Our child was a late talker, so we did our research and found East Bay Child Development Center…read more(formerly PLTA). From intake to our final class, the staff made sure that the scheduling process was a breeze, and that visits did not fall short of expectations. They have an excellent staff dedicated to your child's development, and the office is pristine. Not just clean; very well kept. I noticed that there wasn't one tear on a book or broken toys. They put lots of effort into upkeep, knowing well that toys and books can take a beating with younger kids. East Bay Child Development Center has terrific speech therapists and therapists specialized in helping in all other types of child development, including but not limited to physical therapy, etc. We went through 2 different speech therapists and 1 or 2 therapy students which was a little harder for our son to grow accustomed to because it would take him awhile to warm up (which I've learned isn't unusual for any development therapy center), but each therapist tried their absolute best to ensure they were giving him the utmost care and attention.

They failed my son after 3 session. Excuses that he doesn't listen, he runs fast that worried about…read moreyounger children there. That speech is not a good fit for him, that his sister runs around the hallways exploring toys and opened doors of offices, about me get a phone call so they discharged him from services. This is racism and discrimination by the way ladies I want to give you suggestions, your office needs a new administration, organisation and functionality. Everybody there seems to go everywhere, I don't know if these people work here are they clients. The back door to the outside was open, this is called dysfunctional. The office receptionist was like his first day to work, confused and looked around like a lost boy. There four people by office were speaking loud and chatting. They failed my son years ago when he was younger because they said he was not ready for speech when I just changed my insurance to get accepted to come here. Now he's 12 years old saying he's not a good fit. Shame on you to say that to me. You can't discharge him that's illegal. My son is trying with his speech and he has rights in California to receive speech therapy any age. Discrimination by the ability, then age, what's next because his sister running around the office and also I was on the phone? For that lady who spoke with me today over the phone couldn't wait on me. And making me feel like I was being fired from the job, she sounded rude and said my daughter was running around the room and I was speaking loud on the phone so the excuse to fail my son. Then changed her words saying he's not a good fit and he runs fast and wants to push the kids. She needs to find more excuses for her to dismiss him. You don't know how hard and challenging to be a mother of autistic kid. I finally thought I have him his speech going and then you locked me up like shutting my mouth. Go see if your speech therapist is the one who has the problem. She too lazy to give speech therapy or has a lack of skills. This is Shameless and discrimination.

La Cheim in Oakland has truly helped save my life. The therapists, groups, medical staff and…read moreoffice staff are all very helpful, insightful and nurturing. All these factors lead to a comfortable and supremely supportive atmosphere. Thanks you all for helping me get my life back on track.! I rate La Cheim 5 out of 5 stars

I had a poor experience. I was looking for a warm and welcoming in person program…read more Besides a short phone call prior to coming, no one supports you with integrating to the program. On your first day, no one has time to give you a tour or help you navigate all the ways they communicate information about programming let alone the building. They have a high requirement for using technology and basically you get all your communication through email and no one speaks to you otherwise. To me it seems like they are under staffed because they can admit more people due to the virtual program part. Thus they don't have time for normal human warmth and support with integrating into the program. They just expect you to understand immediately how they operate with no human assistance . There is no one collaborating with you on how to integrate into the program. When I diplomatically decided the program was not for me they also showed their true colors by not letting me say goodbye to anyone on my team like my therapist. Felt very un- human , having no understanding of the therapeutic relationship; or the therapeutic relationship with a program as a whole. Someone who I had never seen before walked me to the door with no facial goodbyes for the people I worked with. If you are a virtual therapy person maybe you'd like this program.

Dr. Kleinberg is understanding, insightful, and easy to relate to--…read morea very good therapist.

Pretty bad, have to wait a long time to talk to anybody. And when you do they just sit there and…read morelisten and then you walk out wondering did I just talk to a rock? Not very good type of care not very good quality and not a very good office experience. You could do better Kaiser you have all the money in the world. No excuses for your bad behavior here. You should also be ashamed of yourselves.

I cannot recommend Spirited Play Labs highly enough! We have been bringing our two daughters here…read morefor almost a year now, and it has truly become their favorite place to be. It is rare to find a space where children don't just play, but truly thrive. The facility is top-notch and equipped with every amenity the kids could possibly need to stay engaged and happy. It is also one of the few places where I can actually feel relaxed as a parent, knowing they are in a safe, thoughtfully designed environment. What really makes this place special, however, is the incredible staff. They are so caring, patient, and genuinely passionate about helping kids. A special shout-out to Jorga, who manages the place! Her leadership and dedication are evident in every detail, and she goes above and beyond to ensure every family feels welcome and supported. If you are looking for a professional, warm, and high-quality community for your children, this is it. We are so grateful to have found them

A magical place! My 6-year-old son is autistic and it was such a relief to be welcomed by a team…read morethat just gets it. The space is super clean and feels like a kid's dream. There's so much to do, climbing, building, exploring, getting wiggles out, and even a quiet room to chill. You can tell the folks behind it really thought through everything. The vibe, the décor, even the website feel so neurodiverse-affirming. They have tech to help build community around members too. We live in Novato so the distance makes a membership tough right now, but I'm hoping we can join in the summer when school isn't in the way. I'd love to see Spirited Play Labs expand to more places as this is the future IMO (please come to Novato, I'll help!). For families like ours, where typical play spaces can feel stressful or isolating, this place is a true gem, welcoming, thoughtful, and hopeful for the future. Thank you!!!

I worked here for several years and had the opportunity to be part of a great team. The students…read moreand staff are amazing and the work is very fulfilling. Berkeley is also of course a great place to be! :)

As a student of College Internship Program, I have been subjected to quite a few of their…read moreexperiences. One of these reviews said it helped, two others, written by one of the students sons' and his mother, were extremely negative. I'm going to attempt to make this review as non-biased and accurate as I can. It all started out with a lie. I had no idea what to do with my life, so I met up with several staff on their campus who tried to sell me on the program. One of the people was their residential coordinator, and he, among other people, told me things that were untrue. The most prominent one I can think of is saying I could go just about anywhere on the weekends for as long as I'd like. Turns out there was a curfew. This was one of many things they've said. After talking with many of the students, especially the saner ones, I got confirmation I was not the only one they did this to. So I got let in. I ended up going in very last minute, and missed orientation, so I was more unprepared than any other student. I've heard of the staff saying you NEED to attend orientation, and that there are a limited number of people they can let in. Given that people are let in last minute every year, such as myself, I question the truth of that. Anyways. The idea of the program is that they can take all your things and rights/privileges (depending on how you define it) and build you up bit by bit. They took away everything that gave me any sort of independence, as they do to everyone else. Drove me crazy. Sooner or later, they started giving me my independence back, but it was never enough until I got out of the program. There's a reason some students don't succeed at this program and others do. Many don't try, or just flat out refuse to try. This program works best for people who have motivation to do well. They try to motivate the other students, but often the program falls flat on its face. This program gave me friends, and skills I need to survive in the real world. I appreciate it for everything it has done for me, but if I had one piece of advice it would be this: Make sure that your child has the motivation or want to make something out of themselves. Otherwise it's useless and a giant money pit. I'm giving this three stars instead of one, or five, because it is a mixed bag. The price is very high, and you should check out other options as well. That said, it was worth the money to me, and to a handful of other people in the program as well, but make sure your child is prepared for a long, uphill struggle. It's only worth it in the end if you start climbing the mountain in the first place.

The Wright Institute in Berkeley is a great place to receive affordable mental health services…read more It is a private graduate school of psychology specializing in educating clinicians and giving them real world experience before they become professional therapists. These students have done all the course work and need hours in the field of psychology before they get their licenses. I have a therapist I see once a week for part of their semester and it resolves in July. These students are educated and can help you through phase of life challenges. This is my second time receiving counseling and previously I received therapy 10 years ago. They charge on a sliding scale and offer some stability during challenging times. They also offer group therapy sessions and you may drop in whenever your schedule permits and the cost is $15 per session. Although I have not partaken in the group therapy sessions, I have heard many good things about them and considering joining a few. What I like a lot about the Wright Institue is I feel as though the students really try hard and seem to care very much with what you're going through and are very helpful to help you process what your priorities are and what you hope to gain from the therapy sessions. Finding a therapist in the real world is as challenging as finding your partner in life so it can take a while. That's why I feel that the Wright Institute is a great way to get started in therapy. They're located near UC Berkeley campus and the parking can be challenging. But there is affordable metered parking up and down Durant Street and the duration is for 2-4 hours.

I can't give more than two stars for what is, unfortunately without a doubt, the biggest financial…read moreand temporal mistake of my life. But it is not all the WI fault, it is more the field. I'm writing this for the prospective student considering application. Please deeply consider your options. It's what you think you want until you get it, and let me tell you why. When you get out, which is not your whole journey, (you still have post doc work to do), there is not a plethora of opportunities. Again, it's not just the WI- the value of the education is vastly overpriced. If you don't get a job at Kaiser, you will be swallowed by them. Private practice, and the prices you will need to pay back your loan, CEUs, and live in this area, are virtually (figuratively and literally) a thing of the past. It is not possible to compete with the low rates a therapist from Kaiser charges, and the unethical practices (group therapy for individual presenting problems, HIPPA legally thrown out the window, etc) they get away with. Apps like Better Help will have you making just above what a Door Dasher makes as they saturate the field with the most minimum license above dog catcher to populate their therapist offerings. Because of the ethics of the field, you cannot effectively advertise, and getting clients from senior psychologists comes at the price of a referral fee. You're coming into a field that sees us as pawns. I don't agree with other reviews about it being white- centric. When I went applications to internships on them said "People of color STRONGLY encouraged to apply." Mm hm. If you cannot find whatever solace you need dead-center in the most liberal city in the most liberal field in the nation/world, may I recommend applying instead to a kindergarten program. I had some beautiful kind souls that taught me here, and one or two who were not a good fit. But some glaring gaps- it never taught me the DSM, and it didn't prepare me for licensure. I passed, but that was all on me; perhaps that is the final test to see if you are ready, but I would have preferred a smoother bridge to licensure. Please learn from my mistake: I was once you.