Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapists & psychiatrists in Alameda, CA

I take a warm, empathetic, and direct approach to working my clients. I believe that people can be incredibly resilient when they put their minds to it. Together, we can tap into your potential to strengthen your competence and tackle your goals. I will fight for you to rid yourself of unhelpful patterns and narrow the gap to the life you desire.

I have a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), working in private practice as a Psychotherapist. I live in Los Angeles, and work in-person or hybrid, with adults, teens, couples and the aging population. I specialize in anxiety, life transitions, relationship issues, work stress/dissatisfaction, career goals, sleep disorders, substance use, trauma (ptsd/complex/acute), obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD/OCPD), attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD). In addition I deal with grief, isolation, and breaking creative blocks.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure how to move forward, you don't have to figure it out alone.

I help adults work through anxiety, ADHD, depression, and the stress of big life transitions so you can move forward with more clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of direction.

I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over a decade of clinical experience, and I bring a calm, grounded presence to the work.

My background spans trauma-informed care, support for college students building self-advocacy and success strategies (especially those with learning differences), and extensive work with the military community — including wounded warriors and their families.

Whether you're navigating a career or life change, managing attention or focus challenges, working through anxiety or depression, or facing relationship stress, I offer a safe, collaborative space where real growth is possible.

Clients often describe me as warm, real, non-judgmental, and direct in a supportive way. I'm LGBTQIA+ affirming and welcome people from all backgrounds with a spirit of inclusion and care.

I've found that building a strong relationship is the foundation of any successful therapy. My grounding philosophy is to meet people where they are at and to tailor my knowledge and experience to help them get to where they want to be. My ideal clients are those motivated, committed, and open to exploring various parts of the inner self and how these parts motivate, protect, grieve, and organize us for action.

I am Sharon Atwood, a dual board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Adult Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of hands-on clinical experience serving adults and older adults. I hold active, unrestricted licenses in Florida, New York, California, and Idaho, and I provide care through both telehealth and outpatient settings.

My academic journey reflects a deep, enduring passion for mental health and human behavior. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology magna cum laude from Kean University, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing from Florida Atlantic University and a Post-Master's Certificate in Psychiatric-Mental Health from the University of Miami, both completed summa cum laude. I maintain board certifications through ANCC and AANP and hold active membership in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the California Association of Nurse Practitioners.

My clinical background spans adult and geriatric primary care, integrated psychiatric services, crisis intervention, and outpatient psychiatric medication management. This diverse experience has prepared me to address a wide range of conditions with both skill and compassion, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, sleep disturbances, grief, anger management, and complex co-occurring presentations. I welcome individuals with treatment-resistant symptoms and those still searching for the right provider.

I specialize in working with adults aged 18 and older, helping to uncover root causes and develop plans for genuine growth. My approach is collaborative and evidence-based, combining psychiatric medication management with integrative wellness strategies that address sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress, and meaningful connection. I believe that expert care works best alongside healthy lifestyle habits and a sense of humor.

Guaranteed intake appointment within 3 days! Evening and weekend hours available. A provider you can reach directly, by text. Personal responses to all messages within 24 - 48 hours, always.

Thanks for reading this. I am a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who works with clients ages 6 to 86 struggling with depression, anxiety, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, substance abuse and other issues. For some clients, I provide both therapy and medication management; for other clients, I work closely with their therapists to optimize their medication experience. I help clients to find stability and reduce suffering. LGBTQ-allied, polyamory-informed. All lifestyles welcome.

Depression and anxiety can be logical responses to difficult life events. Many adults who experienced losses and traumas in childhood have never processed these events and continue to suffer their impacts.

Therapy should help you identify the ways you hold yourself back from greater peace and success. We all pick up dysfunctional patterns along the way and need help to identify and change them. I would like to help you in this process.