Are you a care giver?

If you feel stressed, exhausted, sad, overwhelmed--you may be giving care to others, and not enough to yourself. Do you  wonder:

• Why can't I be happy? Am I depressed?
• Am I being selfish by feeling resentful or needing something for myself?
• How do I get recharged without doing something bad for me?
• Am I still being affected by my childhood trauma?

Women are especially vulnerable to the role of caregiver. 

I have found over the years that many people, especially women, lose themselves in taking care of people--children, bosses, husbands, partners, parents, friends--not necessarily even people who are sick...and end up depressed, anxious and even in pain themselves.

At times caregiving can even turn to co-dependency, especially with past experiences with emotional trauma. Both care giving and needing care can be isolating, and lonely.

I can help.  I've helped many others suffering from the  depression, anxiety, grief, self-doubt, exhaustion, guilt, resentment and lonliness that can come from being on either side of chronic illness or pain, mental illness, chemical dependency, aging or dementia.  I'm also LGBT-friendly.

Specializing in emotional issues of:

• Care givers
• Aging and dementia,
• Cancer 
• Chronic illness or pain

My early training included working with cancer patients and their family members providing individual as well as group therapy helping them cope with the illness. I have also worked for several nonprofits and provided day treatment services (including individual as well as group therapy) to children. While working at Marin AIDS Project, I provided individual therapy to adults living with AIDS. At WindChime of Marin I planned and facilitated individual and group activities for seniors and their families dealing with dementia and memory loss. I have also provided group and individual therapy to adults coping with chronic pain so they can function to their best abilities.

Who am I?

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University. I have had many years of field experience. 

I am a client-centered therapist that believes that the client is the number one priority.  I believe in healing the whole person and believe that holistic therapies should be employed wherever they can.  I witnessed first hand the power that yoga, nutrition, spirituality and meditation can have when integrated into treatment.

I have a strong desire to draw from professional and personal experience, which includes over 15 years of personal growth and self-exploration through psychotherapy, spirituality and meditation. 

Treatment Methods

I incorporate a mix of approaches to counseling: including narrative, cognitive behavioral, solution focused and I use meditation, guided imagery and (EFT) emotional freedom technique (Tapping) in my therapy sessions I help my clients find solutions to challenges they face and work with them to achieve their full potential. Care giving can be one of the most challenging things we face in our lifetime. It can deplete us of our energy, it can deprive us of sleep, it can challenge our patience, and it can be a financial burden. I have worked successfully with care givers and helped provide them with support as well as tools to cope with day to day tasks, to decrease their anxiety, and to help them focus their energy and attention on maintaining a balanced life while still giving care to, and supporting, their loved ones.

510-525-2341

Pamela@WomensPsychotherapy.com

  East Bay Area Therapist

El Cerrito, California 94530

Close to: Berkeley, Albany, Richmond, Oakland, San Rafael, Marin, Contra Costa County, Alameda County, BART, 80, 580

"Thank you [Pamela] for your kind words. I think it is wonderful...your care taker groups. You are such a thoughtful, nurturing person and you will do so much good helping others. ...When my Dad was diagnosed with dementia  I always thought he would go off into quiet forgetfulness and confusion.  Just before Thanksgiving he fell and 2 days later he did not recognize his house and then I took him to Dr a few days later and they gave him antipsychotics and then he went totally psychotic. I have had many sleepless nights and worry on what to do next. It has been a nightmare and a financial burden but I will get through it."

--Camille

"I highly recommend Pamela Kimmel, LMFT.  Pam is warm, caring and empathetic while also bringing years of education and clinical training to the room.  She has worked effectively with people of all ages from teens to older adults to those coping with chronic illness.  Pam walks her talk and is passionate about helping others."

--Charlotte W. Bradley, MFT

"Pamela is a compassionate and skilled listener who is attuned to her client's emotions and life situations.  She is a seasoned practitioner with expertise treating people of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds.  A genuinely good-hearted person, Pam cares deeply for others and is adept at fostering the well-being of her clients.  I highly recommend Pam's work and would not hesitate to refer any client to her for treatment. 

--Adina Morguelan, LCSW"

"Pamela is exceptionally tuned to understanding family dynamics and how stresses of daily living can impact the wellbeing of interpersonal relationships and one’s own health. She is gifted in working with the elderly, those individuals suffering not only from mental illnesses but also from physical ailments such as cancer and AIDS, and their caregivers. I would recommend Pam as a therapist for anyone that wants to increase their quality of life, learn to cope with their difficulties and have a solid base to move toward their personal goals.  Finally, Pam is a very approachable person, humble yet professional and her qualifications, coupled with her sweet demeanor, make her, without any doubts, a successful psychotherapist."

-- Francesca Biffi, LCSW