Licensed marriage and family therapist #138232
510-629-1130
jferraiolotherapy@gmail.com
Located in Oakland, CA
Couples/Relationship Counseling. LGBTQIA+, Poly, Sex-Positive, & Kink friendly.
Folks tend to come to me when they are feeling stuck around their anxiety or depression. They usually are holding questions around their sexuality/identity, life transitions, and processing grief or loss. They know that they have the wisdom to resolve these feelings inside, but they are feeling stuck on how to access them. Everything feels a little garbled, and I help them clear the way to access the answers to the questions they are holding.
I approach my work with clients by looking at the body as a way of helping people connect to their inner wisdom. I am holistically and somatically trained and am constantly in awe of all the ways the body tells us things when we learn how and where to listen. I shifted into a somatic approach when I realized that I couldn’t ‘think’ myself into feeling better (and believe me, I tried!). Tapping into the body’s wisdom and getting curious about the ways I actually felt about situations (instead of the ways I thought I “should” be feeling) was the missing link in being able to access my wants, needs, and desires.
I identify as a queer, cis white woman and am in constant exploration of how my identities affect my interactions with life. I understand that things like trauma, systemic oppression, and holding specific identities can shift the ways we experience safety in the world, and I know coming to therapy can be a deeply vulnerable process. I honor everyone’s timing and wisdom around the pace of their work. I see our work as collaborative, and keep the space open for you to bring in material when you feel ready.
My style is a balance of a warm, at times humorous, and direct approach (a product of my East Coast upbringing) and stepping back to allow you space to explore freely. That balance looks different for everyone. With specific somatic grounding tools, education about the nervous system, and compassion-focused interactions I work to help you feel empowered in your process of change and exploration. My goal as a therapist is to help remove the blocks that you face in accessing your own inner voice and build on the strengths that are already present in your life (you’ve made it here for a reason!).
A graduate of JFK's Holistic Counseling Program with a Somatic Specialization.
Some areas of experience and interests are:
Grief/Loss
LGBTQIA+ identity exploration
Neurodiversity
Depression
Anxiety
Polyamory and/or considering non-monogamous relationships
Life transitions
Teens
Additional Training in:
Yoga
Contact Us
Starting is easy! Use the form on the right to begin our conversation. We'll start with a free, 30 minute consultation to see if we're a good match. If we're not, for any reason, I'll provide you with other referrals that may be a better fit - my commitment is to your well-being first!