About Us
Rooted in community. Built for connection.
Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center has been providing affordable, high-quality psychotherapy to the East Bay community for over 30 years — and we're still here because what we do works.
Our Mission
Effective care that's within reach.
Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center is an affordable, community-based provider of psychotherapy and counseling for individuals, couples, families, children, and groups. Our office is in Pleasant Hill, conveniently located near mass transit with plenty of parking. Therapists see clients every day of the week, mornings through evenings.
Our mission is to provide effective and affordable community counseling services alongside advanced training for the next generation of therapy providers. We are committed to excellence in everything we do — the services we provide, the clinicians we develop, and the community we serve.
Our Approach
Qualified clinicians. Ongoing supervision. Real care.
Oak Creek is a training institution. Every clinician here practices under active supervision by a licensed therapist, and each one meets the requirements California sets for their stage of training. Here's what that means for you:
Registered Associates
Our registered associates — Associate Marriage and Family Therapists, Associate Professional Clinical Counselors, and Associate Clinical Social Workers — have completed their master's degrees and are registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences while accruing supervised hours toward full licensure. They bring current training, recent coursework, and deep dedication to their clients.
Therapist Trainees
Our trainees are currently enrolled in accredited master's programs in marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling, or social work. They see clients as part of Oak Creek's formal training program, with ongoing supervision, consultation, and mentorship at every step.
Ongoing Training
All Oak Creek clinicians participate in regular supervision and continuing professional development. Evidence-based approaches, relational theory, and cultural humility are central to how we train and how we practice.
Affordable by Design
Because most of our clinicians are building toward licensure, we're able to offer rates well below the private-pay market — without compromising on the quality of care. This is the Oak Creek model, and it's worked for over three decades.
Our History
Over 30 years serving the East Bay.
Oak Creek has grown and evolved, but our core purpose has never changed: make quality mental health care accessible to everyone in our community.
1993
Stephen Polin founded Oak Creek Counseling as a nonprofit organization, with a dual mission: provide affordable counseling to East Bay residents and offer advanced clinical training for interns.
1993 – 2014
Oak Creek expanded across the East Bay and into San Francisco, operating counseling offices in multiple cities to meet the mental health needs of a growing community. Associates provided thousands of hours of affordable care.
2015
The organization was restructured and relaunched as Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center, sharpening its focus on couples and relational therapy alongside its longstanding individual and family services.
Today
OCRCC operates out of Pleasant Hill, serving individuals, couples, and families across the East Bay — in person and via telehealth throughout California. Clinicians trained here have gone on to establish their own licensed practices across the Bay Area and beyond.
Leadership
Meet our clinical director.
Stephen Polin
Clinical Director · Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT #7861
Steve Polin founded Oak Creek in 1993 and continues to serve as OCRCC's clinical supervision director. With over 30 years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, he has provided therapy in some of the most demanding clinical environments — including prison, hospital, and psychiatric emergency settings.
Steve served as supervisor at the Marin County Crisis Unit for seven years, conducted psychiatric evaluations for the Marin County Jail, and provided clinical supervision at Options Recovery Services.
Beginning in 1985, Steve held an adjunct faculty position at John F. Kennedy University's College of Graduate and Professional Studies, teaching master's-level courses in MFT theory, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, clinical interviewing, and crisis intervention. He has also taught at the Wright Institute and The Psychotherapy Institute.
In addition to his work at OCRCC, Steve teaches coursework to incarcerated individuals at San Quentin, Solano Valley, and Central California Women's Prisons, supporting certification programs in chemical dependency treatment.
Nonprofit Status
We exist to serve, not to profit.
501(c)(3) Organization
Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible under IRC Section 170, and we are eligible to receive tax-deductible bequests, devises, transfers, and gifts under Sections 2055, 2106, and 2522. To inquire about supporting Oak Creek, please contact us directly.
Ready to get started?
Meet our therapists or reach out directly — we'll follow up within two business days.