Seeking East Bay Therapist for Anxiety/mid life struggles
Hello,
I am seeking a therapist in the Berkeley, Albany, Oakland, El Cerrito area that takes Blue Cross Anthem/Optum health insurance. I suffer from Generalized Anxiety but could also use general help coping with typical mid-life struggles (young children, career, marriage, etc). Ideally the person uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as mindfulness methods but I am open to other suggestions. Ultimately the right person would be smart, compassionate, empowering and honest. Humor is a plus as well:) Thanks for any suggestions.
Nov 13, 2017
Parent Replies
I️ recommend Megan MacMillan in Berkeley. She takes Blue Shield insurance; not sure about Blue Cross Anthem. She starts each session with a brief mindfulness meditation; she’s warm and easy to talk to.
I recommend Yvonne Mansell (http://www.yvonnemansell.com), who is a licensed marriage and family therapist that practices in Albany. She is also a student of the Buddhist tradition of mindfulness. I am not sure if she accepts Blue Cross Anthem, but in addition to individual therapy, she offers reasonably priced support groups on mindful parenting and other topics. I attended her Anger and Stress Management group for mothers, and it was very affordable without insurance. I was a little hesitant about being in a group therapy setting, as I tend to be a private person, but I feel like the group format ended up benefitting me more. I liked being in the presence of other mothers like me who were also suffering with anxiety and stress. We cried, laughed and commiserated together as women and mothers. It was therapeutic and transformative. Her sessions taught me how to control and manage my stress with an enlightened approach. I still refer back to my notes from her sessions I attended over a year ago. I can't say enough good things about Yvonne and her mindfulness based group therapy sessions.