About Us

Founder & Therapist in private practice

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Nes Pinar, LMFT, has a counseling degree from Cal State East Bay and has years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults through various treatment modalities around many issues.

Nes is the founder of EBTC and supervises post-master's degree associates at her private practice. Nes is an experienced presenter/trainer on trauma-informed practices and Motivational Interviewing.

Nes is a brain geek and utilizes Neurofeedback as part of her therapy practice, helping people optimize their brain potential by guiding them to learn how to regulate their nervous system more effectively.

Nes is originally from Turkey and has two children and two dogs. In addition to being an incurable volunteer, Nes loves creating villages of like-minded people gathered around common causes. Nes was an environmental engineer in her previous life and is fluent in English, Turkish, and “nerd.” She loves reading fiction and non-fiction psychology books, swimming, camping, traveling, hanging out with friends, going out for date nights with her husband, cuddling with her fur babies, fostering dogs, and cooking from scratch. Being an immigrant woman and a mom of a neurodivergent child with special challenges, she is passionate about social justice and celebrates diversity.

Therapist in private practice and EBTC web designer

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As a licensed psychotherapist certified in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and Brainspotting, Anny brings a multifaceted approach to her practice. Having experienced the challenges of a difficult background, she deeply understands the journey of healing. Her focus as arelational trauma therapist is on guiding people through the healing process, enabling them to address childhood wounds and forge lives filled with choices and potential. Moreover, her background as an immigrant enriches her practice with a deep comprehension of diverse experiences and the associated challenges, offering a tapestry of cultural empathy.

In her therapeutic approach, she engages authentically, sharing her experiences and insights rather than adopting a distant, impartial stance. Laughter, shared emotions, and a warm welcome to all parts of a person's being characterize her inclusive and heartfelt therapeutic practice.

Anny holds master's degrees in integral counseling psychology, transpersonal psychology, and organizational and social psychology, embodying a diverse and comprehensive understanding of human behavior, mental health, and organizational dynamics.

Beyond her professional expertise, Anny’s a self-professed aficionado of fantasy novels, a dedicated human and dog mother, and an enthusiast of feta cheese.

Associate therapist in private practice, EBTC logo creator, and offers EBTC workshops

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Deb Shell holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy from The Wright Institute. She works through a family systems lens, factoring in how presenting issues impact all family members. Deb offers a safe space free from judgment and holds space for intersectional identities. Being human is complicated and overwhelming, and she will meet you where you are and, together, identify where you would like to go and what parts of yourself you would like to call forward. She can help you explore your inner world and help you connect your internal experiences to your external experiences. Deb works with children, teens, adults, couples, and families.

She can work with clients dealing with neurodiversity, anxiety/fears, depression, giftedness, social skills challenges, big emotions, challenging behaviors, power dynamic struggles, resistance, gender/Identity, transitioning families/divorce, trauma, sexual assault, making sense of loss, and marriage/relationship conflict.

In her free time, Deb enjoys spending time with her three children and husband, taking hikes, biking, painting, drawing, playing piano, singing, and, on rare occasions when time permits, binge-watching Netflix.

Deb is supervised by Nes Pinar, LMFT, and is available for in-person sessions in Lafayette and online.

Therapist in private practice and subleases office space at EBTC to support the cause

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​​Ari is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master's Degree in Counseling from California State University, East Bay. He works with clients of all ages and backgrounds.

Ari's background in community health settings offers experience supporting clients challenged by trauma (including complex trauma and CPTSD), grief, depression, anxiety, neurodivergence in a neurotypical society, ADHD, Rejection-Sensitive Dysphoria, LGBTQ identity and self-acceptance, and surviving families with difficult or narcissistic parents.

Ari is committed to celebrating neurodiversity, to making a safe space for grief and self-acceptance, and is a profound believer that good therapy goes beyond relief into helping find meaning, inspiration and self-compassion.

Ari has experience working with somatic therapies such as Internal Family Systems, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He has significant experience leading groups with diverse themes, ranging from Grief to OCD to Autistic Adults.

For fun in his downtime, Ari likes to game, do improv comedy, sing, and on occasion hike -- but not for too long, because he thinks hiking gets boring. ;)

Ari is supervised by Nes Pinar, LMFT, and available in-person in Lafayette or for remote sessions.

Associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

Website under construction

In the past decade, Marisa has worked as a teacher, wellness practitioner, artist, expressive movement facilitator, and now a therapist. She brings her experience in these varied fields into the therapy room. Marisa holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Wright Institute of Berkeley. Marisa has spent the past two years strengthening children and families who have been affected by complex trauma.

Everybody has a story, moments of darkness and light, pain and joy, that they carry with them wherever they go. A therapist is someone who has the honor of holding these stories along with their clients so their load may become a little lighter. Marisa invests warmth, curiosity, humor and non-judgmental support into learning her clients’ stories, drawing connections, and helping to put all the pieces into place. Marisa utilizes strength-based humanistic approaches that can empower clients in authoring their own narrative. Marisa enjoys working with CBT and mindfulness-based interventions for tangible practices clients can incorporate into their lives as well as narrative therapy, art therapy, and other interventions that can support clients’ self-expression and overall well-being.

Marisa specializes in personality disorders, disordered eating, sexual trauma, childhood trauma, relationship issues, couples counseling, anxiety, life transitions, and depression.

Marisa works under the supervision of Nes Pinar, LMFT, and is available for in-person or telehealth sessions in Lafayette.

Associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

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Anna’s experience is expansive— through roles as a teacher, facilitator, artist & writer while living & learning in various countries such as Guatemala, Nepal, & Ghana that have shaped her passion for supporting people’s innate connection to themselves, others, and their environment. Her therapy practice is focused on guiding individuals & couples+ back to their most authentic & empowered selves by exploring our unprocessed stories & most intimate desires, all while integrating tools that support people’s ability to facilitate their own healing.

Anna holds a Masters of Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy and therefore is trained in how to utilize creative writing, visual art, movement/dance, music, & drama in the therapy space as a means of healing. This also means her toolbox for therapeutic interventions is vast, including unique practices of alter building, oracle cards, mask making, and more. Anna is also a certified Reiki Practioner, which means she holds knowledge of how our energetic bodies impact our experiences of healing, connecting, and processing.

She is an intuitive, empathetically skilled facilitator of depth-oriented practices that encourage folks to access the root of their blockages around intimacy of all kinds. Because of her natural ability to create a safe, welcoming environment for people’s most vulnerable feelings and experiences, Anna has developed a niche for sex & intimacy therapy. This recently landed her in the classroom where she taught Couples Therapy, Sex & Intimacy for the graduate-level Integral Counseling program at the California Institute for Integral Studies. Through a relational & highly attuned holding, Anna’s clients and students can settle into a loving, non-judgmental space that allows them to open deeper than before while exploring communication, conflict, & connection styles—of the mind, body, and spirit.

Anna works under the supervision of Nes Pinar, LMFT.

Soon to be an associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

Website under construction

Tim is trained in Integral Counseling Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and orients around a Gestalt approach to growth and healing that invites the fullness of the present moment. His approach can be playful and his demeanor warm and accepting, leaning into experimentation with awareness and exploration of all of our inner parts. He takes a deep interest in supporting connection with our true selves and in living from a place of goodness and connection with our shared experience of existence and consciousness.

With all of his clients, Tim focuses on co-creating a relationship where expression and exploration are key to inviting all of ourselves, the light and the dark, to be seen and accepted without judgment. He has extensive training and experience with integration practices and working with non-ordinary states of consciousness and welcomes in the numinous, the spiritual, and the transpersonal in the exploration of our emergent expression of the collective consciousness through creativity, reflection, and mindful curiosity.

When he's not working with clients, Tim loves spending time raising his kids and chickens, singing and playing music, creating large-scale art and immersive experiences, and playing in the ocean.

Tim is supervise by Nes Pinar, LMFT, and available for in-person sessions in Lafayette as well as online.

Soon to be an associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

Website under construction

Doug Taylor is a therapist and educator who offers a welcoming and empathetic space for individuals seeking self-discovery, growth, and healing. He believes that the therapeutic relationship is paramount, and encourages clients to express themselves freely without fear or shame.

 Doug brings warmth, empathy, and a welcoming presence to his work with clients. He deeply values the unique talents, abilities, and strengths of his clients. His primary goal is to help individuals identify and utilize these strengths to find greater happiness, well-being, and personal fulfillment.

 Doug recognizes the power of storytelling in healing. He understands that people heal when they have the space to share their unfolding stories. This process helps them uncover meaning and purpose in what may initially seem like suffering and chaos, and develops the increased awareness needed for change.

As an African American therapist, Doug has a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by BIPOC clients. He is dedicated to providing culturally-sensitive and inclusive therapy. Doug approaches all cultures with humility, recognizing the importance of learning about and respecting the rich diversity within them.

In addition to his work as a therapist, Doug Taylor has a background in education. He has served on the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin, Howard University, and Cal State East Bay. He holds an M.S. in Counseling from Cal State East Bay, a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina and an M.A. in English from San Diego State University.

Associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

Website under construction

Sometimes life presents us with seemingly insurmountable challenges. But everyone deserves to find joy and love within themselves, to know that they are not alone even when things appear to be at their lowest. To that end, it is Adrian’s aim to offer her clients a safe space to explore all parts of themselves, and to feel acknowledged and valued in that process.

Adrian’s approach is deeply personalized and adaptable drawing from a range of modalities including drama therapy, expressive arts, mindfulness, and talk therapy. Whether you’re seeking to explore your inner world through creative expression or prefer a more traditional conversational approach, she tailors her methods to what resonates most with you.

Adrian is passionate about offering care from an intersectional lens to a variety of populations. She provides queer and gender-affirming care, and she is dedicated to supporting neurodivergent clients as well as individuals from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds. Adrian strongly believes in embracing and honoring all aspects of your identity with gentle curiosity and respect.

Adrian holds a Master’s in Psychology with a concentration in Drama Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her background as a theater teaching artist has influenced her journey, guiding her to integrate theater and expressive arts into her therapeutic practice. This unique blend of experience allows her to offer a rich, multifaceted approach to therapy.

Adrian is here to support you in discovering and nurturing your authentic self though whatever way feels best for you.