The world can be...a lot.
HI, I'M ADRIAN.
I'm glad you're here. I know looking for a therapist can be tough, so I hope I can answer some of your questions about myself and how I work. For a brief snapshot: I'm a double Cancer who loves cats and soup and media involving magic or space (extra points if it involves both). In case that doesn't answer all your questions...
My love of psychology is intertwined with my passion for stories and writing. So much of our lives are the stories we tell ourselves, or the stories that we've been told. I love using imagination to rediscover and rewrite our own truths.
Part of my own story is that I am a fat neurodivergent queer trans person of color. My identity and lived experience are an intrinsic part of who I am and how I practice.
I think healing can look like a lot of different things. It can be self-help books, fan fiction, tarot cards, hanging out with plants, breathing exercises -- there are as many ways to navigate feelings as there are feelings. I see therapy as a collaboration and I hope that together we get to imagine what healing looks like for you.
Go ahead. Feel your feels.
Working With ADRIAN
How I Work
To me, therapy is an opportunity to tell your story in a non-judgmental space, to really unfold, unpack, and explore it deeply. It's a place to learn what you'd like to let go of, what you'd like to hold on to, and what you'd like to let in. My goal is that at the end of therapy, the folks I work with will feel that they have a kinder relationship with themselves and feel they are able to choose their own adventure in the narrative of their life.
Conscious and Evolving.
I am continuously working to understand how systems of oppression touch our everyday lives. I strive to mitigate power differentials through transparency, openness, and ongoing training, consultation, and self-education. I invite frank conversations, and prioritize my clients feeling witnessed.
Creative and Eclectic.
In a session with me, we might be discussing your family by assigning them all characters from Lord of the Rings, or drawing your feelings onto a paper bag, or shaking our arms like happy Muppets to practice somatic coping strategies. I believe art and creativity are amazing paths to self-discovery, healing, and authentic weirdness.
Centered on Liberation.
My background in body liberation and explorations in power, culture, and identity inevitably show up in therapy. Messages that attack our bodies--our skin, ability, sexuality, gender, etc.--are rampant. Part of how I work is recognizing this, and working with clients to deconstruct these messages and find new peace with all of our parts.
Collaborative and Client-Centered.
This work don't work without the client. We're plotting this path together--I bring my curiosity, humor, compassion, and my box of tools; you bring your expertise on you and all the wisdom you might not know you have. Together, we get to figure out what's right for you.
Modalities I Use
I identify as an eclectic in how I practice therapy (and really in how I do most things in life), and so I draw from multiple theoretical frameworks. This is evolving and expanding all the time as I encounter new ideas and modalities to better support my clients. Here's a little information about theories that currently inform my work. The approaches I use are also dependent on what each individual client is looking for, comfortable with, and interested in.
Narrative Therapy. Narrative Therapy is a collaborative approach that sees the individual as separate from or more than their challenges, working to form a more rich and complex picture of ourselves and our social context.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). At it's core, CBT focuses on the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and how different tools and strategies addressing one of those levels can create larger overall shifts.
Somatic Therapy. Somatic therapies recognize our bodies as an important source of information in understanding our emotions an experience, and, through strategies like grounding and regulation, a source of healing and change.
Expressive Arts Therapy. Creativity like visual and 3D arts, writing, poetry, and movement can all be amazing ways to express and explore emotion, challenge our inner critics, and flex our ability to imagine new possibilities.
Who I Work With
In my 10 years in the mental health field, I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of amazing people. I've worked with a wide range of clients, and find that the folks I work well with are individuals who are curious, open to exploring, and committed to trying things out. And that don't mind an occasional pun. I offer all potential clients a brief introductory phone call to see if we feel like a match. If you're interested, click here to connect with me.
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Folks with anxiety, a "fawn" response, and/or a rude inner critic.
If you're looking to re-center yourself in your life, and figure out those whole "boundaries" thing, let's chat.
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Intellectualizers and folks feeling out of touch with themselves.
If the line between "thinking" and "feeling" seems like a hard one to cross, I get it. I enjoy supporting people in finding ways to notice, understand, and eventually maybe even embrace their own emotional experience.
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People who have been "othered" or feel "in-between."
I love helping people explore their sense of themself and sort through what we've been told is true about us and what's actually true--especially when our identities are complex.
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Anyone interested in deconstructing internalized stigma.
While it's true that therapy won't stop oppression, it can help heal ways we replicate oppression within and against ourselves.
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Everyone interested in changing their relationship to self and body.
As a practitioner who believes in body liberation, I want to support clients in finding a more caring and supportive relationship to self.
TL;DR: Adrian's Areas of Focus
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Anxiety, Depression, PTSD
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Sexual, Romantic, and Gender Identity
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Kink and poly friendly
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Issues Around Body Image and Body Relationship
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Major Life Transitions
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Grief and Loss
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Relationship Issues, Boundaries, and Communication
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ADHD and Related Challenges
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Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
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Exploration Around Cultural and Racial Identity
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Navigating Emotional Overwhelm with Somatic and Expressive Techniques
And you got this.
CONTACT & LICENSING
Tel: 510 - 775 - 2394
Email: Adrian@LifesWeirdLetsDiscuss.com
I am a practitioner with
Axis Mundi Center for Mental Health.
LMFT #123936
LPCC #13930
Licensed under legal name,
Leyla Antonia Eraslan
SERVICES
LOCATION
444 34th St.
Oakland, CA 94609
Paid Street Parking is Available
No stairs to enter building; accessible, non-gendered bathrooms available on-site
Telehealth Available
to all California Residents
All collages on this site were created by Adrian using a free resource called FreeMix.com
AVAILABILITY & RATES
$150 for
50 Minute Individual Session
Sliding Scale Appointments are Fully Booked at this Time
In-Person and Telehealth Available
Tuesday and Thursday
Mornings and Limited Evenings
Under the "No Surprises" Act, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of Services. Learn more here.
GET IN TOUCH
RESOURCES
Crisis Support, National
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National Crisis Line 800-273-TALK (8255)
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Trevor Project (LGBTQ+) 800-843-5200
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National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 800-950-NAMI (6264)
Crisis Support, Bay Area