"Who am I? "
"Am I who I say I am? "
"Am I all that I ought to be?" - Frantz Fanon

What is Therapy?

People seek counseling for many reasons. You may be dealing with a major life change, such as a break up, looking for a new job, or dealing with loss. Or you might be managing mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression. You may think that therapy is for "crazy" people, but what does that even mean? The reality is that folk that see psychologists are just regular people struggling with common, everyday issues. Therapy can be like going to the emergency room when a crisis occurs in your life, or it can be like going to the gym in order to get stronger and stay healthy. Either way, when it comes down to it, you are doing what you need to do, in order to live the life that you want to live. 

Common Concerns
​

Multicultural & Social Justice 
Microagressions | Discrimination  Impostor Feelings | Identity Acculturative Stress

Sexuality
Sexual Identity | Intimate Relationships

Grief & Loss
Concerns or Loss of Loved One 
Breakup Divorce | Loss of Job  
Anxieties
Stress| Fear | Panic | Worry  Nervousness | Panic

Mood
Sadness | Low Energy | Unmotivated Irritability | Mood Swings | Insomnia

Interpersonal Relationships
Forming Relationships | Setting Boundaries| Conflicts | Assertiveness  Dating & Relationships
 
Developmental Concerns
Adjusting to College | Life Transitions Career Planning | Choosing a Major 

Wellness
Stress Reduction | Mindfulness 
Sleep Hygiene | Time Management Anger Management | Healthy Living Problem Solving

How I work...

  • I provide culturally specific therapy, which focuses on the strengths that you already have. 
  • I tend to use a cognitive behavioral (CBT) theoretical approach, while also paying attention to your environment and access to social support.  
  • I work with you to build a safe space where you can share your experiences without the fear of being judged, and where you can focus on becoming clear about what you want, and how you want to go about making that happen.
  • I believe that it is important to build a strong therapeutic relationship, as well as paying close attention to what is happening for you in-the-moment. 
  • I find it helpful to work to understand the different beliefs that we bring into the room, and how these worldviews might affect our interactions. 
  • I believe that understanding how you think and understanding how those thoughts are related to your behaviors can be empowering, and help you to actively account for your reality, and to make the changes that you find necessary in order to live life in a more healthy way.

Who am I?

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Dr. Bedford Palmer II is a licensed psychologist, a tenured Associate Professor, and the chair of the Counseling Department at Saint Mary’s College of California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California Irvine, and his Master’s degree in psychology from California State University Long Beach, and his Doctorate in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Palmer completed his predoctoral psychology internship at the University of California, Berkeley. 
 
Dr. Palmer spent 3 years as a staff psychologist, coordinating Services to Students of African Descent and the Multicultural Immersion Program at the University of California Davis. He has been a faculty member at Saint Mary’s College of California since 2015. There he teaches courses in professional ethics, intercultural communication, human sexuality, psychological perspectives of gender, and advanced clinical practice to master’s level clinicians in-training. 

In 2016, Dr. Palmer founded BFP Consulting Inc in Oakland California. He provides psychotherapy and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting to a diverse clientele of individuals and organizations. Dr. Palmer has served on the board of directors for the Association of Black Psychologists, as the State Diversity Delegate for the California Psychological Association and is a past President of the Alameda Psychological Association. He is the producer/cohost of the Naming It podcast and is the author of "Daddy Why Am I Brown?": A healthy conversation about skin color and family.

Therapy

What should you expect?

 Phone Consult

Before the first appointment, I offer a free 5 minute phone consultation.  We will talk in order to see if I am a good fit for what you are looking for in a counselor.

Initial Appointment

 This initial 50-minute session will be a time for me to really find out what's going on for you, to set goals, and to identify your expectations of therapy.   

Follow-Up Sessions

Follow-up sessions are typically 50 minutes long, though 75 minute sessions are available.  Sessions are usually weekly, but can be more or less frequent.

Career Counseling & Assessment

Identify and explore your interests.
Find out what you value.
Figure out the next steps toward building a career path and moving forward in your life. 

 Academic & Career Success 

Time Management Skills
Efficient Note Taking
Utilizing Mentors
Public Speaking & Test Anxiety
 

Consultation & Training Services

Leadership Development

Multicultural Competence

Conflict Resolution 

Team Building

Office Wellness

Building a Plan

We begin with a conversation, focused on identifying organizational needs. We then build a plan for addressing those needs.  This might include training, facilitated discussions, group and/or individual consultations. 

Training Workshops

Training workshops consist of interactive discussions that encourage participants to integrate the target skills with their personal experiences and the practical realities of your organizational culture.

Consultations

Group and Individual consultations tend to be facilitated conversations, with a focus on identifying both strengths and areas of potential growth. We work toward building insight, which will help in the development of practical solutions. 

Multicultural & Social Justice
​Training Services

​Intro to Cultural Competence

Begin the process of developing a multicultural mindset by:
  • Building understanding of social justice terminology.
  • Learning a culturally humble approach.
  • Identifying resources for increasing your knowledge. 
  • Developing strategies for getting to know your communities.

Assertive Communication

Learn how to use assertive communication to:
  • Understand how communication style affects behavior. 
  • Get needs met.
  • Promote accountability and civility.  
  • Build better interactions between coworkers and teams.

​Addressing Microaggressions

Develop strategies for addressing microaggressive behaviors:
  • Learn about the impacts of microaggressive behaviors.
  • Identify microaggressive behaviors in yourself & others.
  • Learn to use assertive communication to confront and repair microaggressive interactions. ​

Managing Male Privilege
​(for men) 

Develop strategies for addressing misogynistic attitudes and behaviors:
  • Taking a deep dive into systemic and personal male privilege. 
  • Learning to deal with the problem of objectification.
  • Building self-respect through respect for others.
  • Developing strategies for ongoing support and growth.

Understanding Privilege

Develop understanding of social privilege:
  • Learn about intersectional identity and your privilege.
  • Develop greater empathy through self-reflection.
  • Broach taking accountability for your own privilege.  ​​

Dealing with Impostor Feelings

Build strategies to deal with feeling like an imposter:
  • What exactly are imposter feelings?
  • Learn about how imposter feelings develop.
  • Develop strategies for reducing imposter feelings and increasing confidence. 

​Building Allyship

An advanced workshop for those who are willing it lean into the discomfort of taking responsibility for personal privilege.
  • Taking a deeper dive into the concept of privilege and how it interacts with our intersectional identities.
  • Using guided reflection to address personal motivations related to social justice work.
  • Develop strategies for offering culturally humble support & managing personal feelings related to rejection.  

Strength-Based Trainings

Strength-Based Thinking

Motivation Via Decision Making

Self-Care and Mindfulness

Priorities & Time Management