“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki
Trainees in practicum are in the last year of their schooling, and are being exposed to multiple models of thought about therapy and alternative healing modalities. In addition to expert supervision, they are steeping in the minds and expertise of professors and colleagues who have been part of assessing their readiness to begin sitting with clients. Although there is a way they have the least amount of professional experience, there is another way that every client that sits with them has access to some of the best clinicians in the field. Click on their photos to learn more about their styles!
KARRIN CHEIFETZ
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE IN PRACTICUM AT THE WESTERN INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
KCHEIFETZ@AXISMUNDITHERAPY.ORG
510.543.1330
TELEHEALTH
Supervised by Natalie Webster, LMFT #126065
I work with couples who feel stuck in repeating patterns of conflict, distance, or miscommunication and want a more secure, connected relationship. Using Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), I help partners slow down reactive cycles, understand what each person is protecting, and rebuild safety and trust.My approach is relational and somatic, meaning I pay attention to what happens between you and in your bodies during moments of stress or disconnection. I bring warmth, steadiness, and directness to the work, creating a space where both partners can show up honestly and feel heard.
EL ALBARRAN
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE IN PRACTICUM AT CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES
EALBARRAN@AXISMUNDITHERAPY.ORG
TELEHEALTH
Supervised by Elysha Martinez, LMFT #93493
Hello! Welcome to my profile. I appreciate you being here and commend your bravery for considering therapy, whether that is with me or not. I practice therapy from a postmodern, queer, and liberatory approach that is trauma-sensitive, focusing on resilience and strengths. I believe in creating relationships that are largely client-led, as no one understands the reality you live in better than you.
We are the stories we tell ourselves, and together, we can work to transform your social reality by decoding the world you live in through various lenses, while strengthening the roots of who you are and where you want to go. Through our passionate partnership, you can learn how to keep and express your feelings in ways that align with who you are. If you are interested in what we can create together, please reach out. Therapy is a journey, and I would love to begin one with you.
Riva Szostkowski
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE IN PRACTICUM AT UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
RSZOSTKOWSKI@AXISMUNDITHERAPY.ORG
TELEHEALTH, ECOTHERAPY IN BERKELEY & OAKLAND
Supervised by Elysha Martinez, LMFT #93493
I take a relational approach to therapy, meaning that I believe that deep healing happens in connection: between therapist and client, with ourselves, our families and communities, and the natural world. I hold our time together as a space to write your own story and re-write your understanding of yourself and your place in the world.
Tyson Ayers
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE and Professional Clinical Counselor Trainee IN PRACTICUM AT MERIDIAN UNIVERSITY
tysonayerspractice@pm.me
310.359.0525
TELEHEALTH ONLY
Supervised by Elysha Martinez, LMFT #93493
It’s okay to be exactly who you are. It’s also okay to not be. With so many competing expectations — from society, family, our trauma responses, and even our therapists — we can often feel pushed to quiet parts of ourselves for the sake of others. And depending on who we are and what situations we’re in, it's sometimes even safest to do so. Yet, every time we do, it has the potential to negatively impact our lives (while simultaneously supporting our survival).
So how do we liberate ourselves within the dynamic between our own unique experiences and identities, and societal expectations?
No matter how your personal experiences and identities might diverge from what society expects of us, I want to collaborate with you to create a safe therapeutic container as a temporary autonomous zone. A therapeutically safe space that invites you to step into the fullest version of yourself, while receiving unconditional positive regard not only from me, and hopefully/eventually also within yourself.
TIMOTHY GLEASON
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE IN PRACTICUM AT CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES
TGLEASON@AXISMUNDITHERAPY.ORG
TELEHEALTH ONLY
Supervised by Elysha Martinez, LMFT #93493
We are relational beings who often ask ourselves to do the hardest things alone. Allowing ourselves to be helped and witnessed in our challenges is a very tender and brave act, and is the catalyst to our healing. My approach as a therapist is rooted in the connection we establish and the deep reverence I have for your vulnerability and your courage, honoring you wherever you are at each time you show up.
Today's culture values conformity and productivity over authenticity and presence. In the safe space of your therapy sessions we can explore what shows up when you slow down and connect with yourself on a deeper level. It is often both our pains and our joys that have not had space to express themselves because our world asks us to only show up somewhere in between. Together, we can create a space where every part of you is welcomed, giving what has been quiet or hidden the chance to breathe and be held with care.
MELISSA BARAYANG
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE IN PRACTICUM AT PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE
MBARAYANG@AXISMUNDITHERAPY.ORG
TELEHEALTH ONLY
Supervised by Erica Wheeler-Dubin, LMFT #144743
Rooted in depth-oriented, decolonial, and Liberation Psychology, my practice is guided by myth, dream, and ancestral wisdom. As a queer, Filipina American and highly sensitive person, I witness the truths our bodies remember before words arrive.
AMALIA LUQUE
Marriage and Family Therapist TRAINEE IN PRACTICUM AT CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES
aluque@axismunditherapy.org
TELEHEALTH ONLY
Supervised by Erica Wheeler-Dubin, LMFT #144743
My approach is collaborative. I work with people who are working through setting boundaries, prioritizing needs, authenticity, perfectionism, balancing giving and receiving, burnout, grief, life transitions, existentialism, navigating systems of oppression, and internalized oppression. I work with women of color, immigrants, Latinxs, Chicanxs, mixed folks, multi-cultural/bi-cultural folks, adult children of immigrants, adult children of emotionally immature parents, highly sensitive people, women, LGBTQIA+ folks, and creatives/artists.