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Her Story, Experience & Approach
My path into trauma work began at 19-years-old as a volunteer Rape Crisis Counselor with Bay Area Women Against Rape and working in multiple positions across several Bay Area hospitals, including UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Highland Hospital, and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Through those experiences, I have seen and heard many stories that have touched my life and continue to influence the ways that I choose to practice psychology. Today, as a California-licensed Clinical Psychologist, I offer over 30 years of experience helping people heal.
I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California and completed my predoctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger’s Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress in Baltimore, Maryland. I pursued my postdoctoral training at Kaiser Permanente Oakland's Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and at Core Insights Psychological Group in Oakland, CA. My Bachelor’s degree was completed at the University of California at Berkeley.
Before attending graduate school, I served as a Victim Advocate at San Francisco District Attorney’s Office for 7 years supporting survivors and families impacted by violence. I have been fortunate to have a career that has spanned both clinical leadership and direct care, having most recently served as Clinical Director at Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth and co-Clinical Director at the Carl B. Metoyer Center for Family Counseling in Oakland.
All of my professional experiences have been shaped by own marginalized and privileged identities as an educated Black immigrant woman and continue to impact the ways that I see and am seen in the world. These are a part of the many perspectives that I bring to my work and that allow me to hold space. Having the opportunity sit with clients and witness their lives, stories and their transformative processes is a role that I continue to honor and cherish.
Trauma work has taught me, again and again, that healing is not about leaving the past behind. It is about making sense of it so it stops working against you and starts working for you, informing rather than steering the life you are building.
The Symbol: Looking Back. Moving Forward.
The Sankofa bird is an Adinkra symbol from the Akan people of Ghana. It is a mythical symbol connecting the past, the present, and the future. The forward-facing feet represents continuous progress, the backward glance represents historical reflection, learning from ancestral wisdom, and the egg represents precious knowledge, future generations and the preservation of cultural heritage.
At Dr. Clarke Psychotherapy and Consulting, the Sankofa symbol reflects a central belief in the practice: you do not move forward despite the fact you looked back; you move forward because you looked back.
Our Cultural Connection
Sankofa is an Akan symbol and proverb originating from Ghana, carrying deep cultural and spiritual significance. This practice uses the symbol with respect and gratitude, drawing on its wisdom rather than claiming it.
Care Across the Lifespan
Dr. Clarke works with clients across the lifespan, from children to older adults, creating space for people to explore their experiences, relationships, challenges, and transitions at different stages of life. Her work includes individual, couples, family, and group therapy, with care shaped around each client's needs and goals.
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Individual Therapy
Personal support for navigating experiences, challenges, and life changes. -
Couples Therapy
Support for relationships, communication, attachment, and shared challenges. -
Family Therapy
Helping families understand patterns, navigate conflict, and strengthen relationships. -
Group Therapy
A supportive space for shared reflection, connection, and growth.
