Meet Cynthia

Education

University of California Berkeley, MSW

University of California Berkeley, BA


License

CA Board of Behavioral Sciences

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I provide online therapy and in person therapy for women to help them trust themselves, develop confidence, and make important life choices out of desire instead of fear.

I specialize in trauma therapy that helps my clients to operate based on who they want to be instead of what happened to them. I have spent my career working with women from ALL backgrounds.

I provide mental health therapy and am certified third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT, ACT, DBT and Mindfulness), trauma-informed psychotherapy, and positive psychology.

My story-the path to becoming a licensed mental health therapist

I provide online and in person therapy for women to help them trust themselves, develop confidence, and make important life choices out of desire instead of fear. I specialize in trauma therapy that helps my clients to operate based on who they want to be instead of what happened to them. I have spent my career working with women from all backgrounds. I am an LCSW therapist with certifications in third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT, DBT, ACT, and Mindfulness), and trauma-informed psychotherapy. Following college, I wanted to stay in the Bay Area to continue my work in the Oakland neighborhoods where I was born and raised. The beginning of my career was spent working for several large community mental health agencies in the San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. In addition, I devoted time to teaching graduate level counseling psychology in the areas of trauma, brief therapy methods, and family violence prevention. I am especially proud to have been invited to contribute to the state of California's K-12 mental health curriculum. 

My first clinical internship in graduate school was at a residential facility for women experiencing substance use and interpersonal traumas. What stood out to me the most as a therapist in training at the time was that many of the women I worked with believed they were undeserving of help because of the things that happened to them in life. Some of my former clients at the time wanted support and grappled with the stigma of what it meant to accept help-weakness.

Stigma casts a long shadow, preventing so many people from accessing the support they desperately need. This fueled my commitment to creating a therapy practice where healing could flourish without judgment. We all have a past, have made mistakes, and have done and said things we're not proud of, which makes us human.

When I pivoted to running my own private practice, my goal was to help women break through the reverberating limitations that trauma creates. While my work has often been described as "helping women to realize their dreams" by people who know me professionally, the truth is that I see my work as helping women simply claim the right to use the tools that are available to them to change, grow, and thrive.

Outside of the office

In my personal life, I find solace and inspiration in nature and creative pursuits. Whether I'm hiking in the Oakland hills, sewing my own clothes, or losing myself in music, these activities allow me to connect with my inner self and tap into a sense of peace and flow. I believe that this same sense of connection and creativity can be cultivated in therapy. I provide a safe and supportive space for you to explore your inner landscape, discover your strengths, and create a life that aligns with your values and aspirations. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me.

Qualifications

LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) LCS#29729-State of California

University of California Berkeley, MSW

University of California Berkeley, B.A.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy

CBT-ACT-Mindfulness Advanced Clinical postgraduate certification (two-year certification program)-JFK University

CBT for Anxiety and Depression-Stanford University

Trauma-Informed Interventions-UCSF

DBT for Personality Disorders

Specialties

  • Anxiety (general anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, OCD, health anxiety)

  • Depression and mood disorders

  • Trauma (direct, complex trauma, childhood trauma, vicarious trauma)

  • Relationship issues (communication, boundaries, divorce, premarital counseling)

  • Narcissistic abuse, Narcissistic personality disorder

  • Major life changes (new job, moving, relationship)

Professional Affiliations

Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences

California Society for Clinical Social Work

National Association of Clinical Social Workers

Contact

  • Email: therapy@cynthiadimon.com

  • Phone or text: (510) 640-4223