You don’t have to explain everything just to feel seen. I’m John R. Edwards, a licensed therapist and a Black man who understands how culture, identity, and lived experience shape our emotional lives. I work with people who are tired of having to explain the context of their pain or feeling like they're not truly heard. My approach is real, relational, and grounded in more than 30 years of helping individuals and couples navigate stress, trauma, and disconnection. If you’ve been carrying it alone, you don’t have to anymore. Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Why Working with a Black Therapist Matters
Therapy only works when you feel safe enough to be honest. For many Black clients, that safety hasn’t always existed in traditional therapy settings. Whether it’s the subtle biases that go unspoken, the need to explain cultural dynamics, or the pressure to filter your experience, those barriers add weight to a process that’s meant to lighten the load.
I understand the impact of race, gender, class, and systemic stress because I’ve lived it. I bring that awareness into every session, not as a theory but as a foundation for how I listen, respond, and support. You shouldn’t have to teach your therapist how the world works before you can start doing the work on yourself.
Who I Help
I work with adults and couples who are facing real, complicated challenges. Some people come to therapy because they feel stuck or overwhelmed. Others are carrying pain they’ve never had a safe place to talk about. And some are doing just fine on the surface, holding it all together while quietly struggling inside. Whatever your experience looks like, therapy can be a space to stop pretending and start being real with yourself.
I provide support for:
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Depression and emotional fatigue
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Trauma, including racialized trauma
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Relationship and couples concerns
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Eating disorders and disordered eating
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LGBTQ+ identity and life transitions
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If you’re not sure whether therapy is the right fit or where to start, that’s okay. We can figure it out together.
How I Approach Therapy
The way I work is grounded, focused, and adapted to who you are. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. I use methods that help you understand yourself, access deeper emotions, and make real change, not just talk about it.
Brainspotting
For trauma, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm, I often use Brainspotting. This technique uses eye positions to access where pain is stored in the brain and body. It helps you process what’s been stuck, without needing to retell everything. The result is often deeper clarity, emotional release, and long-term healing.
Psychodynamic Therapy & Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
I also draw from Psychodynamic Therapy, which helps uncover how your past has shaped your present patterns, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on reshaping negative thinking into something more useful and effective.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
If you’re in a relationship and looking for couples therapy, I use the Gottman Method, one of the most research-supported approaches to relationship repair and communication. I’m proud to be one of the only Black therapists in the country certified in this method.
These are tools, not rules. What matters most is that the therapy feels like it’s working for you.
What It’s Like to Work With Me: A Black Therapist
Therapy should be a space where you don’t have to filter yourself. I work with people from many walks of life, but for those seeking a Black therapist specifically, I bring both clinical experience and lived understanding.
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I’m also an immigrant who grew up in Guyana, South America. I know what it means to navigate systems that weren’t built for you, to carry cultural expectations that clash with daily realities, and to feel the weight of needing to work twice as hard just to be seen. I bring that perspective into the room because for many, the intersection of being Black and being an immigrant shapes how pain is held and how healing needs to happen.
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I don’t sit back in silence. I show up. I ask real questions. I help you connect the dots between what’s happening now and what shaped it. I’ll be honest with you, and I’ll meet you with compassion. I know therapy hasn’t always felt welcoming or accessible for our community, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t meant for us. My goal is to make this space feel like it truly belongs to you, where you feel seen, heard, and supported.
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Some people come to therapy unsure of what they need. Others have tried therapy before and left feeling unseen. I I I will listen, respond with care, and help you move toward something that feels better and more real.
Where I'm Licensed to Practice
I provide therapy to individuals and couples in the regions where I hold active licensure. Most of the people I support meet with me online, but I also offer in-person sessions in Oakland, California. If you live in one of the following locations, we can legally and ethically work together:
In-Person Sessions: Oakland, Berkeley & the San Francisco Bay Area
Online Therapy:
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California
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New York
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Oregon
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Washington
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Nevada
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Hawaii
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British Columbia, Canada
Counseling with a Black Therapist
Frequently Asked Questions
You deserve a space where you don’t have to code-switch, explain your existence, or carry it all alone. Therapy can be that space. It’s where you can breathe, feel seen, and finally get comfortable in your own skin. Not just because someone understands mental health, but because I understand your experience.