Therapy is hard, but it doesn’t have to be a drag.
You’ve probably arrived here because you’re worried about your child and you’re wondering if therapy can help.
I use humor, play, and art to engage children and adolescents in therapy. My clients build confidence, learn to make better decisions, and increase their connections with others.
I’m available in person at my Rockridge office in Oakland, and online throughout California.
I’m a Bay Area native, fluent in English and Spanish, and bicultural; and I have provided therapy and therapeutic services to children and families for over 16 years.
Common problems that people come to me for include:
Children whose parents are separating (or have divorced)
Behavior challenges at home or at school
Neurodivergence and self-esteem
Social anxiety, isolation, or school avoidance
Complex trauma and Grief processing
While therapy is serious, and I deeply respect the challenges that my clients come to me with, my approach isn’t overly formal or stuffy.
My clients experience me as friendly, engaged, and (sometimes) funny. Parents and caregivers can expect me to work alongside them as a partner in helping their children develop confidence, good judgment, and persistence in doing hard things.
Play therapy for children
Play therapy is an evidenced based modality that helps children process challenging emotions in a safe space. I have extensive experience using play therapy to help young children overcome excessive worry, anger and irritability, depression, trauma, and grief.
Don’t be surprised if you ask your child “what did you talk about in therapy today?” and they respond, “nothing, we just played!” Children’s play is their way of communicating their feelings and experiences.
A skilled play therapist will reflect and validate these feelings during play, mirroring the child’s experiences and helping them process their emotions. It’s common for children to think that they’re “just playing,” even though important work is getting done.
Teens and Young Adults
Adolescence is a challenging stage for anyone, and teens dealing with depression, relationship problems, low school performance, or social and family stress have it even more difficult.
Through my experience of working with young people in schools, juvenile hall, and in the community, I have developed an honest approach that respects the young person’s autonomy and independence.
Young people who come to me can expect that I will hear them out and listen to what they want from therapy.
While much of my work is done in my office, I have found it useful to talk to young people while doing something active like walking or playing catch. This type of ‘walk and talk’ therapy is something that I offer on a case by case basis as appropriate. Please ask about it if you’re interested!
Parents and Caregivers
My work with children always involves their caregivers, but sometimes it is helpful for parents to engage in their own work instead. I am happy to offer individual therapy to adults, especially those who are parents and caregivers.
Afterall, the choices we make as adults impact our relationship with our children and a parent who seeks out their own therapy is modeling self-care for their child while ensuring that they have the emotional resources needed to meet their child’s needs.
If you are interested to working with me as a parent, I can draw from my experience working with a diverse range of families to help you figure out ways to improve your confidence as a parent, increase your self-compassion, and meet your child’s needs in a way that is consistent with your family’s values.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a therapy session?
Sessions last 50 minutes. We typically meet once per week.
How much does it cost?
My fee for individuals of any age is $200 per 50-minute session. I also offer longer sessions at a pro-rated rate (for example, my fee for a 90-minute family therapy session would be $360).
I do not accept insurance at this time, but I can provide an invoice (or ‘super bill’) for you to request a reimbursement from your insurance provider.
Ask your insurance provider if they reimburse for out of network services.
How long does it take to see results?
Therapy can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, or longer depending on your goals and needs.
I will work with you to establish goals that feel important to you and we will come back to these goals to make sure that we are making progress and making good use of our time together.
When we feel that you have met your goals or that therapy is no longer serving you, we begin the process of ending therapy.
What is your cancellation policy?
I ask that you give 48 hours advanced notice for cancellations. If you cancel later than 48 hours before the session, you will be charged the full amount.