Marlene Winell, PhD

Oakland, United States

4

Closed now

9 reviews

By Appointment Only

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Telephone:
+1 510-292-0509
Website:
marlenewinell.net
Address:
638 Webster St Ste 210B, Oakland, CA, 94607
b/t 7th St & 6th St
Oakland Chinatown, Jack London Square
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.3 miJack London Square Amtrak
0.3 miOakland City Center - 12th Street
0.3 miLake Merritt
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Bussiness info

By Appointment Only
Yes

Today

Today 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Oakland) 05:11 Saturday, 31 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday –
Wednesday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday –
Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

My doctoral training is in human development, which is a discipline much like psychology but emphasizes helping people learn skills and develop awareness to reach personal and relationship potential. I use a psychoeducational approach to work with couples in a highly effective program called Relationship Enhancement, developed at Penn State. (see www​.nire​.org). In consultations, we actively practice communication skills as we deal with the unique issues of your relationship. We discuss key concepts from materials I provide and decide on appropriate «homework.» In the area of sexuality, we can plan ways to restore sensuality and vitality to your sex life. Clients who are motivated can expect to make rapid progress in a matter of weeks.

Another area of speciality is in helping people recover from harmful religious indoctrination. My developmental coaching services are described at my other website: www​.jour​neyfree​.org

More testimonials: www​.mar​lenewinell​.net/​p​a​g​e​/​r​e​l​a​t​ionsh

History

Established in 2001.

This self-​employed business has been based in Berkeley since 2001, but has roots going back many years. My Ph.D. in Human Development and my Masters in Social Ecology gave me an orientation that has always been proactive and focused on developing human potential. Furthermore, it has had a contextual aspect, recognizing the social environment in which people live, including socio-​economic forces. I worked for many years in human services — with individuals, couples, families, and groups. I then moved out of direct services into teaching and training, research and writing, particularly in the area of religious trauma and recovery. I now offer educational programs and coaching with a developmental focus.

Meet the Business Owner

Marlene W.

Business Owner

Ph.D. Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State Univ.

B.A. & M.A. Social Ecology, Univ. of CA, Irvine

National Institute of Relationship Enhancement: Program Provider

www​.nire​.org/​r​e​s​o​u​r​c​e​s​/​i​n​t​e​r​n​a​t​i​o​n​a​l​-​d​i​r​e​c​t​o​r​y​-​o​f​-​r​e​-​p​r​o​v​i​d​e​r​s​/​c​a​l​i​f​o​rnia/

Ordained clergy in Church of Spiritual Humanism, 2007: Qualified wedding officiant. Journey Free Ceremonies: sites​.google​.com/​s​i​t​e​/​j​f​c​e​r​e​m​o​nies/

30 years experience in human services — University teaching, social work, private practice, training, publishing, speaking, video production.

Author of «Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion,» New Harbinger: 1994, Apochypha Press: 2007.

See websites for more information, and Linkedin for professional recommendations: www​.linkedin​.com/​p​r​o​f​i​l​e​/​v​i​e​w​?​id=33 563 294&authType=name&authToken=TOWa&locale=en_US&pvs=pp&trk=ppro_viewmore

Parent of 2 grown children, Born in Hong Kong, lived in Asia, Australia, speak conversational Mandarin

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9 reviews of Marlene Winell, PhD

No registration required
Place rating: 1
San Francisco, CA
I started seeing Marlene in late 2009 while I was in the Bay Area. I thought all seemed well but only had a few sessions due to financial difficulties. I went to a session one day really upset about the harassment I was getting from the cult I had left. She must have misconstrued something I said and felt the need to report me to authorities. Shortly after I noticed that not only the cult members were following me but now law enforcement was in on it as well although they never confronted me. It took some time for me to put it together though. After returning to my home state I still have law enforcement and religious fanatics following and harassing me. Finally in 2012 I decided to call her and ask her point blank if she ever thought I was a danger to myself or anyone else. She immediately hung up the phone. I was certain that confirmed my suspicions. She called back a few minutes later and said she didn’t ever think that and that she didn’t contact authorities. It just didn’t ring true. The harassment continues to this day and I know in my heart of hearts she is to blame. I expect religious people to still harass me all these miles from the Bay Area but not police too. I can only wonder if she would have done that if I had more money throw around. I considered having long distance sessions with her but she seemed cold and reluctant. So, thank you Marlene for contacting whomever you contacted about me. People in my own hometown are acting like I’ve committed some horrible crime when I’ve never been trouble with the law. It has even spilled over into my work life. I’ll bet the difficulties I’m having finding work can be attributed to her overreacting to me being upset in one session about the continued harassment I was getting from the cult I left. So, if you go to her be careful what you say and how you say it. I never said anything about hurting myself and also didn’t say I’d hurt anyone else either. Thanks a million Marlene for possibly ruining my life by landing me on a DHS watch list.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
Marlene has been extremely helpful to help address personal issues and work through difficult times in my marriage. She is attentive and mixes processes and personal touch to encourage communication among partners or for self introspection. We were able to work through and resolve disputes, which is the best compliment I can give! Thank you Marlene.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
We’ve been seeing Marlene for a few months now. I appreciate her approach to couples therapy, which is built around a solid curriculum of skills and exercises to practice those skills. I’ve even found myself using these communication skills in all parts of my life, including business and friendships, not only within our relationship.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
My wife and I have seeing Dr. Winell for over a year, and we’re incredibly happy her having her as our therapist. We started seeing her to work out a stressful situation we were completely stuck with, and we made rapid improvement with it beginning with the first visit.
At different times, she’s helped us work out relationship issues, deal with extended family complications, and manage job stress in a positive way. She’s been willing to adapt to our needs as they change, and she’s helped both of us change to better handle all the things that life throws at us.
When we first started seeing Dr. Winell, she guided us though a Relationship Enhancement program that uses structured communication to help ensure that each of is heard and understood when we’re talking about stressful topics. She also uses a series of homework assignments, which helped motivate us to apply what we were learning in our busy lives. Many of the communication skills we’ve learned have been very useful outside our relationship too, and my wife in particular has found that she uses them on the job regularly to great benefit.
We’ve continued working with Dr. Winell well past meeting our original goals, as we found a number of things in our lives that we could improve that we weren’t even aware of, as we hadn’t been talking about them. One of her goals is to get those who work with her to a point where they can easily talk about any topic, no matter how challenging. Learning to do this has help opened up a new world in our relationship, and I feel like my wife and I are always working together now when we either find a difficult situation or set a new goal for improving our lives.
Place rating: 1
Oakland, CA
Ranks as one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had seeking help from a therapist. If you want someone to interrupt you when you are talking allow the same behavior from your partner also not even remember what you told them five minutes earlier or what your partner told them, than this is the counselor for you. Id give her no stars if I could as she continued talking to my partner after I had left the room to use the Bathroom, I thought this was a couples session? waste of time and $ 200 !!
Place rating: 4
Oakland, CA
I definitely recommend Marlene as a couple’s therapist. We saw her for about a year and although my husband was initially hesitant to see anyone, she was able to make him feel comfortable and it ended up being a great experience for both of us. Marlene is practical and helps you move forward without dwelling on the past. She helped us both become more empathetic towards each other and increased our communication skills significantly.
Place rating: 5
Vallejo, CA
Marlene is WONDERFUL! She has helped me gain confidence and make tremendous emotional growth in a relatively short time.
I remember the first time I realized that she was speaking from experience: the same kind of experiences she was helping me work through. I just thought it was so cool that she had «been there» and offered so much hope by example.
Marlene has a wonderful sense of humor and a way of putting people at ease. I love the way she makes me look at things differently. She is warm, compassionate and funny (and really smart). After our first meeting I knew I had chosen my therapist wisely.
In our private sessions I find her visualization therapy very helpful. Group sessions are fun. I like that we can be silly and that it isn’t all serious. I feel safe and comfortable in group, like I am free to say whatever I need to say.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Marlene saved our marriage. Unbeknownst to me, we had drifted apart in our relationship and was feeling bewildered and resentful when we showed up at her couch. Through gentle, dry humor, she made me feel at ease with the process. But the proof is that we are now closer than ever and feeling confident about our future together. She combines teaching about the theory (in our case about communication and seeing each other’s point of view) with actual practice so that we can learn how to handle issues as they crop up rather than waiting until we had another session.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
Marlene is a wonderful couples therapist. My partner and I started seeing Marlene in a time of crisis and she really helped us work it through; now our relationship is stronger than ever. One of the key elements of her counseling is training couples in how to communicate effectively. Marlene works with couples so that each member learns not only how to express what s/​he feels and needs but also to hear what the other feels and needs (she even gives you exercises so you can practice at home!). This tool has been invaluable for us. Also, my partner and I have both discovered that this form of communication has real benefits on how we communicate with other people, at work and in our social circles. I highly recommend Marlene!