefit from therapy designed to help them work through and better manage their feelings.

Our program offers both individual and group therapy for parents who are struggling with feelings towards their children and in their role as parents.

Jennifer Quan

October 28, 2021 by Jennifer Quan

Rooted in trauma-informed social justice and holistic perspectives, I’m passionate about facilitating transformative healing processes and empowering skill-building with people of all ages. Together, we can attend to what is happening and needed on the levels of mind, heart, body, and spirit for healing trauma and nurturing resilience.

You can expect me to be warm and curious, honest and engaged, open-minded and deeply affirming. I hold deep appreciation for multicultural experience and identity, and it’s especially meaningful for me to work with people who are marginalized by institutions of power and privilege.

I move through the world as a second generation Asian American woman, empath, life long learner, auntie, evolving spirit, and lover of nature, creative expression, and embodied movement. I believe in the power of joy, vulnerability, and authentic expression in forging a path towards personal and collective liberation.

Stephanie McWoods

August 17, 2021 by Stephanie McWoods

As a therapist I aim to provide a space that is beautiful, safe, and healing for folks who have few said spaces in the world. I aim to challenge the status quo, -isms, and White Supremacy. I have spent many of my years living and surviving in these oppressive systems that were not created for me or my people. In learning to adapt and “succeed” in these systems that do not appreciate nor nourish my spirit I have transitioned to unapologetically making space for myself and thriving. I found that in being unapologetically me I have no limits to my abilities, dreams, or connections. In my work with clients, I invite them to take the leap of letting go of socially constructed views of how they should be or exist and rather settle into what they desire and what works for them. I believe life can be easy and liberating when we step outside of these oppressive and limiting systems.

I encourage clients to live their best lives unapologetically and ruthlessly. I support clients with addressing trauma, emotional hang-ups, anxiety, depression, as well as celebrating the journey to self-discovery and re-centering.

Since 2017, I have provided a number of specialized therapeutic services to those who identify as BIPOC, Queer, Gender Non Conforming, or Trans dealing with challenging life experiences. My client’s well-being is a priority, and I go above and beyond to support them through their obstacles.

I work with individuals, couples, families, groups, and organizations. I help to restore relational balance and authenticity. I provide a healing space that is welcoming to those who hold marginalized identities. My style is direct, collaborative, conversational and affirming. I use a decolonized, social justice oriented lens and focus on race-based trauma and historical trauma. I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy.

Pregnancy Loss Skills and Support Group

July 13, 2021 by Sharon Humphrey

This small, intimate support group is for women who have experienced
miscarriage, involuntary abortion, stillbirth, or early infant loss. The
hope is that participants will feel connected and supported through this
group as they begin to understand and adjust to the many challenging
feelings that develop once a pregnancy or infant is lost.

Strict confidentiality is maintained and participation in the discussion is
completely optional. Sometimes, just being with others who have had a
similar experience can be comforting.
Losing a baby is an isolating and devastating experience. We support
bereaved mothers by naming the incredible challenges they are
experiencing, knowing that this group is one of the few places they can
speak the truth about the depth of their emotions and the details of their
experience.

Mona Ghosheh

March 11, 2021 by Mona Ghosheh

You were brought up to talk a certain way, live a certain way, look a certain way and love a certain way. But deep down, you don’t believe much of that anymore. So, you hide. You don’t want to be a disappointment to your friends & family. The constant pushing down of your beliefs, thoughts, and feelings is killing you and getting harder and harder to keep from spilling onto every part of your life. I help millennials dig out from under the mess. To accept & celebrate all aspects of their identities and to improve their relationships both in and out.

I specialize in helping 20 to 30 somethings who struggle with identity concerns, cultural issues, self-esteem, relationship problems, as well as depression and anxiety. I have extensive experience working with college & graduate students as well as young professionals. I love helping people live their truth, effortlessly and without fear.

It’s my mission to make the healing process accessible and comfortable. That’s why my sessions are online through a private and easy to use video platform (like Skype). To begin, contact me to schedule a FREE 15-min phone consultation. I can help you take the next step towards a life worth living.

Healing the Earth Body: Movement and Meditation Group

September 21, 2020 by Vickie Chang

Deep within each of us lies powerful medicine. This drop-in group will help you to connect with the wholeness and dignity that is your birthright. With the use of various awareness practices in stillness and movement, we will open to the wisdom in our bones and practice touching each moment with all of our senses. As a community, we will call on our ancestors and the earth to support us in healing.

–Priya Nagesh is a yoga teacher, therapist, and Reiki practitioner based in Tiruvannamalai, India. She has over a decade’s experience using yoga therapy for a wide range of chronic and acute conditions. A variety of practices from Yoga, Reiki and Indian Thought are integrated into her personal practice, therapy, and group sessions.

-For the past 30 years, Jenn Biehn has taught Tai Chi Chih through accessible, easy-to-learn movements that emphasize soft continuity of motion. She loves embodying the heart qualities such as compassion, equanimity, generosity, gratitude as she practices the movements, grounding with mother earth. A certified instructor of Tai Chi Chih, Jenn teaches at the East Bay Meditation Center and Oakland Dimond Library.

–Vickie Chang is a Chinese-American psychologist based in Berkeley/Oakland. She will offer movement (tai chi/qi gong), meditation (vipassana, body scan, lovingkindness meditation), and other somatic practices she has found useful in her personal, individual, and group work.

*No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Mike Johnson

August 29, 2020 by Michael Johnson

You ever feel like cocooning? You know, when you just want to shut out the world. For many, it happens when relating to others feels draining, work is no longer fulfilling, or when it’s hard to feel good about anything. Life feels so heavy that it’s as if there’s no way out. This is how depression and anxiety can feel.

Depression, anger, shame and anxiety can rob us of a sense of control over our lives. But there is hope. You can feel energized and joyful again. Life can feel light and fun. You can have a reason to smile again. Through a collaborative relationship, we can help you to figure out the causes of your distress and develop a plan for taking back control.

I’ve spent two decades helping people remove obstacles to living a more fulfilling life. To start, we’ll discuss your functioning, goals for therapy and our plan to help you achieve those goals. We’ll identify changes you can make to experience a life of freedom and optimism. You can start to reclaim your life from depression and anxiety now by contacting me.

Couples Institute Counseling

July 3, 2020 by Michelle Joy

Our group of expert therapists specializes in counseling services for couples and individuals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and online. We help couples overcome difficulties and evolve as individuals and as a team; increasing understanding and love.

The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy explains normal and natural stages and struggles that growing couples encounter. The model provides a structure for couples therapy by identifying the developmental tasks, developmental stalemates, diagnosis and specific treatment interventions for each stage of development.

When Ellyn and Pete’s first book, “In Quest of the Mythical Mate” was first published in 1988, the theory of couples going through stages with predictable challenges and opportunities for growth was a new one. Since then it has been widely accepted, and the Bader-Pearson Developmental Model continues to grow and incorporate new depths of understanding.

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

June 22, 2020 by Christhmus Presence

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

🏾 Bla ck Teen Group – ages 14-19, Tuesday 2-3:30PM, centering being a Black teen, covid, and community

🏽 Asi an 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

🏾 BIP OC 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

Join |

Groups |

Log In