Susan is a wonderful therapist and person. I have known her for almost 20 years, first as my…read moresupervisor and now as my esteemed colleague. I happily and confidently refer clients to her as she is so competent, skilled, passionate, kind sensitive, supportive and successful in all she undertakes. I have spoken to many people whose lives have been forever improved by Susan's skills as a therapist. I highly recommend her. You will not be disappointed!

Look at the review right below mine with the fake 5 stars, who writes reviews about their previous…read moreboss. Thats not even a real customer review. If you choose to use Susan Regan, keep a close watch on your bank account. She requires you to keep a card on file with her and she'll charge it without talking to you about it first. She charged me for reading emails (had I known I would have just talked to her about the emails during a session). She also charged me for an extended session when she was 10 minutes late starting it (when I raised that point with her she refunded part of the extra charge very graciously. The issue is that I never would have known that she charged me extra had I not been keeping watch over my bank account and I would expect a professional not to charge a client for time that client spends in the waiting room.). She'll tell you that she has a two day cancellation policy but what she enforces is a 48-hour and two BUSINESS day cancellation policy. So an appointment on Tuesday at 6:00 pm has to be cancelled by Friday at 6:00 pm or she'll charge the card on file. I found this out when I attempted to cancel a Tuesday evening appt at 7:00 am Monday morning. Even though she had the exact same amount of business hours to fill the cancellation that she would have had if I had cancelled on Friday after the end of business hours, she wouldn't budge. It was the first time that I had cancelled an appointment and didn't understand the policy but she wouldn't cut me a break. I finally reached the point where I felt like a walking bank account instead of a patient and severed the relationship. She was a decent therapist but the money issues were just too much for me.

psyche is an Oakland collective of three feminist, sex-positive psychotherapists (Christy Calame,…read moreLCSW, Beth Bernstein, MFT, and Matilda St. John, MFT,) who work out of an office across from Lake Merritt. I have been seeing Christy Calame weekly off and on for the last five years and she is an amazing healer and support. I've heard great things about Beth Bernstein and Matilda St. John. Following are a review and an update I wrote about Christy Calame. My understanding is that Beth and Mathilda have similar therapy styles and an equally progressive outlook. 12/13/09 update: I've been back in therapy with Christy for a year now and she's such an amazing support to me. I don't know what I'd do without her. Sometimes I feel guilty about being so bourgeois that I can pay someone to listen to my problems. It is a guilty pleasure, (it's only pleasurable sometimes, though), and I know there will be a time in the future that I won't be in therapy. In the meantime, I continue to be grateful that I'm not wasting my time and money with a lesser practitioner. Original review: 11/14/07: Therapy is one of those things that is so personal it seems a bit odd to review one's practitioner. How can I know what will work for anyone else? That being said, I've wasted some time in my almost four decades on the planet with some not-so-great (at least for me) practitioners. (Oh, if I'd only known Christy in my 20s or early 30s...) Someone whom I dated for four years used to tell me that he loved dating me because, "You never want to talk about our relationship." I have, at times, willfully ignored things/people/my own behaviors that were damaging to me. I'm still someone who, to her own detriment, does practically no navel-gazing, but because Christy helped me, for one hour a week, examine my default patterns and behaviors, to a large extent I am now able to heal myself and make better choices. Last July, when I became a lot poorer because of a real estate purchase, I asked Christy if she agreed that it would be OK for me to take a break from therapy. She said yes and also told me she was available if I needed to call her if I needed to or schedule a session or three if needed a check-in or a short series of appointments. She told me that she's always there for me, and I really do feel that. She is part of my support system. There have been times when I could have called her in the 4.5 months since then, but I feel so much more together than before I started seeing her that I haven't needed to. Christy has inspired me to look at my life a whole new way and see patterns that don't move me forward. She has helped me to become my own day-to-day therapist. As a side note, Christy is part of a three-person therapy group who call themselves Psyche. They use the phrase "not your mother's therapist" in their advertising in local progressive magazines and it's true (unless your mom is a lot wilder than mine). Psyche specializes in GLBT, sex-positive, kink-friendly, feminist, etc. therapy. (You don't have to be liberal, queer or kinky to have therapy from these folks--it's just a safe space for people who want that.) In summary: Christy is great. If you're looking for a kick-ass therapist in Oakland, I really recommend her. She's one of my heroes.

I usually disdain from writing reviews of people and service providers who ethically can't write…read moreback else they'd be acknowledging a relationship that's supposed to be confidential. Plus, I'm not too keen on making my private details public. That feels too exhibitionist and weird. And, yeah, so is Googling and Yelping your therapist. But I'm adding add my own subjectivities to this pot. Christy is a great therapist with whom one could discuss and analyze anything--kink, poly, LGBTQQI, heteronorms, literature, politics. In my 15 years of seeing therapists, I can say that they don't come smarter, more kind or open, more caring, engaging, compassionate, or more prescient. She's also tough --she can see through my crap, gets most of my jokes, and my progressive political references. She hears me and sees me. i feel safe with her, and that is HUGE. I'm just sayin'. For the record.

Jen is everything you want in a therapist: welcoming, charming, super smart, and endlessly…read moreresourceful. Her presence and authenticity are palpable, and it translates in such a way it often feels as though she is consistently going above and beyond, but in fact - it's just the way she shows up. At the core of her approach lies her unwavering compassion and empathy, which underpin every interaction she offers. Her guidance and support are consistently delivered with a sense of safety and warmth, and her gentle authority allows for new perspectives that resonate differently. I have seen a lot of different therapist throughout my life, and not because I was incredibly troubled, but rather because I was raised to believe that supporting your own mental heath shouldn't only happen in crisis. Working with Jen has reawakened my hope in how others can help each other, and she is an absolute treasure.

Jen is absolutely wonderful as a therapist, and as a person. Out of curiosity, I glanced at the…read moreother reviews and it's remarkable how we all conincide in both sentiment and specifics. When I went to her a few months ago, I knew that the relationship with a therapist depends on whether therapist and client "click." I was hopeful that it would work out, but I never imagined it could be this good. Jen is empathy personified, balance, curiosity, body- and mind-centered, appreciative of all aspects of what it is to be a person, but without any judgement at all. She makes me feel safe, held, seen and heard. If you are considering giving her a try, do. And if you do so, try to see her in person. Her voice carries all the traits I have described, and her body does too - if you see her in person it's like all the wonders are multiplied by two :) She helps me tremendously.

Jamie is as amazing a therapist as is a genuinely kind person to talk to…read more During your session she will engage you and will recall things that you have told her months earlier. She will reflect on what she has learned about you, and with insight and great skill, make sense of your troubles. She does it with such compassion and effortlessness that a seasoned grandmother of a big family could learn from it! She is quite versatile; Jamie's therapeutic methods are very powerful and healing but she can also give down-to-earth, practical advise for "real life" situations. If you had a particularly tricky problem she can even recommend you to specialists because she is connected with other therapists. Her manners are warm and friendly, you feel like you are in good hands during your session. I have tried to go to therapy before but often it felt like I was having my teeth pulled without anesthetics. In contrast, Jamie makes you feel like you are having tea with a friend who cares about you a lot! Her office is clean and neat and is in a good part of town. She is fairly flexible to make appointments and asks for a reasonable fee well worth spending. After every session I came away with sighs of relief; Jamie's therapy will enable you to heal yourself and feel good about life.

I am a clinical psychology graduate student and Dr. Epstein was my…read moreprofessor for a yearlong course in assessment. She is a knowledgeable practitioner and a skilled teacher. In an academic setting she is incredibly kind, approachable, and disarming. She taught my classmates and I how to conduct thorough interviews and interpret psychodiagnostic assessment measures to construct an integrative and holistic view of each client's presenting concerns. Dr. Epstein placed much emphasis on the therapeutic value of assessment feedback and taught sensitive and creative approaches to relating assessment findings to clients.

Alison is exceptional, and has helped me with lots of trauma and I have seen my life improve before…read moremy eyes. She is present, listens carefully and gives very good feedback. The healing process for me has been a long one but I live my life more plentiful now. Her office is always clean, she is welcoming and always there right on time ready to help you and listen. I am incredibly thankful for her existence and her help. I highly recommend her for all her services and I am eternally thankful for her.

I was reading the reviews here and felt I had to write one of my own to share my experience with…read moreAlison and how it in no way compares to some of the negative comments shared here. Alison is by far one of the most generous people I know. She has been my therapist for nearly 5 years now and has helped me recover from depression and regain my self-esteem. I am bipolar with mixed states and she understood my diagnosis and supported me even during a period when I could not afford her. I repeat, she was extremely generous with me, going above and beyond to help me get through some very dark times. I was also suffering from grief as my mother passed away suddenly. If you are going through a difficult moment and need someone in your corner, I would highly recommend Alison. She is earnest and sincere in her support and gives you her all to see you succeed.

EMDR is life changing and Danielle is incredibly skilled at guiding you through the process. If…read moreyou're considering it, do it. If you've come as far as looking up practitioners, you are ready. And if you're looking for someone experienced, knowledgeable, professional and supportive, Danielle is the one. I have been in more traditional therapy for years and I still also highly recommend that route, but there is something incredibly remarkable about EMDR and the way you are able to access, relive, reprocess and move beyond past traumas that have impacted the way you think, act, move and literally every other aspect of your current life. I discovered/uncovered some trauma that I didn't realize I had and Danielle helped guide me through the entire process. EMDR can be extremely profound and thus also difficult and painful. To have someone that i felt was experienced enough and able to recognize how I was moving through each phase made me feel supported, reassured and very capable of diving into my past so that I can better dive into my future. I honestly feel like every single person could benefit from EMDR and cannot say enough positive things about it or Danielle.

While she's not an MD, all healthcare professionals should take "do not harm" very…read moreseriously-Danielle does not. She was at the end of our work together and quite cold. I felt like I was talking to someone with a loaded gun rather than a therapist. I couldn't reason with her and felt like I was being pelted with rocks and garbage. I made mistakes (I cancelled appointments and was late at times) but on our last phone call, she was downright mean and not a very good listener. She hung up on me! I was 100% wrong in her eyes. I made some mistakes-yes but she did not give me proper warning or an opportunity to correct them. She duped me over email! While I understand there are many good reviews and I went to her for almost a year. She will drop you if you cancel too many times and instead of simply having a conversation with you about it, she'll just do it. Not a great way to treat someone who is in "therapy"

I can't say enough wonderful things about Sheira. She is one of the kindest people you will ever…read moremeet while also being very professional. She listens carefully and makes sure she understands while providing thoughtful feedback. For someone dealing with stress, body image issues, anxiety, etc having someone like Sheira on your team is an amazing asset.

This is a long overdue review. My rating is not a reflection of general counseling method, but…read morerather of ethics. In my case, there was a severe breach/violation of trust and mishandling of sensitive information. Simply put, she made a diagnosis which she was unqualified to make (and inevitably completely wrong about). She communicated this diagnosis to someone other than myself - where it became something used against me. In both cases, a boundary was crossed which should not have been.

I found Rose after stumbling upon her PsychologyToday page and website. Just reading her words on…read moreher sites touched my heart and soul. It hit my core. As a therapist in training, I was so curious about her and her journey that I gave her a call. That was a life-changing decision because now she's my mentor! She roots me on, sees my power and strength, and challenges me in the most loving way possible. She has guided me in understanding and empowering me to channel my most authentic self and as an Asian-American womxn in this white, patriarchal society. Her teachings stem not only from her inner wisdom but also from her personal experience and actions. She definitely practices what she preaches. She is living proof of inner strength, power, and love. Her heart and soul is so real, genuine, authentic, that I can feel my own heart and soul wanting to break through all its layers just so it can be with her. She truly brings the best out of me. She is an incredible role model to me, one that I wish all young Asian-American girls can experience. When I spend time with her, I leave feeling an energetic shift, like something inside of me is either rising to the surface, being healed, being seen, or being loved. Rose is a beautiful human being and a powerful healer. Words in this review cannot capture her impact on my life. You'll just have to experience her for yourself! ;)

I recently did EMDR therapy with Rosanna to help me recover from a work-related trauma. Rosanna is…read morevery empathetic and really helped me come through the process with a lot more self-empathy and compassion. Over a period of 2 months, I gradually went from being stuck in a burnout state to a new happier equilibrium in life, with refreshed perspectives on the past and future. In addition, she's very perceptive and her observations helped me gain more self-awareness, especially on how I generate and burn energy. I am very grateful to have worked with her through a difficult period of my life and would highly recommend her!