Couples Counseling and Therapy in Berkeley, CA

Hi. I'm Rose.

She/Her

I’m passionate about working with couples and adults, helping them cultivate relationships rooted in authenticity.

Let's dive into the meaningful stuff together.

Being a therapist is not just a profession for me - it's a creative practice and a passion.

I find fulfillment in the trust clients place in me when sharing their most sensitive stories. Navigating my own low points and struggles has allowed me to experience the healing power of therapy. 

I view the challenges and hardships I’ve faced and overcome as contributors to my personal growth and as assets in supporting my clients. Exploring the real, authentic you is what gives me a sense of vitality and gratitude for this meaningful career.

My years of training and personal growth can support you to strengthen your relationships and love yourself without hesitation.

At my core I am a caregiver – which is both my greatest strength and weakness. As the fourth of five children, I learned to care for others to earn love and appreciation in my family. I became an expert at reading people and providing support. These skills still serve me as a therapist but they come with challenges. 

I had to learn not to lose myself and to practice self-compassion, recognizing that my needs are also significant. My personal growth informs my work in assisting you to recognize your self-worth, establish boundaries and cultivate loving relationships.

Art is a powerful tool for healing.

Throughout my life painting, drawing, and writing have been powerful tools for my personal healing. With a bachelor’s degree in visual art, I dedicated 15 years to working with children and art in non-profits, empowering them to use creativity for expression and healing. This remains a valuable resource not just for me but also for my clients as we navigate the path of growth and healing together.

The arts hold a mysterious power to heal.

I intuitively understood the transformative power the arts held to shift thinking and support personal growth. But it wasn’t until I began working one-on-one with clients that I witnessed how art could support challenging conversations and provide a safe space for exploring difficult and shameful experiences. Art is one of many tools I use to help you thrive and undergo transformation.

Being in a relationship can be truly fulfilling and sometimes excruciating.

I know what it’s like to struggle in a relationship and need help moving through a conversation that seems to be on repeat. Through training and life experience I’ve learned the truth – no relationship is easy and we all need support sometimes.

I’m here to support you to listen deeply to yourself and to navigate any relationship conflict

The most rewarding thing is witnessing the real-time shift in a couple’s dynamic during our sessions. I would never sit back and watch you have the same old arguments. Instead, I guide and support you to stay regulated and navigate through conflicts effectively.

My mission is to help you feel less alone, more self-compassion and genuine connection in your relationships.

Reach out today to learn how I can help.

My compassionate style and unique interventions can guide you on your healing journey.

The path that lead me here ...

As a Bay Area native, I dedicated 15 years to working in non-profits focusing on children and art. In 2009, I began a master’s in Counseling Psychology with a focus in Art Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies

For post graduate training I focused on addressing diverse issues, including trauma, abuse, and complex family dynamics, especially with Spanish-speaking children and families at Family Paths.

I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 2015 and delved into specializing in work with adults and couples.

In recent years, I’ve specialized in working with both monogamous and non-monogamous relationships, given how common a non-traditional relationship structure is in the Bay Area. I am passionate about working with couples and diverse relationship dynamics, including polyamorous, non-monogamous, and open relationships. 

Over the past three years, my focus has been on addressing sex, relationships, and intimacy issues, and I am working towards becoming an AASECT-certified sex therapist in 2024.

More about me.

It’s important to bring humility and accountability to my role as a therapist in sharing my intersections of privilege and marginalization. Beyond being a therapist I identify as a cis-gendered, heterosexual, white woman, mother, wife and daughter. 

I was raised in a working class family and love vegetarian tacos, painting and spending time with friends. I speak fluent Spanish and serve native Spanish speaking families at an Oakland based agency. All of these aspects of my identity have shaped my understanding of the world. I am dedicated to equity in my relationships and fighting for it systematically.

I love working with adults from various backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, ages, sexual orientations and gender identities.

Continuously engaging with a diverse clientele keeps my mind open to new learning, prompting ongoing training and experiences to maintain an open perspective, free from rigid preconceptions. I actively immerse myself in the latest research, pursue advanced courses, and attend highly specialized trainings to stay at the forefront of my field.

My experience.

It used to be so easy to connect without other priorities getting in the way. When work, chores, and child responsibilities take all of your energy, it becomes difficult to remember what you used to do for fun together.

My education is vast and I weave together effective interventions for adults and couples. With individuals I utilize somatic and art therapy interventions to cast a different light on problems that may feel repetitive and ingrained. With partners I utilize interventions from many brilliant voices in the field.

I use interventions that actually work to get you unstuck and reconnected and gave studied these therapeutic modalities extensively:

I can support you in delving into the messy and challenging stuff in order to really know yourself.

Life’s greatest challenges can pave the way for profound personal growth.

What I offer.

Drawing from my own struggles and growth after trauma, I empathize with those who find it challenging to be seen and express vulnerability. I bring my personal growth and years of training to support you in your darkest moments. I’m committed to staying informed and up to date on effective interventions by reading psychology related books, listening to podcasts and attending trainings.

I provide an innovative approach to best address your unique needs.

I synthesize a variety of highly effective therapy modalities such as mindfulness, neuroscience, somatic and art therapy. This can help you to explore unconscious tendencies and define your authentic needs. Loving yourself and staying in a difficult conversation is possible with the right tools.

Here's how I'll support you.

Therapy with me is a safe and confidential space where you can talk about anything. I often hear, ‘I’ve never talked about this before’. I’m honored to be given the opportunity to hold the things you weren’t sure it was safe to share. Training in Couples and Sex Therapy as well as Art and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy has given me a multitude of tools to support clients with.

My style is unique.

My primary modalities, PACT and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, focus on attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and arousal regulation. 

PACT supports couples in developing a secure functioning relationship. The model builds upon the understanding that our first relationships in life, those with our primary caregivers, create the blueprint for all the relationships that follow.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy helps you become aware of how you’ve held stress and trauma in your body facilitating healing and transformation.

If you want to know the official details:

  • I’ve been in practice for 12 years – and love witnessing the growth and transformation of individuals and relationships.
  • I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in 2015.
  • I received my Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy and Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2012.
  • I hold a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California Santa Cruz.
  • In 2024 I’ll complete a Certification in Sex Therapy – AASECT
  • I’m level 2 trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT) and Institute for Relational Intimacy.
  • I love Ester Perel’s Sex Therapy Trainings
  • I’ve completed brief trainings in the following:
    • Diane Poole Heller – Attachment
    • Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
    • Developmental Model for Couples Therapy

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