Seeking a Bilingual Therapist
Related Pages: Foreign-Born Therapists ... Spanish-Speaking Therapists
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Couples therapist that speaks English & Portuguese
Sept 2009
I'm looking for a good couples therapist in the Oakland/Berkeley area that speaks both English and Portuguese. I am having the hardest time finding one just using the internet. Does anybody out there know of one? Preciso Ajuda
Carolina Bacchi, Psy. D is a wonderful therapist who is a native Portuguese speaker. I do not have her phone number handy. Her office is in Oakland/Berkeley area. She also teaches at CIIS in SF so you could reach her there if you can't find the number. Ilene D
I recommend Gabriela Bandeira. She is a great therapist and speaks both English and Portugese fluently. She is in San Francisco. Her office number is 415-265-1373 and her email is mgb.mft [at] gmail.com. Arezoo
You should call Marcia Van Dyke. She is a trilingual (English- Portuguese-Spanish) therapist that practices in Oakland. Marcia Van Dyke, Ph.D. 4000 Broadway, Suite 1 Oakland, CA 94611 (510) 655-1992 Best of luck. Good luck!
I would like to recommend my colleague, Dr. Marcia Van Dyke, who conducts therapy in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. She works with couples, as well as with children and adults in individual therapy. Here is her contact information: Marcia Van Dyke, Ph.D. 4000 Broadway, Oakland (510) 655-1992. She is a very experienced therapist and I hope you find her to be a good match for you and your partner. Katya W
German-speaking therapist
Feb 2009
Our lovely au pair has been very depressed over the last weeks. It breaks our heart to see her so unhappy and we offered to take her to a therapist. We would like to find someone calm, easy to be with, good with young adults, and preferably a German speaking woman therapist since her English is not that good and she is usually very anxious with new people. Berkeley or Albany/El Cerrito would be perfect!
Help for your German au pair. There is a German-American psychologist in Berkeley. He has a very good reputation. Hans Stahlschmidt 510 - 848 5347.Good luck. anon
Catherine Hopman, Ph.D. is a former supervisor of mine from when I was in grad school for clinical psychology. She is fluent in German. She is in San Francisco, Pacific Heights/Japantown area. (415)440-0453. She is wonderful. Ilene
I can suggest you contact Hans Stahlsmidt, a native German-speaking therapist who's office is in North Berkeley, near the top of Solano Ave. HIs number is 510) 848-5347. I talked to him about helping my teen son. I decided to go with a different therapist who I felt my son could connect with more easily.But Hans would be able to talk to your au pair auf Deutsch. Wilma
My piano teacher is German and besides teaching piano she is also a therapist. I don't know how she is as a therapist but I like her as a teacher. She is very nice,calm and patient. If I would need a therapist I would probably give her a try. I am also German so it's nice to talk to somebody who understands not only your language but also your culture and mentality. You can look her up on the internet. Her name is Susanne Stolcke and she lives in the Berkeley Hills but I am not sure where her office is located. anon
Susan Stolcke http://www.pianolessonsinberkeley.com/ speaks German and specializes in young adults. L.
Frau Helen Schoenhals Hart in Marin county would be great, although she is not real close. She is a fully licensed therapist in California and Germany. She practiced in Frankfurt, Germany for 30 years and recently retired here. She went to a German university before that. She is American but her German is of course far beyond excellent. I know, because I speak German myself. Give her a call: 415-492-1733. Also, my daughter was an au pair in Essen, Germany for 2 months last year. She is now 18. Maybe my daughter could invite your au pair for a night out with her friends. Just an idea. When she was there some German girls around her age took her out to things like professional soccer games and dance clubs and she had a great time. So call Helen for therapy, and email me if you want me to ask my daughter to invite her out. Sean
Sue Kramer, LCSW, is a bilingual German-speaking therapist on Ashby Ave. near the Claremont Hotel. She's been in practice a long time and works with all ages. Her phone is 510-548-1150. Good luck! joanna
Susanne Stolcke, MFT is a native of Germany now living and practicing therapy in Berkeley. I think she might be a good fit your your au pair. More information about Suzanne can be found at www.europeancounseling.com or thepoweroftherapy.com Katrinca
Hi there, I had to reply to your post since it so reminded me of myself and how I felt when I was an Au pair. I am not a licensed psychologist though I studied Psychology in Germany. I am German myself, came to California as an Au Pair after High school in Germany and kept returning to California to finally moving here altogether. I went through depressing stages as an Au pair and found myself incredibly lost at times due to the incredible difference the Bay Area offers compared to Germany. Being on my own for the first time with no one there to guide me I realized that the world was a much bigger place than I had ever anticipated and I started questioning everything that I had believed in before. Things that seemed black and white before where now grey and diffused and I entered a state of depression that I didn't understand at that time and felt quite scared. It wasn't until I entered therapy years later after having moved to Berkeley altogether that I really started unde! rstanding the impact these new influences had on me and my development. That said I think it is really wonderful that you are reaching out to help her and find a therapist, since this is a very important and life changing experience for her.
Israeli Therapist?
Oct 2010
Hello, I will be happy to get any recommendations of how to find a Hebrew speaking intern that does kids therapy. (Berkeley area) Thanks!!!
I'm not sure why you want an intern, but I do know a Hebrew-speaking (Israeli) therapist who is great with kids. Dr. Meshulam Plaves. His office is off Telegraph in Berkeley. His number is 549-3944. anon
I am an Israeli psychologist who also works with kids. How old are the kids? I may have an Israeli Intern, but I need more information. You are welcome to email: drheftsi [at] yahoo.com or call 510-869-5009 Dr. Assaf
Didn't see the original post, so I am not sure what are your needs, but I can recommend Manar Azreik to work with children who need support going through challenges. She is a Waldorf teacher that worked with children with special needs. She also has a certificate in sound and music healing and in her work she focuses on music and movement. It is not traditional talk therapy but it gives the child a lot of space to process and express. She has local references for healing work with children and speaks fluent Hebrew. Her e-mail is manarhealinghistory [at] gmail.com anon
I did not see your original post, but would like to suggest Meshulem Plaves, Ph.D., (Shulie), an Israeli therapist, but not an intern; he also teaches. 510-549-3944, on Ward Street, near Telegraph, in Berkeley. Shulie may know if there are other Hebrew speaking therapists and psychology students in the Israeli-therapist community, if you really need an intern. He's a very kind man, does see children and is an Anthem Blue Cross provider (I don't know his affiliations with other insurance groups). - Anon
Oct 2006
Does anyone know of a well-regarded Israeli therapist in Berkeley or Oakland? The concrete issues are twofold: 1. Whether to switch tracks and live permanently in the US, and 2. Whether to leave a marriage (to a fellow Israeli) in which sexual fidelity has proven impossible (from the point of view of the person seeking the therapy). Other more ephemeral issues are integrity, possible love and sex addiction, and major life transitions. Thank you for any leads you may have. anonymous
I've found Meshulam Plaves very helpful -- though not for the specific issues you mention. He's calm, compassionate, clear- headed, and helps you think things through. If he's not the right person for you, he could probably refer you to another Israeli therapist. --Anon.
Call Ido Siemion, MFTI at 415.364.1864. Currently, his office is in SF, but I know he is interested in working in the East Bay and/or he may have another suggestion for you for an Isreali therapist. He is smart and skillful. Jennifer
I have a wonderful psychotherapist to recommend. Her name is Dr. Heftsi Assaf. She is Israeli and has wonderful insight and compassion. I recommend her without reservation. Her office number is 510 869-5009. Elizabeth