YA BELL is an Oakland treasure. I became her client in 2016 and have not looked back since then!…read moreShe has walked me through addiction to recovery, a parents death and so much more! If you are ready to do the personal work and better your life then the Anger Management Institute is for you!

I could sum up this review in one simple sentence: Ms. Bell changed my life!…read more I was referred to Ms. Bell by someone I trusted when I was going through a major life transition and felt like I hit rock bottom emotionally and mentally. She was immediately very approachable and even from the first session, made me feel heard and this was already healing. (I actually insist on calling her Ms Bell as she is my elder and this is my custom but she has repeatedly invited me to call her by her first name :) ) Ms. Bell set a clear timeline for our sessions which I appreciated. Then after a few in-person sessions, pandemic lockdown hit. Ms. Bell shifted gears with out a beat and we continued our weekly sessions by video call. Ms. Bell was a lifesaver and gave me practical tools to deal with uncertainties, cultivate clear communication skills as well as helping me to transform my inner dialogue. She really takes the time and care to get to know you as a person, build a good rapport and suggests tools specific to the things that resonate with you. It's been two years since my first session and I have long graduated but I am still reaping the benefits of our work together and achieving dreams I hadn't thought possible. Ms. Bell continues to make herself available whenever I am in need of a listening ear. I highly recommend her to anyone who may feel stuck or in need of wise counsel.

Dr. Engwall is a gem. I appreciate his kind heart, open mind and skill as a therapist, doctor and…read morehuman being. He blends his knowledge and skill in psychotherapy, mindfulness, meditation and science in his work with me. I am very grateful for the time I spend with him. I met Dr. Engwall while transtitioning from the world of work to retirement. In addition, I'd recovered from a number of surgeries and wanted to review my medications. Dr. Engwall has helped me wean from some meds, incorporate alternate practices and step outside my comfort zone to gently move forward. I feel very fortunate to be able to work with him.

I have the deepest gratitude and respect for Dr Engwall as he helped me dig myself out of a very…read morelow point in my life. Dr Engwall listened to me, showed me compassion, and then ran tests to determine what medications would be best for my genetics and metabolism. He even encouraged and taught mindfulness meditation. With my previous doctor, it was like throwing darts to see what worked. There was no talk therapy, just a brief visit were I filled out a form and he would adjust my dosage.

My girlfriend and I started couples therapy with Natashia a couple months ago because we're…read moreconsidering marriage soon and we wanted to make sure to work through any potential issues. It has been a total boon to our relationship. Not only have the actual sessions with Natashia been extremely fruitful in terms of rooting out and exorcising any hidden gripes, but she has also equipped us with some stellar interpersonal techniques that have significantly reduced the length and intensity of our disagreements -- or as I like to call them, "team building exercises" :P I will say that I was initially a bit skeptical. First, I'd never done therapy before. Second, prima facie, Natashia struck me as a little hippie-ish. That might be some people's cup of tea, but both I and my girlfriend are pretty cerebral, so I was worried about the fit. However, that worry proved to be unfounded. In fact, I came to appreciate her soft, sensitive manner as the perfect catalyst for an open and honest discussion. More importantly, she is also very intelligent, perceptive, and insightful. The big question, of course, is have there been tangible results? I would answer that with a resounding yes. Natashia helped us learn to share our differences in more constructive ways and I can't tell you how great that's been. If you have to fight (and if you're a human, you do) best to fight often and fight small. My girlfriend and I used to occasionally get into these marathon 3-hour arguments (because we were determined to get to the bottom of the disagreement and that's hard when emotions are running high). After working with Natashia, we now handle those same kinds of disagreements in 15 - 20 minutes. HUGE difference. Thank you so much, Natashia!

I've had the honor of connecting with Natashia recently and learning more about what she offers…read moresoon to be parents and new families of all kinds. She is truly a gem. Her work focusing on family dynamics and wholistic well-being of the individual has collected much attention as she has many years of experience in many settings both here in the East Bay as well as the East Coast. I think her expertise is most valuable as it is supportive of what one is confronting now while pushing the boundaries to explore what is possible in a compassionate and attentive way. I would recommend her for anyone looking for perinatal / maternal health support and the awesome workshops she offers on body image and intimacy in parenting relationships.

Nova has been one of the best therapists I have ever worked with. She is compassionate and…read morenon-judgmental, and provides a really safe environment in which to share and grow. She helped me through some of the most difficult life transitions I could imagine, and I am so grateful for her support especially during those times. I really can't recommend her enough!

I absolutely love Nova! She is, without a doubt, the best therapist I have ever worked with. Her…read morewarmth and compassion make it so easy to open up, and I always leave our sessions feeling lighter, calmer, and more hopeful. When I started working with Nova I was new to therapy (and nervous about it) and she made me feel so safe and supported. She has supported me through some really difficult life transitions and helped me navigate the emotional challenges of living with a chronic illness. Nova is incredibly wise, insightful, and truly cares. She also provides extremely valuable resources. I have learned so much from her. I feel so lucky to have Nova in my life and working with her has been such a gift -- she's helped me grow in ways I never imagined. She is not only your therapist, she is your biggest advocate and best friend. I can't recommend her highly enough, I would rate her a 10 out of 5 stars if I could!!

Elisa Dumesnil is the Marriage and Family Therapist facilitating the new mommies group I just…read morestarted today at Tulip Grove in Oakland. I can already tell that this group is going to be great! If I ever need a personal or marriage therapist again, I would totally go see her!

I was nervous about seeing her since the first review was bad, but ellen is so sweet and really…read morelistens and cares. I love her facial expressions and the way she really makes me feel like I really matter. She even works with kaiser! I will be back for more!

Advertises that she does DBT therapy but she does not have certification as a DBT therapist and…read moreapparently not much DBT experience. On the initial call and the follow up call to set an appointment I asked on the phone if she did DBT therapy. "Yes" was the answer. When I came for an appointment and asked questions about her experience she was evasive, got a DBT handbook out and read me the chapter titles. This was alarming so I quizzed her further about DBT since her manner was off-putting and didn't fit with DBT therapy. Eventually she said she works with OTHER people who do DBT in groups; she is not certified herself. Obviously she knew that DBT therapy was what I was after. Honesty and trust is paramount between client and therapist. So is competence. I left immediately.

Mike has helped me more than other other psychiatrist (five or more) I have met in 25 years of…read morestruggling with depression and searching for answers. I have tried so many different meds . . . they either had nasty side-effects . . . gave only short-term relief . . . or were no help at all. I have also spent 25 years in psychotherapy and have not decided to continue because I feel so good; feeling good has put me in a place where I can reflect on my learnings from those times and apply them to my life. Mike spends focused time getting to know you as an individual. This, combined with his extensive knowledge of psychopharmacology and mental distress, ended up providing me with medicine that helped my symptoms for the first time in my life. I am deeply grateful to this skilled and sensitive doctor.

Michael Kron was very instrumental in addressing my late teen son's psychiatric problems. He is…read morekind, knows how to address the issues and a little quirky in a charming way. Michael really helped my son get dialed in the right direction with the right meds and dosage. As he said, "Stay with the program and get well, I want to be a distant memory in your future". Thanks Michael, you've really made a difference in the year and a half we've been seeing you.

They take kids and work well with them. We have been going here for many years. They take medi-cal…read moreand I never had any billing problems. The new office is safe and beautiful. The old office was also nice and just around the corner. The new office is much better about parking. That would have been my biggest complaint about the old office. No complaints anymore.

Called multiple times, emailed multiple times... still no reply or returned calls.It's been 3 weeks…read morenow. Super sloppy way to run a business. not bothering again.