Specialties

A bed of vibrant red flowers in a lush green forest, symbolizing natural healing and growth at Dr. Viola Mejía's Oakland office for trauma therapy.

For many, trauma isn't a single event - it's embedded in relational patterns that trigger responses rooted in past experiences. Relationships shaped us, for better or worse, impacting how we show up interpersonally.

It may manifest as social anxiety, struggling to be authentic, or feeling drained by others. These patterns can stem from intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression like colonization, or simply not having our full selves nurtured as children.

By exploring relational trauma, particularly through a lens of colonial wounds for BIPOC folks, we create space for you and your caregivers' humanity. Understanding frees you from perpetuating harm.

Bright geometric pattern with orange triangles, symbolizing cultural richness and diversity, representing Dr. Viola Mejía's Oakland, CA office focused on PTSD therapy treatment.

relational trauma

Bright geometric pattern with orange triangles, symbolizing cultural richness and diversity, representing Dr. Viola Mejía's Oakland, CA office focused on PTSD therapy treatment.
Golden field of wheat with a beautiful sunset in the background, symbolizing renewal and hope, at Dr. Viola Mejía's Oakland therapy office. Eye movement desensitization therapy available.

trauma recovery

Trauma isn't isolated to events - it's woven into relationships, family histories, community narratives. From PTSD/C-PTSD to anxiety/depression, substance use, or sense of self-disruption, trauma shapes our inner and outer worlds.

Together, we'll explore how trauma impacts your body, emotions, productivity, relationships, creativity and more. We'll reframe so-called "mental health issues" as responses arising from real wounds. The path to recovery honors your full, ancestral story.

brainspotting

Person sitting peacefully in the middle of a forest of tall trees with green shrubbery, representing tranquility and grounding, at Dr. Viola Mejía's Oakland therapy office. Trauma therapy available.
Bright geometric pattern with orange triangles, symbolizing cultural richness and diversity, representing Dr. Viola Mejía's Oakland, CA office focused on PTSD therapy treatment.

This neurobiological approach, pioneered by Dr. David Grand, taps into the mind-body connection in a profound way. "Where you look affects how you feel" - by attuning to specific eye positions, we can access portals into the nervous system where traumas and emotional experiences are stored. Through brainspotting, we'll focus, process, and release deep-seated patterns held in the body. A powerful adjunct to our therapeutic work. Read more about it here.