at last, i can just be.
AFFIRMING, EMPOWERING THERAPY FOR THE EVERYDAY SUPERHEROES STRUGGLING TO HOLD IT ALL DOWN
DOES YOUR INTERNAL DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE…
I need to be good.
I need to get it right.
I do so much to feel like I’m doing enough.
But I don’t feel like enough.
I don’t know what’s going on in my body.
I want to avoid my feelings; being with them is too overwhelming.
I’m scared that what I actually need is too much for people.
I want to make a change but I’m terrified.
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what's in the way is the way
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• what's in the way is the way •
HI, I’M LUCA.
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based on stolen Lisjan Ohlone land, colonially known as Oakland, CA. I use they/them and he/him pronouns.
I feel passionate about working with people who have learned to survive by trying to “get it right” and strive for perfection. This set of adaptive skills is especially resonant for my clients who are queer, trans, BIPOC and mixed race, neurodivergent, chronically ill, and children of immigrants. Through the ongoing, often unconscious, use of these strategies, you may have discarded parts of yourself that felt unmanageable within the greater task of being “good.” I’m here to guide you toward building a life that centers your complexity, instead of hides away from it.
There is room for authenticity, pleasure, and connection while also making space for all the different parts of you to exist—yes, even the ones you have learned to see as frustrating, self-sabotaging, and disruptive! Our full selves are so worth embracing. I can help you integrate multiple truths and find your way back to wholeness.
setting the stage
I work with adults and older teens (18+) who feel stuck in cycles of overwhelm, perfectionism, and shame. Through a mix of relational psychodynamic therapy, somatic focusing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), I can help you release control, feel more confident, reconnect with your body, align your values, and build sustainable, mutually loving and supportive relationships.
Drawing from your internal strengths and inner wisdom, my collaborative approach fosters self-understanding, body-based processing, emotion regulation, and safe vulnerability. Connecting with yourself in these ways can empower you to move from being in a fragmented survival mode to living the balanced, meaningful life that you want.
OFFERINGS
You might start therapy with something specific you want to focus on. My approach as an in-depth therapist means that wherever we start, we are bound to uncover deeper emotions and processes beneath the surface. This allows for a holistic, expansive approach to healing that goes beyond awareness and results in lasting change.
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INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
I provide therapy for adults and older adolescents (16+) who need support with managing overwhelm, stress, perfectionism, and shame. Within this context, a variety of other concerns might arise, such as anxiety and depression, unexpected life transitions, family conflict, grief and loss, and explorations with sexuality and gender identity.
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1:1 RELATIONSHIP THERAPY
1:1 relationship therapy, or individual attachment-based therapy, is for people looking to feel greater calm, confidence, and agency in their relationships. I can help you identify and manage your sensitivities, set appropriate boundaries, clarify expectations of yourself and others in relationships, and clearly communicate unmet emotional needs. Please note that this is different than couples therapy, in that I only work with individuals.
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GENDER AFFIRMING THERAPY
Gender affirming therapy is for anyone looking to explore their gender identity, or for people who feel confident in their gender identity but want to further explore how their gender informs and impacts other parts of their lives, such as dating, school, work, friendships, and family relationships. I feel passionate about being a trans provider offering gender affirming care at a time when trans people are maliciously targeted by the federal government and in interpersonal relationships.
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SOMATIC TRAUMA HEALING
I use somatic / body-based approaches to strengthen the mind-body connection. When we experience trauma, our innate ability to connect with our sensations and emotions gets disrupted. Trauma healing is therefore a restoration of who and how we are.
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EMDR THERAPY
EMDR is a therapy model based on neuroscience that allows people to significantly reduce the distressing elements of trauma as they live in the mind and body. EMDR therapy has been shown to have accelerated effects of resolving trauma in the brain and body. I use a combination of somatic approaches and Internal Family Systems when doing EMDR in order to provide comprehensive healing.
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NEURO-AFFIRMING THERAPY
Neuro-affirming therapy is for people who are exploring their possible neurodivergence, or for people who already identify as neurodivergent and want an affirming, inclusive therapy space to further process how their neurodivergence impacts their lives.
My Approach
My style is emotionally engaged, relational, compassionate, and nonjudgmental. I honor the complexity of your lived experiences, and will hold your story and pain with respect and care.
Informed by my own experiences as a racialized, disabled, queer & trans person and my commitment to working with multiply marginalized people, I value the following in my practice:
Authenticity
Curiosity
Cultural humility
Collective care
Accountability
Collaboration
Anti-oppressive and anti-carceral stance
IT’S SO WORTH IT ON THE OTHER SIDE
I’m here to support you with moving beyond insight and mobilizing around lasting change. I can help you:
Identify and accept your emotions, even the ones that feel “negative,” “bad,” or “unhealthy”
Deepen connection with your body
Listen to your intuition
Feel more confident setting boundaries
Gain insight into confusing and/or harmful behavior patterns
Normalize the messiness of being a person in a suffering world
Liberate yourself from shame
Reclaim your sense of identity, agency, and power
Practice vulnerability and intimacy in a safe context
Improve the quality of your relationships
Create a life that centers sustainability (we go as slow as we need to, and adjust as needed)
Build a more empowered, balanced, and aligned sense of self
