Debbie Ghidinelli:
Oakland Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst

I am a Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst who is highly trained in providing psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis to individual adults of all ages. Although my private practice is limited to adults, I also have over 35 years of experience in treating adults, adolescents and couples within both private practice and agency settings. My primary orientation is psychoanalytic, informed by attachment theory and trauma work.

Everyone needs help sometimes. Making the decision to seek therapy is important and potentially life changing. Because we live in a society that tends to value independence and self-sufficiency, and to scorn dependency and need as shameful and weak, many people view their inability to change themselves or their relationships as a personal failure. I believe this is far from the truth. It takes courage to acknowledge the need for help, and although the path to change may be painful and difficult at times, it can also lead to an increasing sense of freedom to live the life that you choose, one that is fulfilling and meaningful.

Some people come to therapy because of an immediate crisis, or for help in dealing with a sudden loss or overwhelming problem. Others are suffering from more chronic difficulties, such as pervasive and ongoing depression, anxieties which range from mild to debilitating, relationship difficulties of all kinds, problems with eating, feelings of emptiness and low self-worth, issues of grief and loss, or the devastating consequences of trauma and abuse. Whatever your reasons for contacting me, I am prepared to listen without judgment, and am aware of the need to create a safe space within which a trusting relationship can develop.