The Bay Area Center for Children, with offices in San Francisco, Marin, the East Bay, the Peninsula, the South Bay and Anywhere in California via Zoom, is a multidisciplinary group of clinicians who provide treatment for children. We provide assessment, medication management, therapy, and educational counseling in order to provide our clients with the best treatment possible. Our work is guided by the latest research on adolescents and we use effective treatment interventions. Below is a list of the psychologists, psychiatrists, and educational therapist who are part of the practice.
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Davida Cohen, MFT
Davida Cohen works with families, couples, children and adults and has been teaching, training and supervising for 20 years. She has worked at the Family Institute of Pinole in the positions of Director of Training, and Clinical Director. She also holds an MA in Art and works with adults and children to bring out their potential in mindfulness, creativity and relationships. Her specialties include ADHD, spirited, acting out children as well as overly constricted, anxious or depressed children. Additionally, she works with trauma and stress, adoption issues, and children and teen's behavioral difficulties. email: DavidaCohen@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Lianne Warren, MFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Lianne Warren, MFT is a Marriage and Family Therapist who received her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from University of San Francisco and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Oregon. Her experiences as a school based therapist have provided her opportunities to work with children, families, couples, and adults. During her clinical experiences, she has addressed a wide variety of concerns, including troubled relationships, parenting, behavioral modification, anxiety, depression, loss and life transitions. Lianne’s own life experiences have provided her with an understanding that life at times can be challenging, and that having support during difficult times can be helpful. As a result, she strives to develop therapeutic relationships that are based on trust and empathy in order to assist clients to identify solutions and to make positive change in a collaborative manner. In recognition that clients enter therapy with their own unique set of experiences, strengths and goals for therapy, she utilizes an integrative approach that includes evidence based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Structural-Strategic Family Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman’s Couple Therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Mindfulness based psychotherapies. email: LianneWarren@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Laura Petracek, Ph.D.
Dr. Laura Petracek is the best-selling author of The Anger Management Workbook for Women (New Harbinger Publications Press, 2004.) She received her Doctorate in Psychology from California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco and her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Yeshiva University in New York City. She has worked in the field of Psychology and Social Work for over thirty years. She has served as Executive Director, Clinical Director, and held the positions of Psychologist/LCSW at many different non-profit agencies including New Leaf: Services for our Community, Centerpoint, Inc., and A Women’s Path. She has supervised Ph.D. Post-Doctoral, ASW, and MFTi students. She has also held the position of Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Adjunct Professor at Bay Area Graduate Institutions such as Alliant University, Dominican University, and National University. Her areas of interest are injustice and racism in the Criminal Justice System, Feminist/Women’s Issues, Gender Issues, LGBT Issues (specifically drug and alcohol abuse in the LBGT community, suicidality in LGBT teenagers), and trauma (specifically complex trauma). Alcoholism/Drug abuse among women, Meditation, and Yoga. She has worked exclusively with Children and Adolescents, who are diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and/or Oppositional Defiant Disorder at local elementary and middle schools in the Bay Area for the past 5 years. Dr. Petracek specializes in helping people with anger dyscontrol issues and recovery from alcohol and other addictions. She currently maintains a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Email: LauraPetracek@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Liliana Casas Hernandez, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Liliana Casas Hernandez, Licensed Marriage family therapist considers it a great honor to be able to serve kids, children, teens and parents. For the past 17 years, she has been providing comprehensive counseling services to children and teens, parents and groups from diverse cultural backgrounds in different settings. This has included all levels of education from preschool to high school, hospital settings, non-profits, outpatient programs and victims of crime. She uses an integrative approach that includes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. With children, she has used Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for preschoolers and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Liliana understands that the gift of parenting brings both tremendous joy and challenges. She strives to support parents in exploring and identifying opportunities that invite their children in experiencing the best of who they are. Liliana works collaboratively with parents in understanding their child's strengths and temperament in order to address barriers that are impacting their child's ability to maximize their potential. Liliana believes that learning is continuous throughout life; there is always the possibility of growing and overcoming challenges. Being in a family means collaborating as a team, learning from each other and discovering what each member brings to the family. Email: LilianaCasasHernandez@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Yi Zhao Martins, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Yi Zhao Martins, LMFT is committed to helping clients get in touch with their own reality, to accept their unique personality and that of others, and to successfully integrate the client(s) into their family, social circle and society at large. Yi has extensive experience working with children in school settings, during transitions, and between households. She is highly intuitive in seeing the inner child in her clients with compassion, warmth, and clarity, and supporting them to integrate all parts of the self. Yi is a lifetime learner, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law, a Master of Arts in Law, and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. She graduated from Dr. Alicia Lieberman’s one-year training program of Parent-Child Therapy by UCSF Child Trauma Research Program. She is actively learning and practicing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and System-Centered Therapy (SCT). Yi loves getting to know her clients and developing individualized therapeutic plans towards clients’ goals. Her areas of specialty include ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety. She uses an integrative approach that includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Psychotherapy, System-Centered Therapy (SCT), Parent-Child Therapy (PCT), Play Therapy, Developmental Transformation, Expressive Arts Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). As a long-term meditation and yoga practitioner, Yi uses mindfulness practices to nurture her own physical and emotional wellbeing. Her invaluable intuition and calm demeanor will surely be of benefit to her clients. Email: YiZhaoMartins@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Lyn Blodgett, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker
As a licensed clinical social worker with more than twenty years of experience providing a range of mental health services to children, teens, adults, and families, Lyn is deeply committed to helping others with their healing and growth. She works with adults, adolescents, and families, offering individual and family therapy as well as parent coaching. She utilizes a number of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, trauma-informed treatment, and self-compassion. She tailors her compassionate, warm approach to the unique, diverse needs, perspectives, experiences, and concerns of each client, keeping in mind the larger community context and drawing on her experience working in various settings, such as public schools and medical centers as well as community and county agencies. Lyn has specialized training and expertise in Mindfulness, Trauma-Informed Treatment, Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Parenting, Grief, Early Childhood Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Treatment, and Gender Expansive Care. She works with individuals from a strength-based perspective, welcomes feedback and collaboration, and offers compassion as well as practical skills to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and improve one's connection to oneself and others. Email: LynBlodgett@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Justine Gilbane, LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Justine is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over a decade of clinical experience and an undergraduate degree in Art Therapy. She currently provides psychotherapy online helping people better understand themselves and identify/utilize their strengths. She teaches tools so they can go from surviving to thriving. Her approach is collaborative. She utilizes traditional and creative interventions with a sprinkle of humor. She has worked with people across the life span both individually and as a family therapist. She has experience working with individuals and their systems in outpatient, community based, school and residential programs. She is familiar with learning differences and emotional and behavioral dysregulation both at school and at home. She has led parenting groups and programs. She has level two certification in Attachment Based Family Therapy. She is experienced in Play Therapy. She loves to help people strengthen their communication and relationships through insight, attachment work and processing trauma. Email: JustineGilbane@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Raven Westhoelter, MFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Raven Westhoelter is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She completed her M.A. in Marriage and Family Counseling at Argosy University and her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). She has worked with survivors of domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness, anxiety, depression, trauma, and a variety of other therapeutic concerns such as parenting skill, relationships, and major life adjustments. Raven works from a collective of evidence based therapeutic orientations including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Family Systems, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness meditation. email: RavenWesthoelter@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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James Keim, MSW, LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker
James Keim, MSW, LCSW is a psychotherapist, author, and clinical supervisor who specializes in therapy for oppositional-defiant difficulties. He is co-author of one book and a contributor of chapters to eight others on topics including family therapy, child and adolescent behavior disorders, and marriage therapy. He previously served as the Director of Training for Jay Haley at the Family Therapy Institute of Washington, CD, worked at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, and directed a small conference series, including the conference Oppositional Youth, which was hosted at the Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health. Email: JamesKeim@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Karrie Stafford, Ph.D, LMFT
Karrie Stafford is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and holds a doctorate in Art Therapy Psychology. She has practiced psychotherapy for nearly 20 years, providing evidence based treatment for couples, families and youth. In addition to Structural and Strategic Family Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Karrie has extensive training and experience with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). DBT focuses on the development of mindfulness skills, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Her work supports individuals, couples and families through difficult transitions, managing challenging behaviors and coping with mental health symptoms. Karrie has taught Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy students at the Masters and Doctoral levels at Notre Dame de Namur University, and has provided continuing education and licensing preparation trainings for MFT Interns and Associate Social Workers. She has worked as an administrator and clinical supervisor for a Short Term Residential Treatment Facility serving adolescents with serious mental health issues and complex trauma. Karrie's approach is curious, non judgmental and skills based. Email: KarrieStafford@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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Andrea Vela, LMFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
Andrea Vela, LMFT is a bilingual, first-generation Peruvian-American therapist. She provides individual, couples, and family therapy through telehealth to adults and adolescents eager to relieve relationship issues, and symptoms of anxiety, trauma, and depression. She integrates a variety of therapeutic methods to meet the unique needs of each person she works with. Andrea has training in evidence-based approaches such as systemic family therapy, emotionally focused and Gottman Method couples therapy, cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy, and is a certified anger management counselor. She has also effectively supported many individuals experiencing issues in the areas of identity development, self-esteem, intergenerational trauma, culture, parenting, life transitions, and grief. Notably, she is passionate about helping couples achieve interconnected, fulfilling, joyful relationships. Her solution-focused, playful, direct, and nonjudgmental style in the room promote a culture of safety, empowerment, and healing during therapy. Email: AndreaVela@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
BAY AREA CENTER FOR CHILDREN
Providing Trusted, Compassionate, Effective Therapy
Providing Trusted, Compassionate, Effective Therapy
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San Francisco • Marin • East Bay • Peninsula • South Bay • Anywhere in California via Zoom
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info@bayareacenterforchildren.com |
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(415) 617-9587 |