Luis Cuellar Therapy: Therapist for Children and Teens in the East Bay
I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) working in Oakland, bilingual (English and Spanish). I offer therapy in person and virtually when appropriate.
Children's Mental Health
If your child is struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, or irritability that seems out of the ordinary for their developmental stage, therapy can be a useful tool to help them identify and process their feelings, leading to increased confidence and success in school, sports, and in their relationships with others.
Children whose parents are separating are in a unique bind - they have to navigate their own feelings while often feeling responsible for their parents' feelings too. Therapy can help them separate out what is theirs and what isn't, reducing stress and increasing acceptance of the change their family is experiencing. I also work with parents to help them identify their children's needs during this difficult transition.
Boys/Young Men
A young person of any gender growing up in today's world is faced with challenges that we didn't have growing up. For boys and male identified youth, the messages that they receive from peers and social media about masculinity can be confusing and sometimes alienating. This can lead to misplaced aggression, anger, and at times violent or risky acting out. Therapy can create a safe relationship for young men to explore their values (what type of person do I want to be?) and process the challenges that come with growing up in todays world.
I believe in practicing compassion while fostering a sense of personal responsibility with young people - we are allowed to have big feelings (and honor them) but we are also responsible for how we respond to those feelings. If you have a young person in your life who might benefit from talking about these issues, please reach out.