Mental Health

We hear you & are responding!

In the past year we asked the community what resources the YWCA Berkeley/Oakland should focus on. Out of the 27 categories people identified, Therapy/Mental Health Resources topped the list.

The Mental Health Program is brand new and seeking collaboration with the community to create a meaningful programming that is responsive and relevant to the community’s needs. 

Given the stressful times we currently live in and everything that has happened since Covid, there has been a marked increase in anxiety, fear, unrest, uncertainty and unsafe. We are hoping to partner with our community to offer a mental health program that is a useful resource for everyone. We hope to support and resource people via events, workshops and other activities that will support mental and emotional health and wellness.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email our Mental Health Director, H. Ameeta Singh, LMFT #50409 @ asingh@ywca-berkeley.org

Our Vision

  • Clinical Training Program

    that offers no to low cost individual and group therapy services for the Berkeley/Oakland Community while simultaneously creating a socially and racially aware training program for therapists working towards licensure in California.

  • External Community Offerings

    that include discussion groups; support groups and /or other group based activities that folks can participate in to learn more about mental health in general and more specific areas of need in the community

  • Internal Offerings

    to staff and interns of the YWCA to support mental wellbeing, self care and education on mental & emotional wellness as they provide much needed services to the community.

Wellness

Upcoming events

  • Rooted in Rest: A Candlelit Yoga & Sound Journey with Shirley Johnson

    Tuesday, February 17th
    6:30–7:30 PM

    In honor of Black History Month, this candlelit yoga and sound bath experience is rooted in the powerful affirmation that rest is a form of resistance. Inspired by the teachings of Tricia Hersey and The Nap Ministry, this gathering invites us to reclaim rest as a sacred, liberatory act in a culture that glorifies exhaustion—especially for Black bodies and communities.

    Held on February 17, during the New Moon and Lunar New Year, this evening carries the energy of renewal, intention, and new beginnings. The new moon asks us to turn inward, while the Lunar New Year marks a collective threshold into a fresh cycle—making this an especially potent time to slow down, listen deeply, and set intentions rooted in restoration rather than productivity.

    Through gentle movement, stillness, and immersive sound healing, we will create space to soften, exhale, and remember that rest is not a reward, but a right. Open to all, this practice centers the wisdom that slowing down is a way of healing, restoring dignity, and honoring ancestral resilience.

    About the Teacher:

    Join Shirley Johnson – LMFT, herbalist, yoga teacher, and sound healer – for 60 minutes of gentle, accessible movement, plant meditation, sound healing, and tea. We’ll begin promptly at 6:00 PM and close with an optional 15-minute conversation space for those who’d like to stay.

    What to Expect:

    Gentle Yoga: Slow, soothing postures to unwind tension and ground into the body.

    Guided Breath Meditation: Simple breathing practices to quiet the mind and balance the nervous system.

    Sound Bath: Immersive tones of crystal bowls and gong to support deep relaxation and energetic rejuvenation.

    This class is designed for all levels—no prior experience needed. Come as you are, ready to exhale, restore, and settle into the nurturing embrace of autumn’s calm.

    RSVP