Welcome!

Scheduling an Appointment

Initial contact can be a phone call, where we can discuss the kind of therapy & therapist you need and whether we would be a good fit together.

Or you can click ‘Contact Now’ and send me a brief message about your availability & needs and we can schedule a time for a 15 minute conversation..

Please note: that I can only provide therapy for clients within the state of California. >>>Currently, sessions are conducted ONLINE only.<<<

Blog focus: patient advocacy and palliative care - accessible to everyone.

Contact Now
A close-up photograph of a pink and yellow flower bud with green leaves, set against a blurred background of pink and green foliage.
Close-up of an orange ranunculus flower showing layered petals.

  • My vision is deeply rooted in the belief that therapy is a journey of exploration and empowerment within one's own psychological and emotional home. My goal is to help you improve the relationship with yourself and learn how to navigate your relationships with others, in ways that add meaning and quality to your life.

    My goals are to help clients find their own voice and to demystify therapy.

    “Healing is a practice. It’s not a one-time thing or idea. If I get up and do a bunch of exercises and repeat them, over time , my muscles will get stronger.. Healing is practice just like that.”

    Marnita Schroedl

And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.     
Anais Nin

A smiling person with short, curly gray hair wearing glasses and a patterned scarf around their neck, standing in front of a background with horizontal blinds and green plants.

  • The way I explain therapy is to picture that your body, your mind, is your house. I am an invited guest in this sacred space. With respect and empathy, I accompany individuals on a tour of their inner world where each room holds significance and meaning. Yet there are inevitably locked doors, harboring unseen, unresolved emotions and experiences. I pledge to honor these boundaries, inquiring about the contents behind them when you're ready. Together we navigate at your pace, illuminating the shadows that once felt safe but now hinder your growth. Through a collaborative process, we amplify your voice and co-create the path to your healing and empowerment. There may be fear, anger, sadness, worry, conflict, or, at the very least - uncertainty.  When you are ready, you will not go alone. I will be with you.

  • I am Linda Russell (she/her/hers), I have been a CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) for over 20 years.

    My training and my work have been lifespan - from a teacher’s aide at a pre-school, to working with Seriously Emotionally Disturbed (S.E.D) children and adolescents, to serving adults living with HIV/AIDS, addiction and cancer, to supporting patients and their loved ones as they navigate serious illness, including end of life.

    I have worked in many settings - community-based organizations, non-public school (Special Education) , home and school-based counseling, inpatient public health hospital and medical clinics. Currently, my work is exclusively online, with individual adults- short term (8-12 sessions) and long term.

    I work with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, grief, relationship issues, medical illness, life transitions and ageism. My clients are straight, gay, cisgender and transgender. I have a special lens for people of color, whose stories are often left out of mainstream therapy, making them less likely to seek support.

    I utilize a variety of approaches - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Family Systems; Narrative; Motivational Interviewing.

    Skills I bring to this work: problem-solving; effective communication; creating a safe space; educating about the therapeutic process; respectful curiosity, cultural humility; extensive experience with palliative care.

Certifications & Recognitions

  • As of September 2002

  • JFK University at Orinda, CA. Degree received in September 1991

  • Contra Costa County Medical Centers and Clinics. Annual award given by the CCRMC Medical Executive Committee to a non-physician staff member for outstanding patient advocacy.

  • Outstanding Achievement - Member of the Cancer Care Team at Contra Costa County Medical Center. Recognized by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer - for the care, treatment and support of cancer patients.

  • Certified through The American Institute of Health Care Professionals - 2025

  • CAMFT is an independent professional organization dedicated to advancing family therapy as an art and a science and a mental health profession.

  • Collective supporting therapists of color to be an active voice in psychotherapy, increasing awareness of issues beyond traditional therapy training and client experience. Consultation/Networking/Referral/ Mentoring.

Memberships

 We don’t so much solve our problems as we outgrow them. 

We add capacities and experiences that eventually make us bigger than the problems.

Carl Jung

Contact Now

To schedule an initial appointment, please contact me through email.


Email
lrrussell55@gmail.com

Office Phone #
(510) 239-1478