Making the choice to have a child on your own has not been easy decision for you

It takes a tremendous amount of courage, faith and discipline to fulfill your dream of becoming a mother. Letting go of the vision of having a family with a partner has been a tough one to reconcile. The stigma around being a single mother has left you second guessing whether you will go this route or get back out there and start dating. And lets not get started on the financial costs that come with the process of doing fertility treatments. I mean you can go the IUI or IVF route and not end up with a baby. It all feels like such a gamble! 

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You decide to gamble on your dream of becoming of mother but the path to get there is not what you expected or had planned. Maybe you met with your OBGYN and have been informed that you have low ovarian reserve or are of a “certain age” and need to consider fertility treatments to achieve your goal. Or you have health issues like endometriosis or uterine fibroids that can be a barrier to conceiving. Receiving an infertility diagnosis and facing difficulties in conceiving can be an incredibly challenging and emotionally distressing experience. It can shatter the expectations and dreams of becoming a parent that you may have had for so long. Infertility can evoke a range of emotions, including sadness, frustration, anger, and a sense of loss. It can also lead to feelings of inadequacy or a questioning of your identity, especially if parenthood has been a significant part of your life’s goals. The process of trying to conceive via fertility treatments and unforeseen obstacles can create an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about the future. The dreams of starting your family may suddenly feel out of reach, and this can lead to a deep sense of grief and mourning for the potential child and family life that was envisioned.

motherhood

The process of infertility treatment can feel like a rollercoaster of emotions, with each step bringing hope or fear of another disappointment. The uncertainty and lack of control over the outcome can be particularly difficult to manage. You may feel out of control and very much want to feel like there is something you can have control over. You may be having a difficult time supporting your friend who is pregnant for the third time while you are desperately hoping your next retrieval and transfer are a success. You’ve seemingly been successful in all other aspects of your life except this one, to become a mother! 

You feel alone, stuck, and misunderstood.

You want to stop feeling anxious around the aspects of your fertility journey that seem out of your control. Stop obsessing and stressing over the process. You want to feel centered, grounded & adequate. I can help.

I have a deep understanding of the challenges and complexities that can come with becoming a mother, especially in the face of trauma and loss. Having experienced the death of my newborn daughter after a traumatic hospital birth I came to learn that pregnancy and birthing are tough places to be for Black Women. There is so much institutionalized racism in healthcare which impacts our ability to receive quality care. The circle to talk about our experiences are often small and limited. My path to motherhood has been an unconventional one and I am open about acknowledging bad things can happen; you don’t always get the happy ending we are often sold about becoming a mother.

While not all paths to motherhood are easy or straightforward, I work to create a safe and supportive environment for my clients to share their lived experiences. I prioritize my clients' access to resources and information. I am committed to helping clients make informed decisions about their unique and individual paths to motherhood. By doing so, I am empowering my clients to take control of their own journeys and make choices that feel right for them.

meet tracy.

Tracy Jones is the founder of Oaktown Therapy. She is a licensed clinical social worker from Oakland, California with over 20 years of clinical experience working with children, teens, and adults in a variety of settings including non-profits, school-based mental health programs, hospitals, hospice and primary care health centers.

Tracy holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York, New York and is licensed to practice in the State of California.

Clinical Expertise & Specialities:

  • Infertility + IVF Struggles

  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support

  • Single Mother’s By Choice

  • Black Maternal Mental Health & Racial Trauma

  • Masters of Social Work, Columbia University School of Social Work

    Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology, University of California at Santa Cruz

    Licensed Clinical Social Worker, California #29713

  • Therapists of Color Bay Area

    American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 

    National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW)

  • The SWADDLE Study: Improve Maternal and Infant Health For Black Women. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Oaktown Therapy

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Oaktown Therapy |

My approach to therapy is centered around understanding my clients' backgrounds and using that information to help them make brave changes in their lives. I support the folks I work with by helping them understand how their upbringing creates a ‘blueprint’ for how they move in the world, and support them in making the changes that need to be made so that they can feel more resilient and satisfied in their daily lives. For some, it may be the story that they tell themselves or the negative self-talk that keeps them stuck in unhealthy patterns and behaviors. By witnessing my clients holistically, I am able to assist them in dismantling what is no longer serving them and usher in some much needed space for growth and change. Recalibrate. Reprogram. I call it changing the narrative, changing the stories a client makes about who they are, consciously or unconsciously. I encourage my clients to show up for themselves by staying true to who they say they want to be or what they want to do, unapologetically.

Outside of the therapy groove, I enjoy listening to music- I am a lover of Hip-Hop, Afrobeat, and Cumbia. I enjoy collecting art, being out in nature, and am an avid learner of Astrology, Cardology, and Tarot. To decompress and get away, I love traveling with my family. My mantra is do no harm and take no shit.  

I became a therapist so I could work towards change in an intimate way, on my own terms. I wanted to be someone who my clients’ know has their back and really understands them, in a world where we are often misunderstood.

Oaktown Therapy came to fruition in 2017 after feeling disillusioned by my work in the healthcare system. Ya girl needed to create her exit strategy! I have 20+ years of clinical experience working with children, teens, and adults in a variety of settings including non-profits, school-based mental health programs, hospitals, hospice and primary care health centers. I’ve sat with individuals and families during extremely vulnerable times, I am not one to shy away from difficult conversations. 


What My Clients Say About Working With Me:

“When I started my therapy journey with Tracy, I was at a very low moment in my life. Tracy’s approachable style, deep personal connection to her clients, and curated content to expand and reaffirm learnings post-sessions, therapy has become more than checking off a box on my self-care list. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to connect with her and will continue to utilize the tools from our sessions on a daily basis.”
“Thanks to our work together, I am forever changed for the better.”
“Tracy is a force! She is always on point with the resources that are specific to what I have going on. It’s crazy how she’s able to find just the thing I need to hear through the podcasts she sends.”

READY TO GET STARTED?

Click on the button below to see if I am the best fit for you, your unique experience, needs and goals.