About Ali

Hi, I'm Ali. I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #134921). I live in the Berkeley area, and serve clients around the Bay Area and all over California. I am employed by Ritenour Counseling, and am supervised by Licenced Marriage and Family Therapist Michelle Ritenour (LMFT #51357).

I believe that understanding your story is the first step towards healing and flourishing. I became a therapist because of how my own experience in therapy changed my life. I found that there were reasons and stories behind my emotions, the way I related to others, and how I thought about myself and the future. My first therapist offered me the kindness and curiosity I hadn’t known that I longed for. The more I experienced her empathetic witness to my story, and felt her gentle wisdom hold my hand through the darkest places, I felt the most vulnerable parts of me begin to peak out and come to life again.

I believe healing work is a life long journey— sometimes you may need the support of a therapist, while other times you may not. I do not claim to have “arrived”- we are all in process, and I continue to engage my own healing work too. I believe you are the expert on your life and your story; I simply do what I can as a therapist to bring helpful knowledge and tools, and to support you with kindness and curiosity. I deeply enjoy empowering others with an understanding of how their own story has shaped their thoughts, beliefs, emotions, relationships, brains and bodies. I love seeing my clients begin to experience more freedom and imagination to become their most true, full selves.

    • BA English - Southern Methodist University

    • MA English Literature - King’s College London

    • MA Counseling Psychology - University of San Francisco

    • Integrative Therapy Traineeship, California Pacific Medical Center - Sutter Health

    • Certificate in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies Level 1, Linda Thai

    • Narrative Focused Trauma Care level 1, The Allender Center

    • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

My Approach

I work with a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, relationships, and life transitions, with a special interest in working with those who have a history of complex trauma.

My approach to therapy is first and foremost relational. We were hurt in relationship and we heal in relationship. The therapeutic relationship between client and therapist must be safe, non-judgmental, and one of curiosity and kindness. I place high importance on making this a space where you can feel safe and authentic.

I also place high importance on providing trauma-informed care. Trauma changes the way brains and bodies take in and respond to the world. Though society is becoming more aware of trauma, it is far from operating in a trauma-informed manner, and too often people seek care only to be re-traumatized. While I cannot promise perfection, I do try my best to create a space and relationship that is cognizant of the different ways that a person with trauma moves through the world. In our sessions we will not only pay attention to what your words are saying, but also to the needs of your body and nervous system.

In a session, you can expect me to do a lot of listening, ask direct questions, celebrate your growth, laugh with you, hold your story with honor, and meet you with compassion. I ground my approach in Psychodynamic, Narrative, Family Systems, and Attachment theories, but I also enjoy drawing tools from Internal Family Systems, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I also use psychoeducation when appropriate, because I believe in equipping everyone with a deeper understanding of how our brains, bodies, emotions, and nervous systems operate.