About Ruby Wara-Goss and Radical Roots Psychotherapy
Blending Personal Healing with Social and Economic Justice for Over a Decade
My Journey
Hello, I'm Ruby Wara-Goss (she/her/hers), a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW 101630) and the founder of Radical Roots Psychotherapy. My journey in mental health and progressive principles began early. My mother, an MSW student at SF State, brought my large family to protests and welfare rights organizing meetings, treating everyone as siblings of the world, even while pregnant with me. As a Bay Area-raised, politicized child, I was surrounded by family diversity, mental health adversity, radical care, and solidarity-rich liberation movements. This rich tapestry, along with being the second-generation social worker of a welfare rights revolutionary mother and a child of a public civil servant father who championed a robust social safety net, shaped my core belief: true healing happens in community with others — chosen or born family, our village — and is guided by love, courage, and sustainable material conditions. When I'm not supporting the healing of others and organizing for a more just world, you can find me performing improv, adventuring with loved ones, gardening, learning from elders, participating in trainings and consultation groups, playing music, dancing, petting all the dogs, playing fútbol, and reveling in all that is beautiful about the Bay.
“We have to consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit”. -Audre Lorde
My Approach
At Radical Roots Psychotherapy, I value warmth, humility, and a strengths-based lens, believing in the power of collaboration, authenticity, and creativity in the therapeutic process. My approach is holistic, recognizing that your life experiences, identity, and dialectical materialism, are integral to your mental health journey.
I specialize in supporting youth, young adults, caregivers, families, groups, and individuals as theynavigate:
Loss and attachment ruptures
Anxiety and depression
Trauma (little t and big T trauma)
Family conflict
Life transitions and stressors
ADHD
My Toolbox
To best serve my clients, I draw upon a diverse range of therapeutic approaches:
Psychodynamic therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Attachment-based science
Family systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
Mindfulness practices
Harm reduction principles
Non-violent communication
Gottman methodology
This integrative approach allows me to tailor our work together to your unique needs and goals.
My Commitment
As a queer, ethnically mixed, anti-capitalist leftist therapist from the Bay, I'm committed to creating a safe, inclusive space for all. I'm proud to be an ally to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, working-class, and other marginalized communities. My practice is rooted by a deep understanding of social and economic justice issues, informed by class, racial & ethnic identity, intersectionality, feminism, body positivity, queerness, and OG Bay Area culture.
I believe that through the process of healing ourselves and each other, we can create healthier, more radically equitable communities and a more just world.
Education and Training
I hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College (CUNY), which I completed in 2013. Since then, I've continued to expand my skills through extensive training and professional development.
My advanced training includes completion of Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute Level 1, EMDR Basic Training, Kendhal Hart's Integrated EMDR and IFS Model, and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). I've also completed specialized training in the Hold Me Tight Workshop (Emotionally Focused Therapy), Nonviolent Communication, SOUL Training for Trainers focusing on political education methodologies, and comprehensive Harm Reduction practices. This diverse educational background allows me to offer an integrative approach that draws from multiple evidence-based modalities to best serve my clients' needs.
In addition to my clinical work, I maintain active involvement in professional organizations and leadership roles. I served as a member of the Radical Social Work Group (RSWG) from 2011 to 2015, and I'm currently a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). Since 2022, I've served as a Family Therapy Consultation Group Facilitator, where I help other therapists develop and refine their clinical skills. These professional connections and leadership roles help me stay current with best practices and emerging approaches in the field.
Let's Connect
I offer therapy sessions both in-person (in San Francisco and Oakland) and online via video. I'm available most weekdays and some evenings to accommodate your schedule.
If you're ready to begin or return to your journey of healing, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation. Together, we can explore how Radical Roots Psychotherapy can support you in this path to growing, healing, and transformative change.