Individual Therapy in Piedmont
Therapy for the person you've been carrying — and the one you're becoming.
Weekly 45-minute sessions · Secure video sessions · Serving Piedmont residents and clients across California
Individual therapy for the rhythms of life in Piedmont.
Piedmont's beauty is hard to overstate — the schools, the homes, the careful quiet of a community built on professional success. But quiet doesn't always mean calm. The pressures that come with the careers, the expectations, and the family standards of Piedmont life can build invisibly, and the relationships and individuals shaped by that pressure deserve thoughtful, depth-oriented work.
Discretion matters in Piedmont. Online therapy means no parked car outside an office, no waiting room overlap with someone who knows your kids' school, no chance encounter at the grocery store. Sessions from the privacy of your own home, on your own schedule.
About Individual Therapy
Individual therapy for adults navigating anxiety, relationship patterns, identity, intimacy, life transitions, and the quiet weight of carrying it all. My approach is relational, depth-oriented, and grounded — we work together to understand what's underneath, not just manage what's on the surface.
In a community this accomplished — Piedmont has among the highest education and income levels in Alameda County — there can be quiet pressure to seem like you have it handled. Online individual therapy offers a private hour, on your own schedule, to set that down.
What to expect
- Weekly 45-minute sessions, consistent rhythm
- A relational, exploratory approach — we go where the material leads
- Equal attention to present-day life and the patterns underneath
- Real conversation, not a script or a worksheet
- Your goals guide the work — I follow your lead
Common reasons people come in
- —Anxiety, overthinking, and the sense of always being 'on'
- —Recurring patterns in relationships
- —Identity, sexuality, and self-understanding
- —Life transitions — career changes, breakups, loss, parenthood
- —Burnout and the feeling of running on empty
- —Family-of-origin material that keeps surfacing
Weekly 45-minute sessions
- All sessions held online via secure HIPAA-compliant video
- Cancellation policy: 24 hours
- Currently accepting new Piedmont clients
Why online sessions are a good fit for Piedmont
Piedmont is 1.7 square miles of quiet streets entirely surrounded by Oakland — a city of roughly 11,000 where neighbors recognize each other at school pickup, on the walk to the civic center, and in line at the market. That closeness is part of what makes Piedmont home, and it is also exactly why many residents prefer therapy that does not involve a waiting room. Online sessions mean no crossing paths with a fellow parent or a familiar face on the way in. There is a practical side too: Piedmont has almost no commercial space of its own, so most services — therapists included — mean a drive into Oakland or a transbay trip, on top of commutes that already average over half an hour. Meeting by secure video from your own home fits the actual shape of life here: full calendars, older homes with room for a quiet hour, and a strong preference for keeping private things private.
- No travel time across The Hills, Downtown Piedmont, Crocker Highlands border
- Sessions fit into work-from-home schedules
- Privacy and discretion — sessions from your own home
- Available evenings and select weekend hours
A relational, depth-oriented therapist serving California.
I'm Fanshen Thompson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California. I work with couples, individuals, and partnerships navigating intimacy, identity, and the slower work of becoming.
I am a certified Gottman trained couples therapist and draw from Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, attachment theory, and somatic practices. But more than any single modality, I bring myself: a real human who has done — and continues to do — this work.
My practice is online and serves clients across California. The work is honest, grounded, and paced to what you can actually carry.
Frequently asked questions
How do online sessions work?
We meet over a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You'll receive a link before each session and join from a private space at home — no app downloads or special equipment beyond a device with a camera and a stable internet connection.
Do I need a special app or platform?
No. The video platform runs in your browser. I'll send a link a few minutes before our session — you click, and we begin.
Is this covered by insurance?
I'm an out-of-network provider. I can provide a superbill you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement. I'd encourage you to call your insurance and ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits.
How long does it take to see results?
Most people begin to feel something shift within the first several weeks — a little more clarity, a little less alone in it. Real, lasting change is a longer arc, often months of consistent weekly work. I'll be honest with you about what I see along the way.
What is your cancellation policy?
My cancellation policy is 24 hours. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are charged in full.
Can you see clients in Piedmont?
Yes. I see clients in Piedmont and across California via secure video sessions. There's no need to come to an office — sessions happen from wherever you're comfortable in Piedmont.
Ready to start? Let's talk.
Book a free 20-minute consultation. We'll talk about what's going on and whether working together feels right. No pressure, no commitment.