Seeking excellent couples therapist (albany/Berkeley)

I am seeking a smart, no nonsense therapist who can help my partner and I as we navigate the blending of our families. (We are not divorced and have 5 offspring total aged17-27 ) I don’t want someone who just listens and acknowledges our feelings. I would like someone to call each of us on our own baggage/ behavior and give us practical guidance. We recently spent several months with a lovely kind and smart therapist but ultimately we felt we needed someone less neutral and more challenging. My partner has a very strong personality and we need someone who is not intimidated by him.  Lastly- We don’t relate well to too much touchy feely therapists. Just not our style. Any recommendations greatly appreciated! 

Parent Replies

New responses are no longer being accepted.

We are in a very similar situation as you only we added a baby to the mix of our blended family. My partner also has a strong personality and doesn’t respond well to touchy feely therapists either. We tried to use one through insurance but she was way too novice for us. We ultimately went back to our who I think would serve you well in your situation but she isn’t cheap! Her name is Kim McCourt and she’s in Berkeley/North Oakland. She’s awesome. kimmccourt1 [at] me.com

best of luck!

Fortunee Kayra-Stuart is a strong, engaging and no-nonsense psychologist that will not be intimidated by anyone’s partner. She prefers to work with children and is outstanding with them. She helped my daughter overcome separation anxiety. She helps the entire family. She’s incredibly experienced, hip, and candid. You’ll know real soon if she’s not for you. I miss her but she’s no longer part of my network providers. 

Best of luck to you and your partner.

(510) 526-9506

2550 Ninth St., #115
Berkeley CA 94710
 

It was 10 years ago but we went to Thomasine Mcfarlin LCSW and I think she hits all your requirements. Really excellent. In our case, it helped us decide to split up, but we also tried someone first who was too soft and Thomasine helped us get clear on what was really going on. Best of luck to you!