Parenting is hard — and it stirs up more than you expected.
Therapy for parents, teens & adults · Orinda · Virtual in California.
I’m a licensed therapist who works with parents, teens and tweens, and adults. With parents, our work goes deeper than strategies: we look at your own anxiety, your family system, and how you were raised — so home can feel calmer from the inside out. And if your teen or tween wants a space of their own, they’re welcome here too.
You're not a "bad parent." You're a good parent in a hard season.
Most parents who call me are loving, thoughtful people who have already tried everything they know. If this sounds familiar:
1. Your child's anxiety runs the household - plans revolve around meltdowns, avoidance, and keeping the peace.
2. The worry never really switches off.
3. Every conversation turns into a fight.
4. Your teen refuses therapy.
5. Your child's brain works differently - ADHD, autism, or another form of neurodivergence.
6. Your partner has ADHD - and you're carrying the rest.
Here's the hopeful part: when parents understand their own anxiety and patterns - including the ones they grew up with - things can shift, even if your child never attends a session.
Ways to work together
Answer three quick questions
This isn't a diagnosis - just a way to point you toward the kind of support that fits.
1. Who are you most worried about right now?
- My child or teen - I'm looking for support as a parent
- My teen or tween - for therapy of their own
- Myself
- Me - I'm pregnant or newly postpartum
- My partner or spouse - ADHD is part of the picture
2. Would your child or teen agree to come to therapy?
- Probably not
- Maybe, with convincing
- Doesn't apply
3. What sounds most helpful?
- Help understanding the patterns at home
- Space to process my own feelings
- Honestly, both
Not sure yet? Book a free consultation and we'll figure it out together.
Simple, and at your pace
1. A free consultation call - a brief phone call to hear what's going on, answer your questions, and talk honestly about whether we're a good fit.
2. Your first session - we'll meet in Orinda or by secure video, map out what's happening, and talk about what you most want to change.
3. Ongoing therapy, at your pace - over time we'll explore the patterns underneath what's happening at home and build insight into your own anxiety and story.
A therapist who has sat where you're sitting
I'm Allison Gans, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - and a mom of two. Before private practice, I was a crisis counselor at Acalanes High School (AHS). My practice centers on therapy for parents and adults - including parents of neurodiverse children and partners of adults with ADHD. When I'm not in the office, I'm in the thick of family life myself here in the East Bay.
Credentials: Licensed LMFT 102067; SPACE-trained (parent-based anxiety treatment); former AHS crisis counselor at Acalanes High School; PSI perinatal training; CBT; work with Piedmont schools, East Bay Agency for Children, and Pyramid Alternatives.
Meet Webber
Webber is my dog and one of the most beloved members of the practice. He was raised through the Canine Companions program and loves greeting clients at the office door. For some clients, petting Webber makes it easier to settle into a session; for others, he's a reassuring presence. Favorite toy: soccer balls, without question. He is not a therapy dog - simply the warm, calm (and occasionally silly) member of the practice.
Before you call
My teen refuses therapy. Can you still help? - Yes - this is exactly who therapy for parents is for. In parent-only therapy, including SPACE, you're already doing the work, even if your teen never walks through the door. Is this parent coaching, or therapy? - It's therapy. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and there are a lot of parent coaches out there - this work goes deeper than strategies: your anxiety, family systems, and how your own upbringing shapes parenting. Do you see teens and tweens directly? - Yes. Alongside my work with parents, I see teens and tweens (roughly ages 10-17) for their own therapy, with parents kept in the loop. What is SPACE, exactly? - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions: an evidence-based treatment developed at Yale for child and teen anxiety that works through parents. How is therapy for parents different from my child's therapy? - Child therapy works with your child directly. Therapy for parents works with you: your anxiety, your family system, and your own upbringing. Do you work with parents of neurodiverse children? - Yes - including ADHD, autism, and learning differences. My spouse or partner has ADHD. Can you help? - Yes - a focus of my individual therapy work with adults. Where do sessions happen? - In person at my office in Orinda (23 Orinda Way), and by secure video anywhere in California. What does the consultation call involve? - A short, free phone conversation to hear what's going on, explain how I work, and decide together if we're a good fit - with no obligation. What are your fees, and do you take insurance? - I'll go over fees openly on our consultation call, before you commit to anything, so there are no surprises.
Ready for home to feel calmer?
The hardest part is usually the first call - and it's just a conversation. Tell me what's been going on, and we'll figure out the next step together. Sessions in Orinda, and by video across California - scheduled around real family life. Call 510-730-2965 - Email allisonganstherapy@gmail.com - Office: 23 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA - Virtual: secure video sessions anywhere in California. If you or your child is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.