Therapy for Anxiety in the East Bay and Across California
Online therapy for anxiety, stress, and overwhelm—specializing in serving high-achieving Black women navigating complex environments.
You’re Navigating a Lot—Externally and Internally
You’re becoming more visible in your professional world while navigating identity at the intersections of Blackness, gender, health, and class. You’re carrying more responsibility, stepping into roles you once hoped for, and moving through environments that weren’t always designed with you in mind. Even as you grow, there may be moments when the ground shifts beneath you. Anxiety often shows up during transitions—big or small—especially when you’ve been the one holding yourself together for so long.
When You Feel Lost in Systems
Not because you’re incapable, but because the rules keep changing depending on who is watching, who’s in the room, or what expectations are being placed on you. Many high-achieving Black women navigate workspaces where they must be both excellent and unproblematic; visible yet invisible; grounded yet hyper-aware. Holding all of this in your mind and body can feel like walking with a weight that no one else can see.
Therapy offers a space where you don’t have to carry it alone.
You’re Ready to Release What No Longer Serves You
Fitting in is no longer the goal. You want a place to simply be—to breathe without performing, pause without guilt, and reflect without worrying how you’ll be perceived. You may be noticing that the coping strategies that once helped you survive—overworking, anticipating others’ needs, pushing through exhaustion—are now keeping you from feeling grounded.
This isn’t a personal failure. It’s your system signaling readiness for a new way of moving through the world.
You’re Seeking an Anchor, Not More Pressure
You want a place to land softly. A space held with steadiness, cultural understanding, and expertise. A therapeutic relationship that honors the truth that your anxiety didn’t come from nowhere—it came from lived experience, structural realities, and adaptive brilliance.
My method focuses on balancing two things:
• externalizing the unhelpful beliefs you inherited
• internalizing liberation, self-trust, and nervous-system safety
This is where we begin.
In our work together, you can expect a steady, grounded presence—not more pressure to perform. Therapy becomes a space where your nervous system can settle, your guard can lower, and your internal voice can grow clearer. We move gently, intentionally, and always at a pace that honors your lived experience.
What Anxiety Can Look Like in Real Life
You may appear steady and accomplished on the outside, yet inside, your mind rarely rests. Anxiety can show up as:
Constant mental rehearsal
Second-guessing your tone, choices, or presence
Difficulty resting even when exhausted
A subtle but persistent tension in the body
Feeling responsible for everything
Shallow breathing or a “tight” chest
Worry no one can see but you feel constantly
Many Black women describe anxiety not as panic, but as a quiet tightening—mental, emotional, and physical—that becomes the background music of daily life.
This version of anxiety is valid. It deserves care, not minimization.
Why Your Anxiety Makes Sense
Anxiety is not a flaw. It’s a learned response shaped by identity, lived experience, culture, and what your nervous system had to do to protect you.
If you’ve needed to stay prepared, minimize missteps, or carry more responsibility than others, your mind and body adapted to those demands. Hyper-awareness and vigilance were once strengths—tools that helped you succeed and stay safe.
But when you’re no longer in survival mode, those same strategies can feel like pressure, fatigue, or internal noise.
Therapy gives you space to understand these patterns with compassion—not self-blame—and gently begin rewiring what’s no longer needed.
What Starts to Shift with Support
With steady, culturally rooted support, you begin to feel more spaciousness in both your mind and body.
You respond instead of react.
Your breath becomes a resource.
Rest starts to feel familiar rather than dangerous.
Anxiety softens from a constant hum into something manageable.
Clarity replaces urgency.
Calm becomes something you can return to—not a rare exception.
Over time, you start making decisions from groundedness rather than fear. And most importantly: internal ease becomes something you deserve, not something you have to earn.
What Working Together Looks Like
We begin with a brief consultation to understand your goals, explore what feels most urgent, and make sure my approach is right for you. From there, therapy moves at a steady, respectful pace.
My work integrates:
Mind-body grounding
Nervous system awareness
Culturally informed reflection
Tools you can use between sessions
A no-rush, no-performance environment
You don’t have to prove your anxiety is “bad enough.”
You don’t have to explain the parts of your identity that are often misunderstood.
You simply get to arrive as you are.
Together, we build trust, capacity, and clarity over time.
Throughout our work, I hold a steady, grounded presence so you’re never navigating your anxiety alone. We check in regularly about what feels supportive, adjust pacing when needed, and make sure therapy honors your nervous system—not overwhelms it.
Anxiety Therapy FAQ
1. Will I have to retell painful stories?
No. We move at a pace that protects your nervous system. You never have to share anything before you’re ready.
2. I’ve been anxious for years—can therapy still help?
Yes. The nervous system can learn new patterns at any age.
3. Is your approach practical or reflective?
Both—grounding tools + deep, culturally aware exploration.
4. I function well on the outside. Will my anxiety be taken seriously?
Absolutely. High-functioning anxiety is real and often invisible.
5. How long before I feel a shift?
Many clients notice subtle changes within a few weeks; deeper shifts build over time.
No matter where you begin, you don’t have to have the perfect words or the perfect understanding of your anxiety. We start with what’s real for you right now and build from there.
My Approach Is Rooted In
A belief that healing is not about performing strength—it’s about learning to feel safe, steady, and at home in your own body. My approach blends mind-body therapy, cultural and racial context, somatic awareness, and grounding practices you can use every day.
I help clients create an internal environment where rest feels possible, boundaries feel protective, and clarity becomes accessible.
When You’re Ready, I’m Here
If you’re ready to explore a steadier, more grounded way of moving through life, I’d be honored to support you. Whether you’re in the East Bay or anywhere across California, this can be a place to land, breathe, and build the inner calm you’ve been craving.
PROFESSIONAL FEES: Individual psychotherapy sessions are $280. I do periodically raise my fees. You will be notified well in advance of any changes.
If you’re seeking free or low-cost therapy options, you can find a list of resources here.
FREQUENCY: If we are a fit, I require weekly sessions for the first 12 weeks. This is to ensure stabilization in the work.
INSURANCE: I am an out-of-network provider. I will provide an invoice for you to submit for reimbursement from your health care insurance company. Many clients have out-of-network benefits and receive significant reimbursement from their insurance provider. I recommend that you contact your insurance provider to determine what your benefits may be.
TELEHEALTH: Sessions will be held via phone or video. I currently provide sessions for California residents only.
FEES AND POLICIES
CANCELLATIONS AND MISSED APPOINTMENTS: Your scheduled session time is reserved specifically for you, and the full fee is required whether or not you attend. Each client is allotted one courtesy cancellation per 52-week period for each weekly session they hold (e.g., clients in twice-weekly therapy receive two courtesy cancellations per year).
If you need to cancel, you are welcome to schedule a make-up session during the week before, the week of, or the week after your missed appointment, if our schedules align. I will make every effort to find a time that works.
I typically take the third week of each month for professional development and do not hold sessions that week. I also observe all U.S. holidays and encourage clients to take vacations and holidays therapy-free. You are never charged for sessions I cancel.
If you cancel your appointment, the session fee will be charged by the end of that day.
LENGTH OF TREATMENT: The length of therapy varies from person to person. Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that many clients begin experiencing meaningful improvement within 12–18 weekly sessions, especially for acute concerns. Some evidence-based models are designed for about 12–16 sessions, while others continue longer depending on your goals, history, and the depth of the work.
In practice, many clients choose to stay beyond the initial 3–4 months to support more complete healing, integrate new skills, or continue deeper emotional and mind–body work. We will check in together about your progress and adjust the pace as needed to support sustained growth.