ONLINE THERAPY FOR BIPOC, WOMEN, ADULTS IN THE BAY AREA & THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA
Therapy For
The Reliable Ones.
Shift the patterns of overfunctioning, stress, and burnout, without the guilt.
Schedule a consultation
Does it feel like the pressure of being there for others is making you feel more exhausted and you can’t take it any longer?
Does this sound familiar?
You have been the one that handles all the responsibilities and helping others out.
You come home exhausted and your kids are wanting to play with you, but you want to finish a project from work. You want it to look good and show your boss you are a team player and you don’t disappoint. Your mom-guilt is creeping in.
You finally have some time alone to rest, but you get a call from your aunt, who needs help at the last minute. You promised yourself to set your boundaries, but find it hard to let her down. So you say yes, when deep down, you want to say no.
You say yes, once again to help out at your kids' class. You are exhausted because you have so much to do at home and work. You see that the other parents don’t put in as much effort as you. You feel like saying no will mean you are a bad parent for not showing up to help.
You’re having lunch with your friend, who is venting about their problems at work and their relationship. Time has passed, and you haven’t really gotten a chance to talk about your life updates. Your friend ends the lunch meetup by saying, “You are such a good friend —you are so reliable. What would I do without you?”
If you are like so many of the people I support and you are feeling…
Tired that everyone relies on you to help.
Resentment because you feel like you help others, more than they help you.
You desire a change, but fear you will disappoint others.
You feel the guilt and shame because you want to start putting yourself first.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
You might have grown up in a family that taught you to help others, work hard, and stay quiet. These patterns have shaped who you are.
But you are exhausted.
You’ve been faking fine for a while, and deep down you are struggling:
You are feeling constantly tense and fatigued by the end of the day
You can’t seem to enjoy moments with your loved ones
You find it hard to “relax”
You worry that you are not doing enough, feeling guilty.
You have a hard time saying no, when your body is screaming to slow down.
You feel overstimulated and sensitive to your environment
You find yourself checked out, or even going on your phone to distract yourself
You are ready to make a change and finally feel the relief that you’ve been searching for. Let’s work together to get you there.
What if you can still be there for others, without self-sacrificing?
You absolutely can feel confident in caring for yourself and grounded in expressing who you truly are.
Imagine a life where you are not carrying the burden of responsibilities. Where you can prioritize your happiness, without having guilt, shame, or fear of losing relationships.
Imagine waking up in the morning feeling energized and refreshed, because you have prioritized your wellbeing, without second guessing it.
Imagine confidently setting healthy boundaries, because you know that it helps to strengthen both you and the other person.
Imagine being able to show up as who you truly are, without needing to bend into what others want you to be.
Hi, I’m Albania.
I understand what it feels like to be in the bind of helping others, but also wanting to prioritize your wellbeing.
Perhaps you are feeling tired of trying to meet everyone’s expectations, and wanting something different for yourself. Maybe you are even thinking of all the ways to avoid disappointing others, and not finding the right solution.
It makes complete sense.
I help BIPOC and women move beyond overwhelm, overfunctioning, and burnout by reconnecting with their bodies through nervous system healing, so that they live more grounded and show up authentically in relationships.
Together, we’ll discover:
How to have a relationship with your body to support more nervous system regulation, with simple somatic tools.
How to tend to your capacity with compassion, support it, and expand it, so you prevent burnout.
How to process and have a compassionate relationship with the parts of you that get in the way from shifting old patterns, as well as gently interrupting them.
How to create healthy boundaries that are sustainable, without the guilt.
How to create healthy relationships, while showing up authentically and confidently.
I know that it’s hard to find the “just right therapist” for you.
Here’s how you’ll know if I am a good fit for you:
You’re looking for a therapist who reflects your cultural upbringing and identity, and understands your experience. A therapist who tailors the sessions to you, because you are unique.
You want a therapist trained in healing trauma and somatic work, who incorporates body, mind, and spiritual aspects in the work.
A therapist who is gentle and soft, but also can be honest with you in calling out your blind spots.
You want a therapist who supports you, and truly wants to help you become your own inner-healer, because you are not meant to be in therapy forever.
Therapy for the Reliable Ones can help you…
Identify the signs of overfunctioning and how to support balance in your body, life, and relationships.
Prioritize your nervous system health and overall wellbeing, so you can show up more energized day to day.
Reduce the overthinking, guilt, and shame that comes when you are setting healthy boundaries, and prioritize yourself.
Improve your confidence in expressing who you truly are
I want you to know:
This time is can be different.
You are worth investing in
If you are having thoughts like “I shouldn’t be spending money on therapy”.
I get it.
And, putting the time, money, and effort in your wellbeing, will help you and those you help.
You get a chance to learn tools to support your body, ways to sustainably set healthy boundaries, and rediscovering the version of that you were meant to live.
You might also be thinking, “I’ve tried therapy before, and it didn’t work”.
I understand.
This time, it will be different
Therapy with me is different because you get to learn how to go beyond just coping and talking-out-your-problems, which traditional therapy does.
Here, there’s a body-first approach to tending to your body, so you can support it for more ease and balance. Modern research shows that trauma lives in our bodies, and the only way to heal, is by teaching our bodies to get out of survival mode, and into living a life you thrive.
This type of therapy is tailored to who you are — culturally sensitive, intuitive, and honoring your nervous system.
This is slow, sacred process, where there’s no fixing.
Am I the right therapist for you?
I am the right therapist for you if…
You are looking for more than just coping, but simple, somatic tools for nervous system regulation and healing.
You want to understand and shift patterns of survival that are keeping you stuck and showing up in your body— so you can release it.
You want to explore and discern what feels true and aligned for you when creating a life based on your capacity, and what is ready to let go.
You want to understand boundaries from a body perspective and how that will help them last when you implement them.
You want a therapist that reflects you culturally , hears your unique story, and sees all your identities.
You have a caregiver role, people-pleaser, overfunctioner, perfectionist, highly sensitive, or overwhelmed, and how to start prioritizing you, without the guilt that you will disappoint others.
You want a therapist who is soft, warm, yet challenges you when it will help you grow.
You want slow, steady, sustainable healing, because you know you don’t need labels or need to be fixed.
I am NOT the right therapist for you if…
You are in immediate crisis, where everything feels overwhelming and you need more immediate and consistent support, before doing trauma work.
You are actively using substances or have addictions of any kind, that’s better supported with providers that are in-person and specialize in it.
You are not using coping skills and are not ready to do deep work.
You’re looking for a therapist that focuses on talk-therapy and one that hears you talk about your problems. I am a therapist that balances little talking and more body-based work in the sessions.
You are not ready to implement what you learned outside of therapy.
You are looking for a therapist that will tell you what to do. Our work is collaborative, where I follow your nervous system and direction.
Ready to get started?