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UPDATED INFORMATION

*Effective November 4th, 2021*

We are excited to be hold our in-person skills classes at Hive Oakland, a multi-use community space in downtown Oakland. For more information: https://hiveoakland.com

We will continue to offer adult skills class, parenting skills classes, one teen/parent skills class on Zoom

In-person skills classes are currently available for COVID19 vaccinated participants, with proof of vaccination record

Our DBT Skills classes fill up very quickly. If you interested in enrollment in an upcoming module, please submit an online inquiry right away. Our enrollment process (i.e., initial inquiry, paperwork completion, intake appointment, enrollment confirmation) can take up to 3 weeks. Please plan accordingly to provide enough time for all steps.

Licensed clinicians on our DBT team are not currently accepting new individual therapy clients. Please contact us every 3-4 weeks to check on availability

We have two interns on our DBT team who are currently accepting new clients:

If you are interested in meeting with Mark Abelson, AMFT please contact Karen Erickson, LMFT at karen@clearwaterclinic.com
If you are interested in meeting with Esther Howe, MA, please contact Dr. Erika Swanson at erika@clearwaterclinic.com

RE-OPENING UPDATES:

Clearwater is open for in-person sessions in addition to Zoom sessions. We adhere to federal and state COVID-19 recommendations. Current clients will need to sign a COVID-19 consent form to resume therapy in person.

ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT FROM CLEARWATER CLINIC

Dear Clearwater Clinic Community,

As a team of white-identified clinicians, we recognize that we each have inherited the legacy of toxic conditioning, culturally and personally, of white supremacy. We strive to undo this toxic legacy in order to provide the most radically honest and compassionate service that we can to all of our clients. Following are some of the ways we are doing this work, as individuals and as a team. We offer this information so that our community is aware of where we are, and what we are doing to embody our values of creating a just, safe, and equitable society.

We are:

Engaging in an ongoing examination of the roots of privilege and unconscious oppression of others in our own personal histories, seeking to understand how this impacts our clinical work, and accessing anti-racist clinical consultation and training.
Learning new means of healing racism and racialized trauma on the somatic level, such as the work of Resmaa Menakem and his book My Grandmother’s Hands.
Supporting the work of Black Lives Matter and Standing up for Racial Justice (SURJ).
Participating in local community organizations that create fair and equal access to resources, such as the East Oakland Collective.
Learning about larger systems of institutionalized racism, such as our prison system and justice system, so that we can use our power as educated citizens in a democracy to bring about changes in laws and policy at all levels of government.
Speaking up and making ourselves heard when witnessing racist acts and acts of brutality and violence against people of color and the most vulnerable of those in our community.

We welcome any questions or comments you may have about how we are doing in our commitment to anti-racism at Clearwater. For additional information about combatting racism, please see our list of resources.

The Clearwater DBT Team

View Anti-Racism Resources

Our Services

Clearwater offers a range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for people ages 3 to 80. Our DBT clinic is most often utilized by clients with difficulties regulating their emotions and/or managing significant psychological distress, but we are committed to providing appropriate services for people with a wide variety of difficulties and diagnoses.

DBT for Adults

Clearwater offers a comprehensive array of DBT services for adults struggling with problems of emotion regulation and/or significant psychological distress. DBT services include individual therapy, skills classes, phone coaching, tutoring in DBT skills, and DBT informed therapy. All clients meet with an individual therapist before beginning any DBT services at Clearwater to ensure a good fit between the client and their therapist.

DBT for Young Adults

At Clearwater, we believe that young adults who have graduated from high school but are not yet settled into sustaining careers and/or partnerships have particular issues that are best treated in groups of peers. We therefore offer to this age group all the DBT services we offer for adults, plus we offer skills classes specifically tailored to the needs and interests of the young adult.

DBT for Adolescents

Adolescents (ages 13 to 18) need both family support as well as increased individuation and differentiation. Clearwater has therapists who specialize in providing therapy to this age group, helping the teens balance and move forward with their developmental tasks. We require parental involvement, and offer both separate parenting classes as well as joint skills classes for teens and their parents.

DBT Informed Therapy for Children

Clearwater has just launched a CAMMP program for children in fourth, fifth and sixth grades, providing DBT informed therapy for children. The curriculum is unique to Clearwater, and is appropriate for children who are having trouble conforming their behaviors to classroom and/or family expectations, and/or are in significant psychological distress.

Other Services

Clearwater offers therapy for clients wanting to integrate mindfulness into their therapeutic work; for traumatized individuals; and for clients seeking eclectic therapy for depression, anxiety, and other forms of psychological distress. In addition, we offer consultation to professionals interested in integrating DBT skills into their own therapeutic work.

Psychological Testing

Clearwater offers high quality psychological assessments for people of all ages and with a wide range of diagnostic questions. We address educational questions and assess for learning disabilities; we clarify psychiatric diagnoses; and we undertake neuropsychological screenings. Whenever possible, we use the Therapeutic Assessment model, maximizing what the client can learn from the testing process.