Therapists in Berkeley, CA

I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. I have been working with families - specializing with adolescents and young adults for almost three decades. I provide interactive, solution focused therapy. My hope is to help you to be present with the here and now, to experience life with awe, humor, gratitude, and kindness towards oneself.

Sometimes we experience difficulties that we can't seem to solve on our own. It may be a life transition that creates unexpected challenges, such as graduating, changing jobs, becoming a parent, or losing a loved one. It may be a relationship problem or a difficult situation at work. Or it may be more of an internal struggle, in which we find ourselves feeling anxious, lonely, or stuck. Sometimes we just have a vague sense that something isn't right, that we're not as happy or as fulfilled as we could be.

When life gets rough, it's important to know there are safe and supportive spaces you can turn to for support. Whether you're seeking real relief from anxiety or depression, needing help establishing better boundaries, questioning your identity, sexuality, or personal relationships or just having trouble managing the day-to-day, we can help. At Life by Design Therapy we believe change is possible for you. We offer holistic and somatic therapy to support you in navigating life's challenges without having to dismiss, avoid, or disconnect from what you truly want. It's time to live life on your own terms and Create A Life You Love!

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL COUPLES THERAPY: Conflict Resolution Skills: Anger management.Infidelity Counseling.Reproductive Counseling. Resolve one issue at a time: diminish name calling/condemnation: hold one another accountable for behavior: minimize mind reading: eliminate verbal/physical abuse: work towards full honesty: build an emotional bank account: improve ratio of favorable/unfavorable interactions: acknowledge each partner's authority. Emotional Maturation: Learn appropriate emotional expression: identify/heal childhood emotional triggers: differentiate between reasonable/unreasonable expectations. Character Development: Improve listening skills: take responsibility for your actions: increase empathy: practice sincere apologies: acknowledge limitations: distinguish:needs/desires: ask for what's important. Eliminate domestic violence. RESTORE ROMANTIC LOVE.

My training is in psychodynamic psychotherapy. However this is only short-hand for working with you in a deep and resonant way. I primarily work with adults and children but also treat dyads (parents and their children, friends, and couples). We will take into account the ways your past has shaped the present. While, at the same time concentrating on how you are living life now in relation to your family, your friends, your workplace, your community, and of course your innermost self.

I am eager to welcome you to the therapeutic process, an essential tool in the journey of growth, healing and empowerment. I specialize in providing compassionate and affirming therapy services, supporting individuals navigating depression, anxiety and trauma. I also have extensive experience working with couples, in particular queer couples, in navigating their relationships and the communication challenges that can arise. My mission is to offer a safe and nonjudgmental space for individuals and couples to explore their challenges, strengthen their bonds and rediscover hope and resilience.

My intent is to help you deal with problems you're facing and lead a more fulfilling life. I have a strong track record of helping people overcome difficulty, struggle and confusion in their lives. I'll work to help you discover a new way of experiencing yourself in the world. I use an integrative mind/body approach to psychotherapy in facilitating change toward contentment and vitality. I work with couples and individuals around issues of intimacy, self-worth, life transition, purpose and spiritual inquiry. My style is collaborative, engaged and supportive.

You're considering therapy. It is often a complicated and difficult decision but sometimes we just know that it's time to try something new. I believe taking the courageous step to begin therapy helps individuals and families address challenges that keep us from our full potential. Whether you are suffering from anxiety or depression, relationship issues or isolation, financial preoccupations, or a desire for a new career, you know it is time to work to make things better. I am a psychologist providing flexible, relational therapy to help you to address a range of issues. My style is warm, compassionate, and down-to-earth.

It takes courage to accept and seek help and set out on your recovery journey. My focus in our work will be on meeting you where you are at and in creating a safe, non-judgmental space where we can collaborate and explore what can be helpful in addressing your needs, wants, and barriers to getting them met.

I provide culturally sensitive, empirically validated psychotherapy services to individuals, couples and families, ranging from adolescents to seniors. I am committed to the therapeutic process as a collaborative journey and consider it a great privilege to be entrusted with my clients' most deeply-held thoughts and feelings. I am actively engaged with those who are grappling with issues of anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship problems, life transitions, trauma, interpersonal difficulties and creative blocks, addressing my client's concerns in a humanistic and holistic manner that transcends preoccupation with pathology to work toward a life of deep meaning, creativity and interpersonal fulfillment.

It is only human to let the trials and tribulations of life weigh us down, and pull us away from our personal growth. We can feel stuck in old patterns and it is hard to see a way out. Therapy allows us to see our struggles from a new perspective, and find new paths towards positive change, and create a more harmonious interaction with our world. I work with couples and individuals on a variety of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship issues and more.

Do you feel overwhelmed by intense emotions? Have you been told that you're too sensitive, or that you should have "gotten over" a loss? Does anxiety or low self-esteem get in the way of working with colleagues, enjoying your partner, or meeting someone new? Maybe you procrastinate and make excuses, or relentlessly criticize yourself. I can help. For more that 25 years, I've been providing psychotherapy to individuals with concerns like yours.

I strongly believe in an individual's ability to change and improve the quality of his or her life. I view my role as a catalyst for transformation, and work to create a safe collaborative environment of mutual trust, where any issue can be discussed and explored in depth: www.drsophiesoltani.com

Therapy is a private space for you to get help with issues that have become overwhelming to you, out of your control, or urgent in some way. Sessions are designed to help you clarify the nature of the problem, identify clear goals, and set a course for recovery/healing. Talking together in ways which nurture curiosity and compassion, we will look at what troubles you, what brings you hope. We will be attentive to the past, but our focus will be on how the past's legacy is impacting your life now. Our work will be relieving of past pains/traumas and will bring more calm and ease, a greater sense of connectedness in present time.

Begin a journey with me, where we'll address the complexities of life together. Navigating emotions, relationship dynamics, and life’s pivotal transitions, I offer a therapy approach that is integrative yet centered around you. Our sessions will be more than just conversations – they will be pathways to empowerment, resilience, and refining adaptive life skills. You'll learn not just to understand your emotions but also to use them as valuable guides, applying the knowledge they impart to nurture your relationships and embrace life's changes within a safe and supportive space.

While we all experience stress, anxiety, and sadness, it is important to have a safe place to express yourself with compassionate guidance. I am a clinical psychologist committed to helping you work through life's challenges, in a warm, supportive, and empathic environment. I specialize in providing evidence-based treatments to adults who experience depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma/PTSD. Further, I aid those facing life transitions, relationship challenges, as well as those who struggle with communication and/or assertiveness.

As your therapist, I will strive to ensure that you feel deeply heard and understood, while also motivating and equipping you with tools to enhance your quality of life. Life can be really hard. Being human means that we will inevitably experience pain, whether it is in the form of loss, comparisons, disappointment, anxiety, obsessive thinking, trauma, failure, loneliness, illness, sadness, etc. My hope is to help you move toward living a full and meaningful life while also making space for the pain that comes along with being alive. We will build skills to make difficult thoughts and feelings have less influence over you.

If you are here searching for a therapist, it is probably safe to assume that you are struggling right now. You might find yourself feeling stuck and not knowing how to move forward in your life, your relationships, or your work. Maybe you just forgot how to have fun. And no matter what you do; nothing seems to lift the dark cloud. You might find yourself doing things that make you feel better in the moment, and that you know aren't good for you, but are having a difficult time figuring out any other options. I get it.

My name is Lene, and I am a licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. I build my relationship with clients on empathy, attentive listening, and an unwavering commitment to providing a safe emotional space where clients can investigate their deepest wounds and fears. Parts of what shapes us as human beings are out of our control. But we have control over how we respond to our experiences. When we become more conscious and start being able to identify, heal, and let go of the negative narratives we hold, profound change becomes possible. Schedule a free 15 min call to explore the possibility of working together.