Erika gave me my first EMDR therapy session for a work-related trauma involving a dog attack. As a…read morelifelong dog lover, the attack totally changed how I responded to dogs. But after receiving EMDR from Erika, I was able to gradually restore my love for dogs. I now feel safe enough to once again become a dog owner and take my two dogs to dog parks. Thank you, Erika!

Okay, what can I possibly say about Erika that won't take up the entire page…read more You know how you hate to admit that you need to figure out your shit and then you come to the point where you have no choice but to make that dreaded phone call. "Hi. I'm having a crisis, nothing's going right, I drink too much, I look like shit, my relationship is falling apart and I feel like a total failure at life." So you call Erika and while professional, you feel for the first time in your life that no one is judging you for being a bit messed up and rattled in the brain. She is very positive and she's damned determined to get you back on track. Her goal ultimately is not to keep you as a client, but have you walk away achieving your goals and with a healthy mind and attitude. When you walked in a bit freaked out, you leave feeling like a supastar! Frustrations? What frustrations? Erika is certified in EMDR, which helps people who have suffered trauma. Not trauma like a head wound, but trauma like someone put a gun to your head and robbed you blind or like me, having a pretty serious accident and never really recovered from experience until I had the chance to work with Erika. Erika's warmth and compassion are very comforting. I highly recommend her as a therapist for addictions, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, couple's therapy or even as a life coach to guide you to success. I have to say, she's done it all for me and it's been a success. Thank you Erika!

I've been a client of Elizabeth Dandenell's for years. I couldn't be more grateful to have chosen…read moreher as my therapist. Her therapy skills are superior and she is a straight-shooter. She is also compassionate, with great intuition. Before I met with Elizabeth, I'd worked hard with about a dozen very good therapists to help relieve my anxiety and depression. I also sought to improve my vocational and social struggles. That "pre-Elizabeth" therapy partially helped. The problem was I still had a vague sense something about me or my situation wasn't quite being seen and addressed yet. Then, Elizabeth helped change the course of my life. She raised the possibility that I might have two overlooked diagnoses. If accurate, she theorized, those diagnoses might help identify and explain much of the "invisible" set of challenges I've struggled with over decades. She was 100% accurate. I received both of those diagnoses after several months of testing by hospital clinicians. As a result, I've learned new ways to cope better overall. Specifically: some fast and easy ways to tamp down my overall anxiety - techniques I'd likely never have used without the diagnoses. My self-esteem has greatly improved and I'm more at peace with myself than I've been in a very long time. I've plugged in to community support. Elizabeth is a true gem of a therapist. It's encouraging to know she's available to me and others, in a world where life can sometimes feel so hard.

When I first met Vilma, my world was filled with darkness. I was consumed by self-loathing to the…read moreextreme. I didn't trust anyone in the world, not even my lover. I thought people were selfish narcissists who only cared about themselves when they were cold. But among them, the one I hated the most was myself. During a time when I was trapped in the abyss of self-loathing, unable to move from my bed, I felt the need for help, and I made my first call to Vilma. From that moment on, I have been seeking counseling from Vilma for over two years. She slowly nurtured my heart, as if extracting poison from long-standing wounds. For 15 years, I believed that my struggle stemmed solely from my inability to control myself. I attributed it to my excessive vanity, competitiveness, and narcissistic tendency to prioritize how others perceived me. I thought I couldn't love anyone else and that my preoccupation with myself was the cause of these symptoms. That was the first thing I told her. However, she has spent a long time counseling me and has helped change the way I think. She not only introduced me to various cognitive methods that allowed me to be more compassionate toward myself, but it was more than that. What she taught me was a warm heart. A warm heart that cares for and worries about others. As she listened to my heart, she exemplified how others can become warmer toward one another. Through her, I learned what it means to care for others, and I began to strive to become that way myself. Those experiences gradually helped me realize the message she was trying to tell me. 'I am not a bad person.' Through counseling with her, I was able to recall a trauma from 15 years ago. It was an experience that I could never forget, but one that I had buried deep within the depths of my heart, like the sea. It was a trauma that was so difficult to face that I had pretended it meant nothing at all. I couldn't even label it as a trauma because I couldn't confidently admit that I was a victim. If it weren't for her counseling, I would have carried it within me for a lifetime, as I couldn't even recognize it as a wound. I believed I didn't deserve to. When I confronted the experience that I couldn't share with anyone, she held the hand of my heart, ensuring that I wasn't afraid. She continued to support me until I no longer feared the trauma completely. Now, I no longer think of the world as solely cold. I no longer believe that people only care about themselves. Through her, I have felt and understood that people can be a source of help for one another, and just knowing that has made the world appear more hopeful and brighter to me. Thank you, Vilma. I wanted to express my gratitude properly to you, but my words fall short, and I couldn't express my thanks adequately.

I had four appointments with Karyn Anderson. She no showed to two of them, and nearly no showed to…read moreanother one, which I had to call her and remind her that she had scheduled with me. She complained about having to see me at the time I called her, even though she had scheduled the appointment with me. If you're keeping score, that means she was able to keep 25% of the appointments she booked with me over the course of a single month. I should mention that I took a half-day off work for each of these appointments (the issues I deal with are such that I will get extremely emotional if I talk about them, it's really embarrassing to be around other people when it happens), so in addition to wasting my time and energy, Karyn also wasted my PTO, and thus money. After the last appointment I informed Karyn that I was going to be unable to make the next two weeks of appointments because I was going on a vacation to Alaska, so no internet service. She decides to take this moment to lecture me about how these appointments are in high demand and that I shouldn't expect her to hold a time slot for me. Now if you're thinking, "wait a minute, where does this person get off lecturing someone else about their attendance when they can't be professional enough to keep an appointment they make", we're on the same page. I can't be sure of this and at the time I thought I was being paranoid, but given her subsequent behavior I just don't know; I swear that she was washing dishes while on the phone with me during my intake appointment. I can't be sure because when she did actually show up to the appointments, she couldn't get her video chat to work. To cap it off, when I was in Alaska, she calls me and asks me if I'm planning on making my appointment. After all that she STILL couldn't keep her schedule straight. I told her then that I would be looking for a new provider. Absurdly unprofessional behavior. I don't remember her name, but there was an admin person I interacted with when Karyn no showed and she was very polite and helpful for whatever that's worth.

I had a great experience in virtual sessions with Joelle Stallsmith over the last 14 months or so…read more She listened to the things I wanted to work on, helped me focus my efforts and make quick progress. My work life has improved, my marriage has improved, I finally know how to set healthy boundaries and I have more confidence that I have ever had in my life! She was careful to explain how she works through trauma with a client so I'd know what to expect. She gave me assignments or ideas of things to work on that were practical, not overwhelming and pointed out the progress, which encouraged me to continue the journey. I went from weekly sessions to every other week, and now I'm able to call her if I need "booster" sessions. While I'm so happy with my where I am, I'll miss having her weekly encouragement. Thank you so much!

I saw Dr. Fallin for personal counseling. I had been to other counsellors in years gone by, but…read morenone helped me achieve my goals more than Dr. Fallin. I like how he helped lead me to discover some behaviors and attitudes that were sabotaging my relationships with loved ones. I know that I will always use the things I learned and discovered in therapy to make my relationships better. It's never too late to learn/change/better your life. On the personal/business side, I found Dr Fallin to be professional, highly ethical and straight forward. I'm continually grateful for his insight and the changes I made in my life because of it.

Dr. Fallin tested and evaluated my son for ADHD. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated his…read moreapproach and method of treatment for my child. He was able to allow me to recognize my parenting method was not working for my child and offered workable solutions. Currently, my son is being treated with medication and is thriving in school and our home is now a peaceful. I cannot thank Dr. Fallin enough for his insight and encouragement to get my son on the path of success. I highly recommend him.

I can't recommend Suzanne enough - she brings an incredible ability to listen thoughtfully and…read moreprovide real, actionable strategies to help manage whatever issues you may face. Additionally, she truly cares for her patients and is deeply invested in their wellbeing - I will miss working with her dearly!

Suzanne was a profound investment in our marriage…read more My husband and I interviewed a few couples therapists shortly after we were married for maintenance work, but as soon as we had our intro call with Suzanne we knew we had found our therapist. She has this incredible ability to s-l-o-w arguments down, identify the cycle, and bring to the surface the vulnerability that belies a given heated situation. We both feel we understand each other so much better, and over a period of months the arguments we once had deescalated into just blips, then conversations, and now we have graduated and remain super happily married. We cannot recommend her highly enough.

Absolutely amazing. I've been seeing Ronald Mah for over a year now, done primarily through VSee…read moreapp (video sessions). I can confidently say he's like the swiss army knife of therapists -- he has a tool, label, or model for everything. Seriously, the man could probably find a way to explain the complexities of life using a pizza analogy if he wanted to. Our sessions are very balanced, about half me talking and half him, which is perfect because it feels like an actual conversation, not a one-sided monologue. It feels less like therapy and more like a meaningful conversation with someone who just happens to have an uncanny ability to make sense of everything. He matches my energy so well that sometimes it feels like I'm talking to a mirror (but one with a psychology degree and a talent for uncovering truths I didn't know I had). His honesty is one of the things I value most about him. He doesn't sugarcoat things or dance around issues. It's refreshing to feel like I can fully be myself in our sessions, and it allows me to dive into deep waters like childhood traumas, cultural influences, social upbringing, class differences, and the big question of why the universe insists on throwing curveballs. Ronald can take complex emotions and simplify them into relatable examples. He doesn't just help me untangle the past, he helps me explore its central themes. He has this rare gift of making even the heaviest topics feel approachable, like helping you untangle a messy knot you thought was impossible to fix. By the end, what felt overwhelming starts to make sense, piece by piece, like peeling an onion layer by layer, except this onion occasionally makes you laugh instead of cry. Sometimes, our sessions turn into a much-needed venting session, but more often, they're about exploring the bigger picture -- what I'm letting into my life, how I can move past certain things, and understanding that not everything can or needs to be fixed, and more often than not, it becomes deeply reflective and transformative. He's also taught me that sometimes healing isn't about erasing the pain, but about learning how to coexist with it. He's helped me accept that some pain might come and go, but peace doesn't mean forgetting, it means knowing how to sit with it when it shows up. One of the insights that's really stuck with me is his mention of balance -- even the Buddha, when in prayer form with hands clasped together, has to balance left and right ever so slightly. It's a reminder that perfection isn't the goal. It's about the small, mindful adjustments that bring harmony. That's the kind of wisdom Ronald weaves into our sessions. By the end of a session, what felt like chaos starts to feel like clarity -- not because the problem is "solved," but because he helps you see it from a new perspective. Ronald is also full of practical advice. He has a model or example for just about everything, but he doesn't overwhelm you with it. He's more like a chef offering just the right seasoning to a dish -- enough to add flavor, but never too much to overpower. If you're looking for someone who's honest, insightful, and somehow manages to make therapy feel equal parts deep and down-to-earth, Ronald is your guide. I can't recommend him enough.

In 2019, I went through some hardships (house fire and layoffs) and that left me in a bad place…read morementally. I used to think I was able to tough through these types of situations but as the year went on it became harder and harder to manage. I would cry and have melt-downs pretty often. I was referred to Ronald later that year and he has been amazing. He has such a plethora of life experiences and knows how to tie it into topics we discuss. And since we're both Asian American and children of immigrants, we share lots of similarities and were able to connect really well. He's taught me how to process things and help me work through the things I've been going through. I like his style of therapy, he draws a lot from personal experiences and helps guides me to look at things in different light. It's helped me tremendously and I cannot recommend him enough.

Working with Marni has truly been a transformative experience. Marni is a professional guide for…read morethose seeking self-awareness and improvement in their lives. She has a spiritual and empathetic presence, which for me fosters a reflective environment to explore my life situations. There is no "teacher-student" dynamic here. Instead, Marni provides subtle nudges in this direction or that, but you are the one who ultimately takes the steps toward deeper self-understanding. This does, however, require you to lean into the experience and approach it with respect. Whenever you do uncover a realization, her compassion shines through as she celebrates with you each step of the way. Equally important to me is the reserve of resources and tools that Marni provides, from community links to guides to book referrals to videos. It's not just theory. These are concrete and practical actions that I use in my day-to-day life, the results of which reflect themselves on a regular (if not daily) basis.

I found Marni.... mmmmmmmmm 8 years ago in her Oakland place of business, before the pandemic and…read moreshe transitioned to KAP. I am the type that cycles in and out of therapy during transition periods in my life. In addition to being a travel nurse, I move around a lot and have been with many therapists because of the licensing laws. All of that to say, Marni is the best of the best. Marni was present for two large transitions in my life where we did traditional talk therapy and KAP for the second. I found KAP therapy, conceptually, incredibly effective-if you give yourself to it. It brought up things that I didn't even realize I was upset about from childhood. Made connections for me that only 10 years of talk therapy could do in a single session. The medicine itself is incredibly intuitive, yet you still feel like you have a bit of direction in terms of what part of your psyche you want to deep dive. Marni, herself, I can't say enough amazing things about. SHE WAS BORN FOR THIS JOB! Truly all that is a healer-patient, kind, empathetic, soothing is Marni.

Associated Counseling Services of San Leandro provides excellent service. I was refered by a…read morereputable Dr. in San Francisco and worked with Asc Counseling for a year. Associated Counseling Services of San Leandrois inspirational , knowledable and affordable. The service and indiviual counseliong provided helped me get my life back on track. I worked on drug / alcohol addiction and anger issues. While working with Asc Counseling I refered several people to thier service as well. Im working a program now and feel that if I got in a jam Associated Counseling Services of San Leandro would be there for me if I needed them. I highly recommend this service to anyone interested in gaining clarity on their life and putting in work to overcome their difficulties.

Please do yourself a favor by not hiring this guy to be your therapist He is rude, self-centered,…read moreand manipulative. He insisted that I was lucky because he was charging me less than his standard fee and he was not even a licensed therapist ,the time I was working with him, for Christ's sake. I've also just checked with Board of Behavioral Sciences and found out he's still not licensed to this date. When I finally decided to stop coming to his office, he called me so many times using different phone numbers. Seriously, this guy should not be in the mental health field.