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.

EBTC Intern

Skylar is an undergraduate student at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, double majoring in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Dance. As an intern for East Bay Therapist Community, Skylar supports the clinical team by managing communications, assisting with events, and maintaining the practice website.

Skylar is particularly interested in mental health within the criminal justice system, trauma, and rehabilitation, and is always eager to learn about different therapeutic approaches.

In her free time, Skylar enjoys ballet, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

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While every person carries a unique story, we all share the realities of challenge and change. In therapy, Hana’s goal is to create a space where you feel supported in your pain and your joy, your struggles and your successes — a place where your story can be expressed in your own voice. You don’t have to navigate life alone. Together, we can explore, reflect, stay curious, and make meaning of the experiences that shape you. 

There is power in human connection and healing. As a Japanese American therapist, Hana understands the complexity of holding space for multiple identities, minority experiences, and the dualities we often carry. She strives to honor cultural and personal identity as an integral part of the therapeutic journey — one that values where you come from, who you are, and who you are becoming.

Hana’s approach integrates psychodynamic and attachment theories, narrative and existential perspectives, with a strength-based humanistic foundation. In addition, Hana incorporates somatic work, honoring the wisdom held within the body. Sometimes healing begins by gently relearning how to listen inward — regulating the nervous system, noticing sensations, and deepening the connection between the mind, body, and lived experience.

Hana hopes you feel welcomed, understood, and supported as you explore who you are. Throughout your work together, you will build practical cognitive tools and emotional regulation skills that foster curiosity, connection, resilience, and agency — not just in session, but in your everyday life.

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

Associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

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Cristy is a trauma-informed, expressive arts (EXA) therapist dedicated to helping adults, couples, parents, teens, and tweens find and strengthen their connection to their authentic voices. Her approach is deeply rooted in narrative therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and polyvagal theory, allowing clients to gain a deeper understanding of their own nervous systems. She further incorporates Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) and expressive arts ecotherapy within a strengths-based, person-centered framework.

Her professional path is informed by her personal discovery of how arts practices can scaffold a stronger connection to oneself and others. For Cristy, the arts provided a grounded perspective on her experiences, giving voice to parts of her identity that lacked words and allowing her to "hear" her own thoughts in transformative ways.

Trained at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, Cristy shares a vast collection of experiential skills and interventions with both artists and non-artists. These techniques integrate seamlessly into traditional talk therapy, creating a richer and more comprehensive therapeutic experience.

Cristy holds a deep personal and clinical connection to individuals and partners navigating neurocomplexities, including ADHD, AuDHD, and ASD. With neurodivergence playing a central role in her own household and close relationships, she has focused much of her work on supporting neurodivergent students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School and the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California.

Driven by a passion for collaborative growth, Cristy works alongside her clients to cultivate joy, amplify their unique voices, and reveal the inherent strengths of their true selves.

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

Associate therapist in private practice, and offers EBTC workshops

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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.

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

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.