Licensed to practice in California and accepts 28 insurances. Specializes in Life Transitions, Self Esteem, Substance Misuse and 9 more.

Erin Witta

(she/her)

LMFT, 12 years of experience

Clients say this provider is

Warm
Open-minded
Offers in-person in Oakland, CAAvailable

About me

Hi! I'm Erin & I work with teens, young adults and adults who are overwhelmed and burned out, and who want to feel more confident and at ease in their daily lives. My style is friendly, down-to-earth and supportive, and my goal is to make therapy a time where people feel comfortable and understood. I get that it takes time to feel comfortable with a therapist & to try new things. If you’re thinking about starting therapy with me, I'd love to connect for a brief no-pressure consult call to learn a bit more about you, and to give you an opportunity to learn a bit more about me and to ask my any questions you might have.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

The first session focuses on getting a comprehensive understanding of your background and current concerns. We’ll discuss key areas of your life — such as family and childhood experiences that have shaped who you are today, current relationships, stressors, goals, your health history, etc. This process helps us begin to identify patterns and start to clarify what you’d like to work on in therapy. This assessment helps guide treatment planning and ensures our work is tailored to your specific needs and priorities.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I bring warmth, curiosity, honesty, and humor (when it feels right) into my work, and I aim for therapy to be a time for you to feel understood and respectfully challenged to grow. I value being both direct & compassionate to support people in making meaningful changes. I strive to be a welcoming, affirming therapist & I value honest conversations—I encourage my patients to let me know what’s working (or not). I was drawn to this work because of the impact therapy has had on my own life. Over the years, sitting in the client’s chair helped me find clarity, healing, and growth—and now I feel grateful to offer that same supportive space to others.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I work with teens, young adults and adults who feel isolated, stretched too thin, unmotivated, and/or disconnected from their sense of purpose. Many of my clients come in feeling “stuck”—whether that’s in a relationship, job, or old habit— and are often struggling with self-critical thoughts. Some examples of goals for therapy include deepening self-awareness, reducing self-criticism, cultivating greater self-compassion, managing emotions/thoughts/impulses in order to respond to situations/challenges in healthier ways, building insight into patterns that contribute to feeling stuck or disconnected, setting clear and achievable goals, building supportive relationships, establishing healthy boundaries, developing a stronger sense of purpose and direction, enhancing motivation, increasing tolerance for discomfort and change, supporting balance between personal needs/relationships/responsibilities, & fostering greater authenticity, resilience, and engagement in daily life.

Specialties

Top specialties

Self Esteem

Other specialties

Addiction

Anxiety

Child or Adolescent

Depression

Trauma and PTSD

Identifies as

Serves ages

Teenagers (13 to 17)

Licensed in

Location

Offers in-person in 166 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, Suite 202

My treatment methods

Eclectic

My approach is eclectic, which means I draw from a variety of evidence-based therapies and tailor them to what best fits you and your goals. Depending on your needs, I might integrate tools from CBT to help you identify and shift unhelpful thoughts, DBT or RO-DBT to support emotional regulation and openness, ACT to build psychological flexibility and self-compassion, and Motivational Interviewing to strengthen motivation for change. I weave in psychodynamic insights to explore how past experiences shape current patterns. This flexible, integrative approach allows us to use what’s most effective for you.

Trauma Informed Care

Trauma-informed care means recognizing that past experiences — especially those involving stress, loss, or harm — can shape how we think, feel, and relate to others. I approach therapy with an understanding that safety, trust, and choice are essential for healing. In our work together, I pay attention to what helps you feel grounded and in control, and we move at a pace that feels manageable for you. Rather than focusing only on the details of what happened, we work on helping your body and mind feel safe again, strengthening your ability to cope, connect, and build a life that feels steady and meaningful.

Strength-Based

In strengths-based therapy, we focus on what’s already working - for example, things like resilience, values, and inner resources — rather than only on what’s going wrong. I use this approach to help you recognize and build on your existing strengths, even in the middle of challenges or setbacks. Together, we identify the skills, supports, and personal qualities that have helped you get through difficult times before, and find ways to apply them toward your current goals. The idea isn’t to ignore problems, but to approach them from a place of capability, agency and hopefulness.

Relational

In relational therapy, we look at how your experiences in relationships — past and present — shape the way you see yourself, others, and the world. I use this approach to help you notice patterns in how you connect, communicate, and respond to people in your life. Our relationship in therapy becomes part of that process too; it’s a place to explore and practice new ways of relating that feel more authentic and supportive. Over time, this helps strengthen your ability to build healthier, more fulfilling relationships outside of therapy as well.

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This provider hasn’t received any written reviews yet. We started collecting written reviews January 1, 2025.