Az Goose

Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor #11952

they/he

• Education

  San Francisco State University
  M.S., Clinical Mental Health Counseling

  University of Cincinnati
  B.S., Psychology

• Languages

  English

  American Sign Language

• Clinical Supervisor

  Danielle Herrera Marvin
  LMFT #124770
  danielle@tenderheart.us

Email Az

Az is a firm believer in the healing power of connection and community. Their approach to therapy is trauma-informed, client-centered, strengths-based, and anti-capitalist/-colonialist. In sessions, they often utilize mindfulness, parts work, and somatic-based interventions, as well as music, play, art, and other creative endeavors. They tend towards a more directive approach, leaning into humor and compassionate accountability.

Az works with clients from all backgrounds, identities, and struggles, with specialization in the following areas:

• anxiety disorders including OCD

• mood disorders (such as depression and bipolar)

• disability, chronic illness, and neurodivergence (also medical/healthcare system trauma)

• fatness/body size (including size discrimination, body image, fat liberation, body positivity vs. body neutrality vs. fat acceptance, “Health At Every Size®” etc.)

• queerness and LGB+ and trans/gender-expansive community, including identity exploration

• “nontraditional” relationship and family structures such as polyamory, ethical/consensual non-monogamy, relationship anarchy, blended families, etc.

Additionally, Az works from a non-pathologizing perspective and is always willing to utilize whatever words, language, and labels (or lack thereof) make their clients most comfortable—knowing that for some folks diagnoses can feel like being put into a box, while others find the knowledge liberating.

In their personal life, Az is a self-professed nerd (passionate about spreadsheets, neuroscience, linguistics, etc.) and geek (enjoys tabletop roleplaying games, board games in general, Lord of the Rings, and Brandon Sanderson novels, to name a few). They are also a lover of all things nature, a furniture-building “handy-queer,” and a dad-joke connoisseur. Az is trans & genderfluid, queer, white, disabled, fat, neurodivergent, and comes from a blended family background. They currently live in Oakland (Ohlone land) with their rescue chihuahua mix.

Az works with individuals, couples, and polycules, and facilitates a group at Tender Heart based on clinical therapeutic gaming interventions (D&D, but make it therapy!). If any of the above speaks to you, regardless of where you are in your journey, Az invites you to connect.

AZ recommends…

Focus Areas: