Meet Oakland Couples Therapist Dana Cole

I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist with more than three decades of psychotherapy experience working with Oakland and San Francisco-area couples. My approach has been developed over time through study, training, and certification.  I’m an advanced Imago Therapy Clinician. And I have completed long-term trainings in somatic (body-centered) psychotherapy, Hakomi and Sensori-Motor, and a year-long trauma training and consultation in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). 

I use the principles of Imago Relationship Therapy to teach couples how to create a permanent environment of safety and understanding that we all crave. It’s a philosophy that employs a blame-free, shame-free, and criticism-free approach to building long-lasting, committed relationships. 

On Working with Harville Hendrix

Why Imago? Because I trained under Harville Hendrix, recognized across the field of psychology for his best-selling book on Imago Getting the Love You Want. I continue to employ his philosophies to this day because I believe in teaching couples to work together in learning how to communicate again. This enables them to re-establish their original friendship. A path that almost invariably leads back to intimacy and helps them rediscover and strengthen their committed relationships. 

Helping Oakland-Area Couples Reclaim Their Relationships

As an Oakland couples therapist, I have found that couples often return to the same root issues. In some way or another, one or both partners experience a sense of being “hijacked” by their feelings. You know the sensation of feeling a particular way without necessarily wanting to – but have no idea how to keep from experiencing those emotions.

I believe the solution lies in a body-centered approach. I help couples reclaim themselves and their relationships from this “hijacking” by learning to identify and regulate what may seem to be automatic reactions. Racing thoughts, lashing out, reactivity, not being able to listen being the most common feelings.

Oakland Couples Therapist Dana Cole Is Here to Help

I know it takes a lot of bravery to reach out. To say “Yes, I do think we need a professional’s intervention.” So I want you to know that reaching out really is the right decision. Your wellbeing is the most important thing you have as an individual and as a couple. It is your only true possession really. And living in distress is awful. Especially when you don’t have to. 

But sustaining a long-term relationship isn’t always easy. It takes effort, dedication, and information. Even the most stable or ideal situations can suffer at the hands of life’s many stresses and demands. So, if you and your partner could use some help with the issues you face, I urge you to get in touch. I’ll work with both of you to improve your communication. Together, we’ll deal with the issues impacting your relationship by arming you with the tools you need to succeed in creating a safe and happy long-term commitment to each other. 

You and your life partner both deserve happiness. And I can help — if you start the process by getting in touch.