After a difficult patch in our 25 yrs of marriage we have been working with Dr. Kramer for over a year and a half. In that time she has equipped us with communication skills that has made both of us feel more connected and able to communicate without bickering. Using empathy and mirroring we both feel closer to one another. We like her ability to invoke in both of us a feeling that if we continue to work towards harmony our relationship will thrive. We're glad we chose her! read more

I'm giving Dr Gabby 5 stars for her clinical skill , positive impact, ability to be real, ability to see and "get" both me and my partner, and her effectiveness with couples as a therapist. I saw Dr Gabby back in 2014 - I have thought about her all these years because after meeting with other therapists who had clean offices and were on time, I realize her value overall as a Therapist. My partner has many anger issues, and grew up with a lot of trauma. We saw several very qualified therapists with impressive offices and with professional boundaries - my partner needed a lot of help with our relationship for us to maintain our relationship and I needed a Therapist who had life experience, diverse perspective, ability to address big issues while being compassionate yet real. For some reason my partner would not be honest with other therapists but he felt comfortable enough to be very honest with Dr Gabby. He was most responsive to her (despite the fact that she has a messy office and sessions don't always start on time.). I will add however that once we saw her, we were very satisfied with our session and got our full time. I also appreciated her being a Therapist who is. a person of color - my partner and I are bicultural and she really got some issues between us which no other Therapist has been able to empathize with or get. She is not a "Therapist Robot" who emulates a perfectly trained therapist. But she definitely exudes wisdom, heart and a real sense of getting the complexities that can go along with being human. Her human-ness comes through for sure, but I was ok with issues with time and cleanliness in exchange for being understood and feeling satisfied with my relationship goals. I realize there are Therapists who can be clean, on time and professional, but she was a real human and quite funny. Also, she takes insurance which is an absolute pain to manage. Most good therapists don't take insurance because they don't want the hassle and don't care that they are not affordable. read more

Disheveled appearance, filthy office and completely unprofessional. She showed up 15 minutes late. She looked like a bag lady. Her office was strewn with food, papers, and was absolutely disgusting. I don't know where to sit but find an empty chair to fill out paperwork. Her dog starts nipping on me. I tell her I wasn't aware of the dog, and would prefer not to have the dog as a distraction during the session. She leaves and then immediately comes back, with the dog, and asks if I want to cancel. It's obvious she does not want to remove the dog, so I agree, and suggest she inform patients of this to make sure it's ok. She says I'm the only patient in 4,000 to ever say this. Then as I'm walking out she sarcastically says, "Good luck with your therapy!" Completely unprofessional through and through. And gross too! Update to Response: The pictures speak for themselves, there was food, trash, cups, strewn about. The carpet had disgusting stains. Nothing indicated a renovation, it's simply filthy. Why not take ownership and make a change instead of coming up with excuses and outright lies? Btw, plenty of other reviewers have said your office is filthy for years, so no one buys your stories. As for the bag lady comment, by saying it was implying race, YOU'RE the racist one! You're disheveled, you wore some old uggs, your hair was a mess, and you certainly did not reflect a medical or health professional. Your office is simply a reflection of you. I have no intention of seeking your services because there is nothing professional about you and to top it off, you were rude and inappropriate. And I'm a woman of color, and don't appreciate you using that angle to get away with your inexcusable conduct. read more

I've been seeing Dr. Kramer for a little over a year at her office in Oakland. She has been a key support person in my healing process and personal growth after the end of a long term relationship. I was thankful to be sent to a provider outside of the Kaiser system because I ended up meeting Dr. Kramer, a refreshingly unique individual who offers a wise and fresh perspective on life. I appreciate that she is not in a cookie cutter office and that her eclectic style reflects her worldly travels and experiences. Her dogs add life to the space, although they mostly lay sleeping quietly. Dr. Kramer remembers and asks questions about discussions we had in past sessions, she has referred me to other mental health modalities, and frequently loans me books and magazines that have aided in my journey. Her work is much appreciated by me and I will continue to see her to seek guidance even though my path is less rocky now than when I first connected with her. read more

A miserable consultation process. Short, discompassionate, and flat out rude. Definitely thinks her practice is about HER, and not her patients. She called me and just immediately said "what help do you need from me"? Also in her voicemail, she said she would want to vet me so that she could "ascertain whether or not I could be helped". Can not recommend less. Find someone else. read more

A truly awful experience, but if you look at other reviews, you can see that my experience is a common one, Dr. Kramer was inappropriate and unprofessional during our first and certainly our last appointment. She did and said several creepy things to me, but the weirdest was a request to see photos of my boyfriend during the appointment. I spoke to another therapist about this experience and he told me this was not a request a professional should make of a patient. Her office can only be described as filthy, she has a clear plastic table in the middle of her office that can only be described as being smeared with filth, the office smelled and she told me on one occasion to "ignore the bugs, they get worse in the afternoon". She said additional things to me that were so hurtful and rude that I don't want to detail them here, but it is such a disservice to be so unprofessional and unhelpful to a patient who needs help and may be feeling vunerable. I strongly recommend you stay away from this person. read more

Only met with "Dr." Kramer once as I was to help her organize and help improve the design and aesthetics of her office so clients wouldn't feel overwhelmed by the disorder of her therapy office. It's imperative clients feel safe and calm within their environment in order to open up to their therapist. She was 10 minutes late to our appointment and proceeded to eat pizza during our discussion. I had a challenging time maintaining communication with her since she has 3 different phone lines and uses both email and then sometimes texting. It seemed I was consistently out of sync with which mode of communication to use to connect. She wanted me to start working on her project without having signed the contract or paid the 1/2 deposit upfront which is standard in my line of work. She kept asking for a timeline which I would have happily provided had we been in contract. The previous reviews and photos of her space are accurate and I truly hopes she finds someone who can work with her to make this space more conducive to a healing and tranquil environment for healing. It's been said that our outer environment is a direct reflection of our inner mind/thinking, which I feel is true and accurate here. Blessings and peace to you "Dr." Kramer read more

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My wife and I decided to try marriage counseling. We were referred here through our insurance. My wife completed an intake call and set an appointment with this "Doctor". Not only did we have to call this "Mental Healthcare Professional" after she did not call us for 20 minutes after our appointment was supposed to start. She was eating dinner and said she needed to call us back afterward. When we finally got that call back, she was upset that we hadn't completed and sent some paperwork back we received from her 2 days ago. After explaining that I was unsure what needed to be filled out, we then got hung up on after she said that maybe we should just find someone else. Not sure who this lady has a successful client base after she treated us like this. I'm very disappointed and now back at square 1. I unfortunately cannot give this person a ZERO star read more

Wow, I just completed an intake call with this provider and she was extremely abrupt and harsh. Through multiple calls, she kept putting me on hold. When the last call dropped and I called back, she snapped at me and told me she'd said that she didn't have time to talk and would call me later - even though I hadn't heard her say this on the phone, which is why I called back. Then, when she called back later, she spent ten minutes getting my information and signed me up for an appointment without getting my consent. When I asked if we could talk about her specialties and approach to treatment before I agreed to an appointment, she snapped again and said I could look that up on her website and that she didn't have time to talk to me about this. She said I should've said I wanted to talk about fit/specialties in the beginning before letting her waste time gathering all my information. I said, well, I thought we were going to talk about fit/specialties after she gathered the information - how was I supposed to know she wouldn't have time to talk about this? Other therapists will talk about these subjects briefly with you to suss out fit before you agree to make an appointment. At which point she rudely hung up on me without saying another word. WOW - highly terrible, would not recommend you go to this woman for therapy. If I could give zero stars I would. read more

I absolutely adore Dr. Castello-Kramer. Every week I look forward to our sessions because I feel undoubtedly supported and I truly believe she cares about me. She is not only a great therapist, but also a wonderful warm and welcoming human being. I work with her on my anxiety, depression, and self esteem issues. After a couple of sessions discussing my overall goals, we dove into the 'cognitive therapy' technique. I was absolutely FLOORED at how well it worked. I was having episodes multiple times a day, but we created a step-by-step plan of how I could tackle this -- piecing steps together so it was never too overwhelming. I also love that she assigns me 'homework' and I leave each week with tangible things to work on. My single only critique is that she may not *always* have the very best memory, BUT she is aware of this and will ALWAYS apologize ~~ simply stating 'oh sorry hun, could you go more into detail on that again' ... or something along the lines. She is as sweet as can possibly be. She reminds me of me favorite grandmother. Can't wait until I work with her during our next session! read more

I first met Dr Castello-Kramer on a train in Mexico in 1984! I was traveling to California from Australia, and we got on famously, and I was intrigued by the depth of her wisdom, her warmth and friendliness, and ultimately by her hospitality, as she invited me to stay when I came to Berkeley! I have not had occasion to formally engage her professional services, but she helped enormously informally during my time in Berkeley. I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone needing therapeutic assistance. Goodness, kindness, frankness, wisdom, generosity of spirit, and much more come to mind when I think of Dr Castello-Kramer. I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone in need. read more

After having a therapist that's on time and never having to deal with paperwork myself, I have to take a star off because I realize how much stress it brought me. read more

If you read any other reviews, there's obviously a trend here... This person didn't show up to our first appointment and then completely treated me with disrespect when I didn't immediately reschedule with her. I found this person through my insurance provider 'search' and left her a message to make an appointment as soon as possible. No Response. After a second callback request... Days later she called me back when I was going to bed, while she was clearly in the middle of another conversation with someone else, and sounded like she was dropping the phone and eating mouthfuls of food all the while. All of this seemed odd, but I'm not super quick to judge. She confirmed we would be meeting in-person at a specified time and I showed up on-time noticing her door was left ajar... I thought that was for me, which seemed thoughtful. Here's where it get's interesting. Two dogs came to the door, one with a leash dragging off it's neck. Seemed friendly at first, I knocked before peeking my head into the doorframe, "Knock-Knock" I said out loud. Then "Hello!" Then "Dr. Kramer?" Then "HELLO!?" I decided not to take more than a single step into this obviously very cluttered, smelly, unorganized entryway. I knocked several more times, petted the nice doggos (who then started snapping and barking at me) and decided to call her as a last resort. I placed two phone calls, one to the phone number she told me was her 'mobile' phone and the other to her 'office' phone. I was able to listen with perfect clarity as both of my phone calls rang in the next room and echoed into the breezeway, and went on to voice message recordings. I thought... Maybe this person was in trouble beyond that half-open door, perhaps a dog walk before our session turned into a heart attack or something? I thought... Maybe I should go check,? The front door was obviously left open for our meeting time, which was now passed by 15 minutes. I must say - as a person who was really looking forward to going back to therapy - getting flaked on like this by a mental health professional on our first appointment was deflating to say the least. Took the wind right out of my sails. I decided to leave at this time (15 minutes after) and I did not feel the need to leave a message. I drove home and after 45 minutes received a phone call from this 'doctor'... I figured, why not? Literally the moment I picked up the phone, without a moments pause, she started rambling about traffic on the bridge, and being stuck in horrible traffic on the bridge, and the heat of the day and the rush hour traffic on the bridge because of being stuck in traffic on the bridge... I couldn't even get a word in until she asked if for or next session I wanted in-person or online therapy. I was shocked. I heard your cell phone ringing away in your living room at the time we were supposed to meet. I was getting an overwhelming vibe that I was being lied to; I was being told a story. I said "I was there today..." I was waiting at your office for our in-person therapy appointment that WE set-up! I already told you I was looking for in-person therapy when you asked me that question the first time! Too many clients to remember when someone sets up an appointment or what kind of appointment it is? Were you doing therapy from your car with no mobile phone with you? Why were both of your phones ringing feet away from each other with no one home? Why was the door left open? I had so many questions... THEN She pressured me to make a new appointment then-and-there, at that moment, because she "had people waiting" to which I replied, "Go ahead and schedule them." Her tone then promptly shifted to cold and low-octave, "Do what you will." And then 'Dr.' Kramer hung up on me... after calling me to remind me, with no apology, that she completely wasted my time. Absolutely incredible that someone could be a practicing therapist with no office, no manners, and no respect for their clients. With such negligent behavior, it's truly astonishing. This person need to be audited and removed for malpractice. read more

Dr. Castello-Kramer is a well respected professional therapist. She helped us with our marriage. Her professional advice has helped us re-discover our potential as a couple. Dr. Castello-Kramer solo practice is conveniently located in the city of Oakland CA and she was always accommodating to make appointments according to our needs and to work around our busy schedule. I like her holistic approach to problem solving, she is a tremendous listener, dedicated and committed. Her recommendations were on point, clear and precise. She provided us with professional literature, some lists of resources and a long term plan. Her broad professional experience along with her excellent research, analytical and problem solving skills are unique qualities only found in top-notch phychologist such as Dr. Castello-Kramer. I highly recommend her, read more

I can't believe that Gabriela is a practicing licensed therapist. I am appalled as at therapist myself. She was extremely unprofessional, just as others have written. I gave her the benefit of the doubt at first, after strange phone calls and phone tag. When I got to her apartment/home office, she was in a bathrobe. I was directed to sit in her living room/office which was a cluttered mess, with a phone beeping off the hook. We waited for at least 10 minutes, she then came out with pants under her bathrobe but not much else. I was in shock but was at least able to stand up and leave. read more

I should have listened to the other negative reviews, but the pickings were really slim for my employee assistance program (she was the only therapist of a list of 12 who was available) so I wanted to believe the few positive reviews. I made an appt. for a week ahead, then due to an unforeseen issue including my gut reaction from our brief phone encounter, cancelled the next day via an email message on her website. Turns out that this provider doesn't check those emails or didn't receive it, because she called me and was very argumentative and unprofessional, frankly insulting about why I would cancel the appt. with her. I can't imagine why anyone would want to see a provider to get help with their issues from someone who can't deal with their own issues in a positive and professional manner. read more

I came to Dr. Kramer through my ex-husband. He had seen her before when dealing with the ending of his first divorce, and recommended her. As a person, I liked her. I found the talk therapy that I did with her initially to deal with the past and my issues around his first ex-wife to be helpful. I can't say much for the premarital counseling because my ex-husband cut it for short. I will say that she was frequently late, which was a bit annoying especially because if she's late you just have to wait, but if you're late you lose your time. She doesn't have a very sophisticated method for people to tell her that they have arrived either. One time I knocked on her door and she just didn't hear it and I ended up waiting outside her office for 20 min missing my session while he waiting inside. Her voicemail box is frequently full, and she doesn't seem to answer email. She only takes checks which was also very inconvenient. Anyway, after I married my ex-husband he became a completely different person. I was shocked as to how man who was acting like Romeo before treated me like a piece of garbage. After the two month mark of crazy fights and other crazy-making antics from him I stumbled upon article about what it means to be in a relationship with a narcissistic sociopath. Everything made sense. It was like reading my diary. They were the two most abusive and harrowing months of my life. I contacted Dr. Kramer. I figured that she knew me, she knew our backstory, and she knew my ex-husband. I didn't know at the time that this is considered not advisable. My first session went without a hitch. She seemed like she understood me. She of course said but he seems so gentle, which is of course how are narcissistic sociopaths are up to people that they're not in close relationships with. I explained some of the lies that I learned about him, such as the fact that he was living with his first ex-wife in a house in Maine that he actually had bought for a previous fiancé, and then married me in that house without my knowledge of this occurrence or the fact that he was even engaged and supposed be married just a few months before we met. She agreed with me that this was sociopathy. In a professional sense though, it didn't really matter if she believed me given she knew him. What mattered was I was there seeking support for a professional. I initially felt supported. However, in my second session with her it was as if she forgot everything that we said and talked about in the first one. This makes sense because her note taking method is haphazard in different directions on a piece of paper. When I called him sociopath in this second session she actually slammed her fist down on the table and said something along the lines of "don't use that word if you don't know what it means! That's a big word!" I found myself scared I did something wrong. She offered to counsel us both together even though it was already decided that we were getting divorced. I will admit that she made the suggestion and left it totally up to me if I wanted to counsel with him. She told me we needed to sit together and try to find out why we idealized each other so much. This is kind of funny to me because the cycle of a narcissistic sociopath is called idealize, devalue, discard. I think a small part of me had hoped that she was right, that he wasn't a sociopath and perhaps we could still fix this. I texted him telling him about the occurrence, and he politely declined which I didn't mind. I found out when my dad got home however that he had texted my father about my wedding jewelry trying to get it back from him, and the text was sent almost at the exact same time as the messages he was sending to me (while not mentioning the jewelry to me). This confirmed to me that he was what I thought he was. I was so disgusted by his behavior, and then disgusted by my own behavior for having listened to Dr. Kramer. I was the guy's wife and I knew him better than anybody else. What happened in her office when I called him a sociopath is called victim shaming, which a therapist should know better then to do. And in any case, I didn't deserve to be made to feel so uncomfortable while seeking help regardless of what she personally felt about my ex-husband. I'm happy to report that even though my divorce was unnecessarily litigious, it's finally official. I'm glad I didn't listen to Dr. Kramer because in knowing that he was a narcissistic sociopath I was able to prepare myself for a court battle with that kind of personality and hired a lawyer with experience in this, as well as a therapist with experience in the kind of trauma that results from being in a relationship with one who didn't doubt me or shame me. read more

Will keep it brief but I could go on for days on why my experience with Gaby as my therapist was an unfortunate one for me. I saw Gaby for a few sessions back in late Dec 2020 and her disorganization regarding her admin work was enough for me to want to leave. She was unable to accommodate sending my intake docs via email, so I had to send them by mail TWICE- because the first one was "lost" and then later found out that she received the first copy but had filed it away under someone else's name and file. I was responsible for getting in touch with my own insurance for billing despite asking for that information in said intake papers. She didn't keep up with copays and I had to pay a lump sum of retroactive payments via mail- and after the first mail situation I was so uncomfortable doing so but again, no other electronic or over-the-phone payment accommodations were made. For all the potential help I could've received for stress and anxiety, it was canceled out by the headache that her lack of administrative work gave me. read more

Finding a therapist is always a delicate process. I have found that for the best results, each person would be ideally be matched with a therapist that works/understand each of their unique personality, humor, and sense of self. I have been receiving services from Dr. Kramer for a few months now. It honestly took some time and patience for Dr. Kramer and me to get to know and trust one another. (A virtue that I highly recommend for anyone to have with any therapist that they receive services from). There were sometimes at the beginning where I would get frustrated with her over her timeliness and her sense of direction during the sessions. As knowledgable as each session was, it did not initially seem effective. I realized that the best way to communicate with Dr. Kramer is to speak up and discuss the concerns. Dr. Kramer took responsibility and went out of her way to prevent unpractical practices in the future. This allowed us to refocus on making progress my goals. Dr. Kramer is quite direct and holds you responsible for your commitments. It is a tactic that has kept me committed and on track to my therapy treatment. She does not like last-minute cancellations (less than 24 hrs)/ no shows and WILL charge you a fee. She holds herself to the same standards can acknowledge when she is in the wrong. She also keeps in mind our age gap (I am in my mid-twenties) and is always willing to learn something new. The most effective way to work with Dr. Kramer is to initially advocate for your needs. She does not lecture you through each session. Instead, she makes sure that she is helping you to genuinely/profoundly understand each of your issues while guiding you to address and resolve it. She is open-minded and is willing to go at your own pace and respects your own decisions. Unless obviously, of course, your decisions are unhealthy/deprecating/harmful towards yourself and/or others. In that note, she is good at identifying BS and unhealthy behaviors. Overall, she genuinely cares about your improvement. At the moment, (given COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place ordinance) I have been receiving services via video calls. Fair warning, she is not tech-savvy (haha). However, she does try her best and is always open for instructions and suggestions. As a result, her sessions continue to have a human connection that can be missed through technology and essential in therapy. Before shelter in place, I received services in her Oakland based office. It is on the third floor of an office converted Victorian House. There is no elevator (to my knowledge) and is all stairs. There were times that she would have her two service dogs in her office during the session. They are both polite and have good energy (THEY DO NOT NIP). As a dog person, I am delighted each time that I saw them. I understand that not everyone is a dog person. If you are not a dog person, I would highly advise that you disclose that from the beginning. I understand that acknowledging a need for a therapist is a huge step in itself. Personally, it is not my first time seeing a therapist. Frankly, seeking one again was as much of a vulnerable experience as the first. To be most helpful for someone that is looking for a therapist, I have been brutally honest with my experience with Dr. Castello Kramer without disclosing my personal issues (for obvious privacy purposes). This rating is a true reflection of my experience. read more

Terrible experience. I was seeking counseling for a relationship breakup and "therapist/life coach" Gabriela Kramer was one of the referrals from my insurance company. She arrived at her office ten minutes late for my first appointment. (Among the odd assortment of cartoons and pictures on her office door was a handwritten note explaining that "she comes from far away, and if she's late, with traffic, please wait." Um, your commute is not my problem). Her yappy teacup dog preceded her up the stairs, jumped on the couch and into my lap, yipping, trying to lick my face, and sneezed on me. Seriously? She did not ask when I made the appointment if I was allergic to, or ok with dogs. Unprofessional. Kramer then appeared, having some trouble getting up the narrow stairs (why did she rent a place on the third floor?), handed me papers to fill out, went into her office, and shut the door. Fifteen minutes after my appointment was supposed to begin, I go in. YIKES. It's a mess of papers and books and ratty furniture, tiny and airless. My first thought: "This woman is a life coach? I hope she's a better therapist because this looks like a train wreck." Kramer is sitting on a low couch with a clear plastic table in front of her and gestures to some haphazardly placed, mismatched chairs, and tells me which of the two is the most comfortable. Weird. Maybe she watches her couple clients fight it out for the best chair? Again, low rent and unprofessional. The bad feeling I had before I stepped into the office only gets worse when she looks over my paperwork. She scolds me for not filling out the insurance company form completely, and makes a comment about how strict, and horrible and confused the company is, and how more than one client has ended up writing her a "big check" because of insurance non-payment, and that'd I'd better make sure they will cover the services that I'm "getting at a great deal." Yep, gotcha, had already called my insurance company, how else would I have gotten the referral number to see her? And now we're 20 minutes into a 50 minute session. More paperwork issues. On the form for her (at least I assume it was - no letterhead, no indication really of what it was for...have I mentioned unprofessional?), I had left the line blank asking for my social security number. Why would she need that? I asked, that's not something I've ever given to a practitioner before. She says the insurance company needs it. I point out that the insurance form didn't ask for that. She says she needs it and can't treat me if I don't give it to her, and asks if I'm worried about giving out my SSN. Yes, I say, with identity theft, and plus I don't understand why she needs it. She immediately says, "this isn't going to work out." I ask for the forms back. She gives me her form and tears up the insurance form, and drops it into her trash (damn, she still has info about me on the scraps...). Before I leave, I consider letting her know what I think...disorganized, rude, rigid. But I feel kind of sorry for her (ha!) and don't want to engage. I can't get out of there fast enough. I've been in therapy before, and for me, the first session is a job interview to see if I want to hire the person. Clear answer here! If Kramer (who uses "Dr." - of what? from where? no credentials that I've been able to find), is the caliber of therapist covered by my insurance, I'm going to have to pay out of pocket or go without. read more

I would not recommend this provider for several reasons: Appointment: She changed the appt. time several times without notifying me or completely messed up her schedule and made me wait 2 hours in the waiting room. I even bumped into one of her client once due to her messed up the appointments. Courtesy: She yelled at me on several occasions because she wanted me to find out how she can get paid through my employee assistance program where she is a participant. Though I found out answers for her, she will follow up with additional questions during our session and shortened the session time that was supposed to be used to help me. She took her dogs out and didn't come back for 10-15 minutes, further shortened our session time. Unprofessional: She refused to schedule me for my last session out of the EAP program b/c she "has a more important client that can be a long-term potential". Helpfulness: She always need me to repeat things I've said to her repeatedly. She even asked me once if I was scared of dogs, which is something she should have already known from several months back, duh~ read more

Couples counseling gone wrong. I hate to write such a negative review, but I think it's important for potential clients to know our experience, which was very different from that of the other reviewer. I'm sure she's good for the right couples, but I had an opposite experience. Without applying labels to my situation, I'll just say that I am in a relationship that has become burdened with unhealthy resentment and things are escalating in a bad direction. We both want help to save our long relationship, and we went to her because we thought she was an expert in couples counseling. While I'm sure our issues are beyond the scope of some therapists, what happened in her office was pretty bad. Here were some of the issues. Preparing for the appointment She requires that you make copies of your own insurance card and paperwork before the first visit because she has no copying machine. You also have to call your insurance company and get the billing address because she does not do that. The other therapist I was going to work with (but didn't because of time incompatibility) didn't require this extra work on the client's behalf. It wasn't a big deal, but wasn't ideal either. Arriving at the appointment The waiting room and office were cluttered. The waiting room had magazines even on the seat. Then in the office, the walls were covered in toys, which is normal enough, but it looked in disarray. There were papers all over the office, and it didn't look professional. We were told that one of us was to sit on the couch, which was covered in paperwork and had a dog on it, and in fact the whole office smelled like dog. She moved the clutter out of the way of course, but still, I like to come into a clean therapy office. The dog was jumping on us and she didn't ask if we minded. Luckily we like dogs so it wasn't an issue, but it's just the principal of the matter. Counseling She asked us what's going on, and then told us early on she cannot work with us. On one hand I respect her directness, and it was ethical for her to be honest with us. On the other hand, she didn't provide us with any other resources or referrals, even when we asked. She even told us to leave her business cards when we go. I know our issues are difficult, but we went in vulnerable, and that experience left us feeling rejected, and judged by her as a hopeless case. The last thing we need, when we are hurting, is to feel our self esteems punched by a therapist we went to for help. On the bright side We found a book called "Love Without Hurt" by Steven Stosny that seems to address all of the issues we are facing quite well. He even says that therapy doesn't usually help couples with our kinds of problems, and can even make things worse, as couples feel frustrated by failed therapy and fight about that too. read more

I probably would have left a two or three star review, but after reading the feedback from other clients, I'm honestly kind of disgusted. If you can't adapt to the modern standard of communication, stay organized and keep your emotions under control, you shouldn't still be in this profession, especially when people who are vulnerable are coming to your for help. My 94 year old grandfather knows how to check his email, you can't just use your age as an excuse to make your patients hand deliver documents to you that you'll probably just lose anyway. If you can't keep your digital records in check, what hope do you have to keep your physical ones in order? Especially when your intake form asks for your client's social security number! I experienced the same issues others have described here: she forgets most everything you tell her, is often late to her appointments, and when I asked her to meet me halfway and just accept my documents digitally, she told me I could find someone else, which I was already considering. Just like the others mentioned before, she ended it with "Good luck with your therapy!" in this snide tone, as if to say "Well, it's not my problem anymore!" This is not how you respond to a gentle push back from someone. Maybe also get a Square reader so your patients don't have to bring checks, they're like ten bucks and I know you have an iPad and a smart phone to use it with. It would literally make YOUR life easier too. Gabriella, I know you read these reviews, since you respond to all the bad ones with a canned response of something to the effect of "I strive to make my clients feel safe and well, etc." like you're doing corporate damage control. Please really look at what people are saying. This isn't good. Offering them a free session isn't going to work when you've already scared them off. If I went to a restaurant and the waiter told me "you can just eat somewhere else" when I complained about my food being cold and taking fifty minutes to get to the table, I would never come back. Please clean your office, and keep your dog out of the patient room. I thought I was a mess when I first came to you, but I honestly think I have a better grip on my life than you do. But maybe that was the real therapy all along? Perhaps my realization of this was a subtle exercise to make me feel better about my own circumstances, and it turns out you were actually a genius this whole time! read more

I have been seeing Dr. Kramer regularly for the past 3 years. She has helped me tremendously through a variety of issues. She is truly non judgmental, supportive, realistic, and provides a safe space for me to work through my issues. She has been able to work through every issue I've brought up - from psycho somatic pain stemming from my anxiety, to CBT work, working through familial pain and trauma, to work with addiction. I don't know many therapists who are adept at handling all of those issues, but dr. Kramer has been tremendous in dealing with them. She has gone above and beyond to accommodate me with scheduling and has even lent me her personal psychology/psychotherapy books when she felt that their contents would be helpful to me. Her support has meant everything to me over the years. read more

Dr Kramer is a miracle worker. She has helped me overcome a bad case of OCD, has improved my self esteem and love life. She returns phone calls in a timely fashion works nights and Saturdays. She is a very hard working therapist that is extremely effective and understands people very well. read more

Gabriela Castello-Kramer - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Oakland, California

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Dr. Castello-Kramer is the fourth therapist I have seen, and I am so grateful that I have finally found a therapist who is a good fit for me. She is by far the most effective therapist I have been to, and I have been working with her for over one year. During this time, we have worked on some deeply personal and core issues related to my social anxiety, fear of confrontation, and tendency to deny myself the permission to live joyfully. I have reached profound realizations during my therapy with Dr. Castello-Kramer. These realizations did not come all at once like a lightning bolt, but rather have come gradually and peacefully as I've discussed my issues each week and been much more observant about my patterns in my day to day life. I feel so much more equipped to handle the intricacies of relationships and daily interactions with others. It has also been transformative for me to experience what true empathy feels like. Dr. Castello-Kramer has always been squarely in my corner and she is incredibly good at both helping me to understand how exactly I am feeling (sometimes even I don't truly know) and then validating those feelings. I never feel judged or embarrassed when sharing things that I would definitely not feel comfortable sharing with others. We also focus pretty squarely on untangling the knots that are keeping me stuck, so there is a good balance between empathy and finding solutions. read more

Dr. Gabi Castello-Kramer is amazing! There are not enough stats in Yelp to accurately reflect how awesome she is. She helped me overcome, by allowing me to reach to that conclusion, some issues I had due to the racist remarks I endured when a kid an teenager. She helped me realize how amazing life is, how we need to just let go of that negativity and look at the amazing life one has. Thank you so much Dr. Castello-Kramer, I still remember the laughter overcoming the negativity that for some odd reason I wanted to store rather than letting go. You ROCK! read more

Dr. Castello-Kramer was the only potentially available provider my insurance found for my teenager, which in itself probably says something. I had a long discussion with her and we agreed to a phone session between them. At the appointed time, she called me instead of him and started asking questions, most of which I had already answered when we set up the session just the day before. I was in mid sentence when for whatever reason I will never know, she blurted out 'I'm going to turn down this case' and HUNG UP ON ME. She might be a good choice if you're looking for an anti-therapist. read more

Great therapist. She has superb listening skills.Very passionate about her profession. I felt safe and noticed she will make all the right questions. she has the perfect combination of experience and professional knowledge. I came out of therapy with renewed hopes. read more

Very rude person. I had called her to seek help for my child, who has had persistent insomnia. The five minute conversation went as follows. A. "Has she seen a therapist about this problem before?" B. "Yes." A. "Why did you leave?" B. "She could not establish a rapport." A. "Well, you are not supposed to leave therapy for that reason. You need to discuss with your therapist if leaving is a good idea." B. "Sure, but we are talking about a child, who was not entirely comfortable with the therapist." A. "In my practice, that is not done." B. "I feel you are straightjacketing me into future choices and are predicting what is going to happen. I would rather hear about your method of therapy than about rules of business. Take care." The entire time, she was condescending, patronizing, and aggressive. This is all before I read these reviews. I am so glad we did not go with her. Imagine leaving a kid alone with this person!!! read more

I wish I could give no stars. When I met Gabriela, she made a comment about how I was getting such a good deal price wise because of my insurance and no copay. Red Flag! I know. She is never on time for your appointment somehow the previous appointment impedes on your appt. She has a chair outside her door facing the street for you to wait. Her clients leave and you're let in a small cluttered and stuffy room with her dogs.By the way your session has not begun yet. She begins cleaning her office. 25 minutes into your hour appointment she's ready to go over the same info you gave the last 4 sessions in which she wrote down. No structure. We began rehashing the same story from the past 4 sessions. She picks a new white legal pad to write the same details as last session. I'm not sure where her last yellow legal pad was but it had at least 6 pages of notes from our sessions. I ask "what's your plan for me in regards to achieving my goals?" Gabriela becomes defensive and replies she doesn't know how she can help me and says we're not compatible 4 times.I do not understand her and speak calmly with her but she is not having anymore conversation. Finally I'm just annoyed about her attitude. I leave upset. Clearly she had no plan for me to achieve my expressed goals. Avoid Gabriela Castello-Kramer at all costs unless you want to give away your money with nothing to show for it. Book an appointment at your own risk. read more

I've been seeing her for almost a year now and have had so much amazing help from her. She actually takes the time to hear me out irregardless of the mood I'm in that day and I'm happy to say has never given up on me. She's not the type of person who just stares at the clock and takes your money; like I've felt with so many other therapist. It can be very hard to find anyone you feel you trust and can truly confide in she's helped me grow so much since I've left rehab and irregardless of my history has taken me on as a client with a fresh slate. For as long as I have been seeing her for every challenge she's helped me through I feel she is willing and wants to help me for as long as I need her. I would recommend her help to anyone in need. read more

During college I saw Dr. Castello-Kramer. She exhibited professionalism and dedication. Most importantly, since day one I felt welcomed and valued as a person. During sessions she showed excellent listening skills, respect and kindness. Furthermore, she used different treatment modalities and helped me overcome my difficulties. Finally, I felt that Dr. Castello-Kramer's small dog (Bichon-Frise) helped me de-stress at the beginning of each therapy. I valued her for the combination of professionalism and vast experience as a therapist. read more

I've been seeing Dr Castello Kramer for five years and I am nothing short of transformed. I initially went in due to severe nightmares, sleeplessness, and anxiety. Through a combination of therapeutic approaches Dr. Kramer worked me through the worst of this rough time and I am truly a better and happier person than ever now that I'm out the other side. I still see Dr. Kramer regularly to work on the less acute but deeper issues of managing stress and relationships. All this and she has an adorable dog in all the sessions too! I highly recommend. read more

Dr Gabi Castello Kramer is an experienced, savvy, gold standard therapist. She has worked with several friends of mine who were having relationship problems, and they all benefited greatly from her skills. She also had an ADHD child client who showed great growth and progress after working with her. I highly recommend Dr Gabi Castello-Kramer as a therapist in Berkeley and surrounding cities. read more

I was in a group and private therapy with her many years ago. First of all her office was always very tidy. I don't recall her ever being late. I was in a very difficult place at that time and probably the only healthcare professional I thought cared about me was Gabby. I felt that she went above and beyond giving me the message that she would see me through this. She was also the only therapist to suggest that I might have ADD after many years of other therapy. It turns out she was right. I see some of these mixed reviews and perhaps, like all therapists she's not for everyone. She's very direct and honest, which I loved about her. I went on to eventually have a healthy marriage, step-kids and a successful business after that horrible time. In retrospect, after all of these years, she is the only therapist that I look back on with warmth and gratitude, and I still look her up from time to time when I think of her. read more

I was given a list of two providers by my insurance that were accepting new patients, so I immediately called and left a message for both. Gabi returned my call and after I scheduled the appointment she insisted that I go to her website because her clients love it. I did a search using her name and noticed she had reviews on Yelp. I was very concerned after reading the reviews, but part of me wanted to give her a chance, so I didn't cancel my appointment initially. My gut kept telling me that this isn't the place for me, so I sent an email and text message cancelling my appointment the day before. She called me the day of my appointment asking where I was and I told her I sent an email and text message cancelling the appointment. She went on and asked why I cancelled. This line of questioning made me very uncomfortable, but I answered saying your Yelp reviews are concerning. She rudely said to me, "I thought you needed therapy!" then quckly said goodbye and hung up in my face. I'm glad I followed my gut and cancelled my appointment because she is very unprofessional and rude. I really dodged a bullet with this therapist. read more

Dr. Kramer has been my councilor, at different times, for over 25 years. She helps me face the challenges life and growth have provided. She's an incredibly empathic councilor, at times seeing my motivations and emotions more clearly than I see them myself. And she helps me find the way to growth through my own strengths. With Dr. Kramer's guidance and compassion, I've grown and healed. read more

Dr. Castello Kramer has been instrumental in helping me deal with my anxiety. When I first came in to see her about a year ago, I was having semi-regular panic attacks. Through a combination of talk therapy and CBT, she was able to help me find steps to deal with my anxiety and notice when it was verging into panic. We did different homework activities that helped me to reinforce these habits so I didn't slide backwards. When I would have a hard time with feeling panicked, I feel like she would continue to work with me and help me understand it better, or have me go back to different CBT methods and keep practicing. She also has really helped me identify ways in which I can stop taking on so much work and set more boundaries to help me become a happier and healthier person. My one piece of feedback is that she can be a little disorganized and forgetful with paperwork. We have had a few snafus with insurance due to that, but part of it was also because the insurance companies have given really confusing information as well. But the forgetfulness with paperwork really pales in comparison to how helpful she has been in regards to helping me get my anxiety in order! read more

I will not be going back. She was late for the appointment. She was unapologetic about being 15 mins late. The office was very messy and felt more like a living room than a space where I would be meeting a professional person. She was far more reactive in the session than I would have prefered. Things did not feel neutral as a result. Also, the location is no longer in Berkeley. read more