Welcome...

Therapists...
  Yvonne Beyer
  Sonia Telle
  Korë Williams
  Suzanne Berens
  Louis Bernstein
  Donna Fone
  Kelly Mueller
  Caren Ohlson
  Chris Phelps
  Pamela Poor
  Brian Shames

Groups...

Contact...

Links...

Our Therapists...

	Yvonne Beyer, M.A.,MFT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Body-Oriented Somatic and Transpersonal Psychotherapy -- Addictions Counselor By trusting your inner wisdom, you can heal old beliefs and negative thoughts that keep you stuck and unable to go forward in your life. As we embark upon the journey of your healing, I will be there to assist and guide you in co-creating your life's goals and dreams. In facilitating your process, I use various modalities, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), focusing, meditation and other body based therapies. My training is transpersonal and body-oriented, which means that I believe one way in "coming home" to yourself is through the inner wisdom of your own body. Please let me assist you in making lasting changes so that you, too, might enjoy more meaningful relationships with yourself and others, and find your inner peace. Please contact me at (510)601-0132 or visit my web page.
	Sonia Telle, M.A., MFT #45964
My therapy practice is informed by various trainings as well as the strong belief that there is, in all of us, a natural source of health that instinctively moves us towards happiness and well being. The approach is body centered. It is from our bodies (our home) that we can access our great wisdom, heal past wounds and remember how to be more present, alive and connected with our true essence. For this, my work combines psychotherapy together with various somatic practices, movement, meditation, trauma work and sometimes some expressive arts and sandplay. Another aspect of my counseling is working with cultural diversity issues, often within multicultural marriages or addressing intergenerational aspects of culture, race, identity and sense of belonging. My work is held in Spanish and French as well as in English I have an M.A. in somatic psychotherapy from CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies), and I am also certified in Holotropic Breathwork from the Grof Transpersonal Training (GTT). I am currently completing the 4th year in bioenergetics. I offer counseling sessions for individuals, couples, families and children. You are welcome to contact me if you have any questions or would like an appointment by phone at (510)601-1929 or at sonia@earthcirclescenter.com. Español: Psicoterapia somatica y compasiva. El énfasis de mi trabajo se centra en la sabiduría del sanador interior que habita en todos nosotros y tiende hacia el bienestar. Mi trabajo combina la psicoterapia asi como diversas prácticas somáticas, movimiento, meditación, trabajo con trauma y artes expresivas. Mi trayectoria personal me lleva a trabajar con aspectos relacionados, entre otros, con la diversidad cultural y los problemas multigeneracionales de raza e identidad. Ofrezco terapia a individuos, parejas, familias y niños. Si desea una cita o más amplia información puede contactarme llamando al (510)601-1929 o al sonia@earthcirclescenter.com.
	Korë Rebecca Williams, M.A., MFTI #40811 supervised by Elena Felder, MFT #37248
I am most inspired in life by the capacity we all share to heal, grow, and reach for the joy and connection that is our birthright. I witness this capacity every day in my clients' courage to transform past hurts, memories, and present day obstacles into deepening relationships with themselves and the freedom to make richer choices in their lives. In the safety of compassionate acceptance and deep presence, I create the space for you to do the same, where you can learn to feel more relaxed, empowered, and alive, and create loving, trusting relationships with others. Using a gentle blend of somatic focus and relational style to help guide insight into old patterns and resolve issues such as loss, depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and anxiety, I hold our work together within a transpersonal perspective to support you also in strengthening your individuality, spiritual wholeness, and resiliency in a very complex world. I specialize in healing sexual and emotional trauma, eating disorders and addiction, and currently lead a therapy group for women with eating disorders. (Please see Groups.) I warmly welcome individuals, couples, and families from all ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations, and have been trained to work with issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Please contact me at (510)601-1929 ext. 6 or korewilliams@earthcirclescenter.com.
	Suzanne Berens, M.A., MFTI #53731 supervised by Yvonne Beyer, MFT #36544, and Peter Coster, MFT #24853
Much of the transformative power of therapy comes from the relationship itself. With warmth, compassion and sensitivity, I offer you a way of experiencing yourself in a relationship that is healing. Through deep inquiry, body awareness and attending to moment to moment experience, we will explore ways to let go of old patterns that no longer serve you. As you shed less skillful ways of being and start to embrace more of your strengths and inner wisdom, you can begin to live in a more soulful, authentic and meaningful way. Humanistic-existential as well as body-centered and transpersonal modalities inform my work, and creativity, inner critic work and play permeate how I work with clients. I also am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing). My spiritual path, the Diamond Approach, influences my practice by helping you bring awareness to distorted beliefs that get in the way of a more true version of yourself. I assist clients who are experiencing grief, trauma, boundary issues, anxiety and panic attacks. My passion is helping people deepen their sense of themselves and their potential, and I especially enjoy working with clients who are facing life transitions including changes in values, careers and relationships. I have a master's degree in transpersonal counseling psychology from John F. Kennedy University. I welcome you to contact me at (510)601-1929, Ext. 14.
	Louis Bernstein, M.A., MFTI #55424 supervised by Yvonne Beyer, MFT #36544
The focus of my therapy is to assist my clients in uncovering and unraveling the negative core beliefs that have them feeling stuck and unsatisfied in life; causing difficulties in their relationships, their self-esteem, and in finding their life's purpose. In a space of safety, compassion and unconditional regard, my clients are offered the opportunity to explore and to discover their own true self; a sense of being whole and complete, exactly as they are. The work is collaborative, as I assist the client in their healing exploration. My therapy style is intuitively adapted to match each client's needs and goals, drawing upon my various trainings and therapy skills, including: Transpersonal psychology, Body-centered therapy, Breath-work, Expressive Arts, and Sandtray. In addition, I have a MA in Counseling Psychology from JFK University, am certified in Hypnotherapy, and have been trained in EMDR and in Alcohol / Drug Treatment and Recovery. I offer therapy to adults, children, couples and families, with a special emphasis on Self Esteem and Relationship issues. (See my Healthy Relationships Therapy Group under Groups.) If you feel that it is time to reclaim your life and move towards healing, I invite you to call me at (510) 601-1929, Ext. 7 or send me email at louis@earthcirclescenter.com with your phone number.
	Donna Fone, M.A., MFTI supervised by Yvonne Beyer, MFT #36544
Life transitions? Choices? Relationship challenges? Parenting issues? It takes courage to step into the life you imagine and make it a reality. I assist those who want to shift their lives and move through life and life transitions more consciously. With compassion, I assist those who want to reconnect to their body's wisdom and to use that deeper knowing to create aliveness, passionate relationships and the readiness and willingness to be seen and heard. Our body provides us with another resource to knowing; in it are stored the memories of our experiences and the wisdom of our authentic being. I gently assist you in tapping into those resources and in uncovering nonconscious beliefs that create unnecessary suffering. Once revealed, you can challenge those beliefs and create the life that you envision. I received my MA in Somatic Counseling Psychology from CIIS in San Francisco. I am a Certified Hakomi Practitioner through Ron Kurtz, founder of this mindfulness-based assisted self-discovery method. I am also a Certified Conscious Relationship & Body-Mind Vibrance Coach through the Hendricks Institute. My practice of psychotherapy is informed by over twenty years of practicing and teaching yoga, and parenting three children. I work with children, individuals and couples of all ages, ethnicities, gender and sexual orientation. You can reach me by phone at (510) 601-1929, ext 11 or by e-mail at donna@earthcirclescenter.com.
	Kelly Mueller, M.A., MFTI supervised by Yvonne Beyer, MFT #36544
In my work as a therapist I emphasize building awareness around areas of one's growth and potential development that may be stuck or stagnant. I am trained in trauma recovery, eating disorders, identity issues, sexuality, lifestyle patterns, career choices, anxiety/panic attacks, and questions of the spirit. A client's psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual issues are all seen as connected parts of an interwoven system that are healed somatically as a whole (Soma derived from the Latin word Body). The body, like a compass, will help navigate which direction therapy needs to go. Unlike other more traditional forms of psychotherapy, this method is unique in its emphasis on building resources for the client through movement, somatic patterning interventions, breath work, meditation, and hands-on-work. I practice from a heart centered place, supporting the notion that the client has within them the source and capacity for establishing their own well-being. I have been an active advocate of the healing arts for the last eight years, and as a Vipassana meditator, yoga teacher and dancer, I practice mindfulness through movement to encourage a radical expansion to live more fully everyday. I received my M.A. in Counseling Somatic Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. You can reach me by phone at (510)601-1929 or by email at kelly@earthcirclescenter.com.
	Caren Ohlson, M.S., MFTI #54621 Supervised by Denise K. Benson, MFT #32706
Each person has the capacity to overcome negative life experiences and create a greater sense of ease, purpose, and well-being. My therapy practice is grounded in a deep respect for the impact of individual, familial, environmental, group and societal influences on each person's life. I enjoy helping clients explore both internal and external factors that help and hinder them from living the life they want. By using the therapeutic relationship as a tool for change, clients can increase awareness of who they are, who they have been, and who they would like to be in the world. I have a somatic orientation to therapy, which means that I see each client as a being with a mind, body, and spirit. Somatic work encourages people to not only tell their stories, but to feel how their bodies have been shaped by their stories. By gaining greater connection between mind, body and spirit, clients report feeling more in control of their lives, and a greater ability to create the life and relationships they want. I believe it is important to give attention to societal issues such as racism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, etc. In the therapeutic process, clients are encouraged to explore the ways in which their social identities interact with their individual personalities and life experiences. I have an M.S. in Counseling from San Francisco State University and one year of training in Generative Somatics with Staci Haines. I also have training in trauma work, mindfulness practices, sandtray therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, art therapy and drama therapy. I offer counseling sessions for adults, couples, families and children. You are welcome to contact me with questions or to schedule an appointment at (510) 601-1929, extension 13 or by email at caren@earthcirclescenter.com.
	Chris Phelps, MA, MFTI #51447 supervised by Peter Wright, MFT #38747
Before his work as a therapist, Chris spent many years as a river guide in the canyons of southern Utah. Rafting rivers taught him about wild nature and how people make a relationship with the unknown. In therapy, as in life, exploring the unknown and creating change go hand in hand. Chris helps to create an atmosphere of ease so that you can more easily explore your challenges. His aim is to help you grow a more satisfying life. Viewed as a partnership in healing, he respects your wisdom and know-how, while maintaining his special role as a guide. Trained in Somatic Psychology, which bridges traditional psychology with body psychology, Chris has assisted people to better help themselves and make change in a number of significant ways. He has worked with children, adults, and couples struggling with depression, anxiety, anger, relationship problems, and addictions. "Transitions" (endings, loss, and new beginnings), are also one of his specialties. Chris can be reached at 510-601-1929 ext. 8.
	Pamela Poor, M.S., MFTI supervised by Yvonne Beyer, MFT #36544
It takes courage to look deeply within oneself and explore past and present circumstances, identify what is not working, consider new possibilities, and create change. At times, this can be an uncomfortable and frightening process. However, I believe that a compassionate therapeutic relationship can provide the safety, support and guidance necessary to: sit with your feelings, explore who you are and who you want to be, heal pain and trauma, improve communication and open to your inner light and power. I bring sensitivity and mindfulness to our work, and respect your pace as we journey together on your path toward greater insight, balance and personal freedom. Modalities I utilize include psychodynamic and family systems, transpersonal, existential and art therapy, with a personal background in art, dance and performance. I have training and experience working with grief and loss, substance abuse/dependence and recovery, depression and isolation, spirituality and creativity, codependency, domestic violence and life transitions, with clients ranging in age from 5 to 80. Individual adults, children, couples, and families are welcome. I look forward to hearing from you. I can be reached at (510)601-1929.
	Brian Shames, M.A., MFTI #48038 supervised by Jennifer Dahlstrom, MFT #30247
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" We each hold the key to finding our human potential if we take the time to deeply listen to our own inner truths. Inherent in each of us is a guiding wisdom that often times gets buried under a canopy of old beliefs and negative self concepts. My goal is to help you seek clarity and understanding through the art of psychotherapy and EMDR. My work with clients is from a holistic perspective, incorporating mind, body & spirit, as pathways to understanding your essential self. Opportunities arise from this knowledge, promoting health, healing and personal growth, even in the midst of despair. It is important to feel comfortable, respected and supported by your therapist. I provide compassionate and focused counseling to individuals, couples and children dealing with, but not limited to, self-esteem, grief, trauma, anxiety, self-identity, sexual and gender orientation, LGBT concerns and relationship issues. I look forward to working with you. Please call (510)601-2919 for an appointment.