Therapy for Women Who Are Ready for More Than Just Coping

Cynthia's office room corner with a light green couch, colorful striped throw pillow, small wooden side table with a lamp and houseplant, and a wall hanging of two herons on a pond.
A blue upholstered armchair with a tufted back and seat in a cozy room. Next to the chair is a small round wooden side table holding a green potted plant, a crystal decorative piece, and a dark pinecone. An air conditioning unit is visible in the window with beige blinds partially closed.
Interior corner with wall decorations, including a calendar, framed diplomas, a plant, and a lamp on a small side table.

I specialize in helping high-achieving, thoughtful women break free from anxiety, stress, and perfectionism, not just to feel “better,” but to live with clarity, purpose, and joy.

Therapy isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most powerful investments you can make in yourself. If you’re ready to face what’s been pulling you away from the present, we’ll work together to exit the spirals, clear the emotional fog, and help you reconnect to the life you want to fully inhabit.

  • My clients tend to be driven, and caring, but often find themselves:

    • Overthinking every decision and doubting their worth.

    • Juggling professional and personal responsibilities at the cost of their own well-being.

    • Struggling to set boundaries without guilt.

    • Carrying old wounds that still influence their present.

    They’re open to growth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and are willing to try new skills between sessions. Some already know where they want to go; my role is to help them get there faster, with tools that actually work.

  • Brief Therapy
    Present-focused and goal-oriented, perfect for addressing a specific challenge or breaking a single unhelpful pattern. Typically 1–12 sessions.


    Long-Term Therapy
    A deeper dive into how your past experiences shape your present struggles. Helps uncover root causes, supports emotional healing, and sustains long-term change.


    Therapy Groups
    Focused, supportive spaces to learn skills, share experiences, and create community while addressing anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout.

    • Anxiety & OCD
      including panic, social anxiety, health anxiety, and perfectionism.

    • Depression & Mood Disorders
      restoring motivation and hope.

    • Trauma Recovery relational, childhood, complex, and vicarious trauma.

    • Relationship Issues boundaries, communication, conflict resolution, and healing from narcissistic abuse.

    • Major Life Transitions navigating moves, career shifts, divorce, or new chapters with confidence.

  • With over 12 years of experience and advanced training from UC Berkeley, Stanford University, UCSF, and JFK University, I blend the precision of evidence-based methods with the insight of holistic, trauma-informed care.
    Your therapy may include:

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
      breaking unhelpful thought patterns.

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
      learning to move forward even in the presence of discomfort.

    • Mindfulness Practices reducing stress and increasing emotional awareness.

    • Schema Therapy addressing lifelong patterns at their core.

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
      building emotional regulation and interpersonal skills.

    • Somatic Interventions connecting mind and body for deeper healing.

    Every method I use is tailored to your goals, your strengths, and your pace, no one-size-fits-all therapy here.

Featured
Is Perfectionism Your Friend or Frenemy?
Is Perfectionism Your Friend or Frenemy?

Perfectionism can appear as ambition, but beneath the surface, it often masks anxiety, shame, and a persistent fear of inadequacy. Therapist Cynthia Dimon, LCSW, delves into the roots of perfectionism, explaining why it can feel so draining and how therapy offers strategies to ease its hold to help you maintain your motivation while fostering greater self-compassion and balance.

When Your Inner Critic Won’t Quit: 7 Therapist-Backed Ways to Push Back
When Your Inner Critic Won’t Quit: 7 Therapist-Backed Ways to Push Back

Whether it's whispering you're falling behind or shouting that you’re not enough, that voice isn’t helping you thrive and it’s exhausting you. This Oakland therapist offers 7 grounding tools to quiet that self-critical spiral.

Is Your Anger Actually Depression in Disguise?
Is Your Anger Actually Depression in Disguise?

Feeling more irritable than usual?
Anger can sometimes be a quiet cry for help. In this post, we explore how anger may be a hidden sign of depression, and offer a few tips to get you started in managing anger.

Beyond the Facade: How Social Anxiety Quietly Shapes the Lives of High-Achieving Women in Oakland
Beyond the Facade: How Social Anxiety Quietly Shapes the Lives of High-Achieving Women in Oakland

When experiencing social anxiety small talk can feel like scaling a mountain with nail extensions. Networking events? 1000 emotional burpees. Struggling socially can feel like a personal flaw. But it isn’t. Social anxiety is common. It’s real. And it’s treatable.

How Interpersonal Trauma Can Make Your Life Feel Small
How Interpersonal Trauma Can Make Your Life Feel Small

Interpersonal trauma can quietly reshape how we see ourselves, others, and the world, often making life feel smaller, less safe, and harder to navigate. In this post, we explore how trauma affects trust, connection, and daily rhythms. We offer gentle and practical steps to begin expanding your life again with care and compassion.