 We are delighted to welcome Hanna Ma, Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee, to the Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center team. Hanna (she/her) is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and brings to her clinical work a warm, empathic, and client-centered approach. With a strong belief in the potential for growth and healing, Hanna works collaboratively with clients to support them in navigating life’s challenges and building resilience. Hanna draws from both cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy, tailoring her approach to the unique needs of each individual. Her professional background in education and leadership informs her work with children, families, and adults who may be navigating difficulties in the school system, career transitions, or identity exploration. She offers therapy to individuals, children, and families, with the goal of helping clients feel more empowered, grounded, and hopeful. It is an honor to welcome Hanna to the Oak Creek community. Her compassionate presence and thoughtful clinical approach are a valuable addition to our team. Please join us in celebrating Hanna’s arrival and the meaningful work she is beginning here at Oak Creek. Contact: Phone number: (510) 603-7558 EMAIL HANNA If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.
To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected]. Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page.  Image by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany from Pixabay If you’re on social media, you have probably come across the word burnout. Sometimes we see words so many times and generally understand it but haven’t taken the time to know what it truly means or what we can do about it. Burnout is a feeling that can come after we have spent an amount of time or energy beyond our capacity focused on things outside of ourselves without taking the time we need to take care of ourselves. It can feel like complete exhaustion, feelings of negativity cynicism, and decreased personal or professional competence. For example, a parent who doesn’t have access to childcare resources or help around the house can feel burned out from constantly needing to be on for their family and forgets an important appointment. Or a person who has worked in a profession that requires them to appear ‘happy’ all the time to make a sale or appease a boss and it creates a feeling of anger or hostility towards their workplace. Or even a teenager who has a lot going on personally at home needing to go to school and extracurriculars and get all their homework done, they don’t have the energy to dedicate full concentration to their work and their grade start to slip. Each of these people can find themselves in a place of emotional burnout. It can feel like there is no time to shut off, no extra money to help, no safe support people to step in and it’s all on your shoulders to make your world turn. Even if those circumstances apply to you, there are still options that resources that could benefit you and help you find more balance in your life:
At the end of the day, your health is important. Taking time to prioritize it can be life changing. If you find yourself stuck in a rut of trying to break out but you’re finding it hard to do on your own, consider reaching out to Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center to be put in contact with a therapist. If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.
To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected]. Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page. Why Contra Costa County Residents Still Need Real Therapists in the Age of AI Mental Health Apps6/19/2025
 If you’ve searched “mental health support in Pleasant Hill” or “therapy apps near me,” you’re not alone. With the rise of AI-assisted therapy tools—like mental health chatbots, self-guided apps, and AI-powered journaling platforms—many people are wondering if these digital solutions can truly replace working with a licensed therapist. At Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center, located right here in Pleasant Hill, CA, we know that human relationships are the heart of healing. While apps may offer convenience, they lack the core ingredient of effective therapy: a real, emotionally attuned relationship. Unlike AI tools, our therapists in Pleasant Hill are trained to understand your emotions, body language, cultural background, lived experience, and evolving sense of identity—whether related to race, gender, sexuality, or life stage. Research continues to show that the therapeutic relationship—not just tools or techniques—is the strongest predictor of positive mental health outcomes. People in our community are looking for more than symptom tracking or generic advice. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, parenting issues, or relationship problems, your healing deserves the care of a trained professional—not a chatbot. Therapy is not about quick fixes—it’s about creating safety, exploring meaning, and building change over time. Our therapists serve individuals, couples, teens, children and families across Pleasant Hill and surrounding communities in Contra Costa County with empathy, experience, and integrity. So if you’re looking for a real therapist near Pleasant Hill or via telehealth who listens, understands, and walks with you toward lasting change, we invite you to contact Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center today. If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.
To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected]. Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page.  We are excited to welcome Sara Diaz (she/her) to Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee. Sara is currently pursuing her M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Alliant International University and is supervised by Stephen Polin, LMFT #7861. Before beginning her clinical training, Sara spent nearly a decade as a teacher, an experience that continues to shape her compassionate, relational approach to therapy. She believes in the healing power of connection and offers a supportive, client-centered space where individuals, couples, and families can explore the stories that have shaped them and begin writing new ones. Her work is guided by warmth, curiosity, and deep respect for the lived experiences each client brings. Sara integrates a collaborative and relational framework into her work and is passionate about supporting clients navigating anxiety, depression, life transitions, identity exploration, and faith deconstruction. She works with adolescents and adults across diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ clients. Please join us in warmly welcoming Sara to our community. We are honored to have her at Oak Creek. Contact Sara: Phone: (925) 269-7808 Email: Click here to email Sara If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.
To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected]. Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page.  Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay Kids don’t come with a training manual. It is hard to know what to say or how to do things ‘right’ when it comes to helping them grow up. The Oak Creek Relational Counseling Center cares about providing resources to our community that can help us have hard conversations with our youth. Today’s topic is in honor of Pride Month so we are going to be talking about ways that we can discuss LGBTQ+ topics in the home. This is important to explore whether you or any of your family members identify as LGBTQ+ because right now, those populations are suffering from high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. According to the Trevor Project, 52% of LGBTQ youth who were enrolled in middle or high school reported being bullied in person or electronically. Transgender and nonbinary students (61%) reported higher rates of bullying compared to cisgender LGBQ students (45%). The statistic are even more harrowing for LGBTQ students of color. Overall LGBTQ youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. These statistics can be overwhelming and leave us feeling like we are fighting an uphill battle, but the first line of action can be taken by you in your home. Starting the conversation can be the hardest part, but the Oak Creek team came up with some great starting points you can do with your actions.
Some questions that could be good to use to start the conversation come to us from EducateEmpowerKids.org.
These questions can show that you are open to talking about all topics even if it can be difficult to discuss. The concept has been labeled as, “leaving the door open.” It doesn’t mean that they need to tell you where they are with their gender or sexuality but showing that you are comfortable talking about these topics in general leaves the door open for them to come speak to you about things of that nature later if they find themselves wanting to share that with you or needing your help in protecting and caring for themselves. If you’d like a resource on speaking with children about mental health in general, take a look at one of our blogs from last month. If you are experiencing an emergency or are in crisis: please call 988, 911 or call Crisis Support Support Services at 1-800-309-2131.
To speak to one of our therapists about our counseling services and to schedule an appointment, please choose one of the following options. A therapist will contact you within two business days.
Business inquiries: call 408-320-5740 or email i[email protected]. Associate and traineeship inquiries, please visit the Clinical Internship page. |
RSS Feed
HoursHours by Appointment
|
Telephone408-320-5740
|
|
Social |