Therapist for Young Adult
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Therapist for someone in late 20's
Dec 2011
I am need of a good therapist. I am in my late 20's and kinda fit into the disaffected ''youth'' category. I need to see someone that ''gets'' me. Does anyone have good experiences with a therapist in the area (El Cerrito/Albany/Richmond/Berkeley) Any recs would be highly appreciated! Thank you!! Grateful
I recommend Marenka Cerny, MFT. Marenka is located in south Berkeley, easy to reach by public transportation or car. See her website at www.somatic- psychotherapy.org I can't say enough good things about this woman as she has studied and worked in clinics 7 years, and has an inherent understanding of teenage youths and young adults. She is kind, appreciative, and hard working and will thoroughly consider your needs throughout your sessions. I know first hand of her work with two people in our family and I have to say that she is great on setting boundaries and communicating to others on how to focus on their needs and goals, and work within their personal limitations. a10
I would recommend Yvonne Mansell, (510) 528-9551. She also has a website so you can get a sense of her that way as well. She is warm and insightful and quite in touch with the needs of young women. Good luck, Marie H
Katie Jennette, MFT has a lot of experience working with young adults and is wonderful. She's in south Berkeley: (510) 859-7340. S. B.
You should call Emily Johnson, she's a great therapist. She's located in Rockridge, which hopefully isn't too far for you. Emily is really bright, engaged, and has a good sense of humor, which is a nice asset in a therapist. She's a really open-minded listener and can really help you sort out what you want and feel. Her number is 510-601-0734. anonymous
My teen sees Brianna Aitkenhead. She used to be at DBT Center of Marin. She is very knowledgeable and kind. She is physically located in Marin but does virtual appointments. I am not sure if she has any openings but if not she may be able to make other recommendations.
I'm sorry your son is suffering. I've researched the same for my young-adult child who attends college out-of-state. Therapists are licensed by state, and the patient/client must be physically present in the state that the therapists is licensed to practice in during the treatment sessions. If your child works with a therapist located in the Bay Area, the therapist will also need to be licensed in the state where your child attends college. Also, full DBT is a highly structured therapeutic program that has individual and group components (as well as 24/7 phone support for the client and team support for the care provider) over a six-month to one-year time frame. It is the gold standard for certain conditions, and clients are thoroughly screened before entering a DBT program. Some DBT therapists will treat clients individually from a DBT perspective, but that is not the same as DBT treatment. The term "DBT" is being used a lot in ways not intended by the creator of the treatment. Carefully vet the credentials of any therapist that says they provide DBT. Here is a link to the training organization affiliated with Marsha Linehan, the creator of DBT.
I've heard that changes may be coming to the way therapists can be licensed so that they can provide services to clients in a wider geographical range, but no specifics yet.
Because of therapist licensing requirements, you may have a hard time finding a Bay Area based therapist willing to treat a client who is out of state.
Although your child might prefer a Bay Area therapist, the clinician in that state must legally have a reciprocal agreement with the licensing boards in both states. That said, I'm certain there is a website for DBT that they might use to locate a group or clinician in that state. Psychology Today might also list therapists who have reciprocity in those two states as well. Good luck!
You didn't mention their gender but if your child is female - I can highly recommend Allison Altman https://annaglezermd.com/our-clinicians. I have worked with a number of clinicians at Women's Wellness Psychiatry including taking Allison's online DBT classes and they have been extremely helpful. Allison has a really good approach - she simultaneously encourages growth/change and is highly empathetic to the struggle.