Bedford E. F. Palmer II, Ph.D.
(he/him/his)

Founder & CEO | Licensed Psychologist #PSY28058

Dr. Bedford Palmer II is a licensed psychologist, a tenured Professor of Counseling at Saint Mary’s College of California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California Irvine, and his Master’s degree in psychology from California State University Long Beach, and his Doctorate in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Palmer completed his predoctoral psychology internship at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Dr. Palmer spent 3 years as a staff psychologist, coordinating Services to Students of African Descent and the Multicultural Immersion Program at the University of California Davis. He has been a faculty member at Saint Mary’s College of California since 2015. There he teaches courses in professional ethics, intercultural communication, human sexuality, psychological perspectives of gender, and advanced clinical practice to master’s level clinicians in-training. 
​
​In 2016, Dr. Palmer founded Deeper Than Color (formerly BFP Consulting Inc) in Oakland California. He provides psychotherapy and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting to a diverse clientele of individuals and organizations. Dr. Palmer has served on the board of directors for the Association of Black Psychologists, as the State Diversity Delegate for the California Psychological Association and is a past President of the Alameda Psychological Association. He is the producer/cohost of the Naming It podcast and is the author of "Daddy Why Am I Brown?": A healthy conversation about skin color and family.

How I work...

• I provide culturally specific therapy, which focuses on the strengths that you already have. 
• I tend to use a cognitive behavioral (CBT) theoretical approach, while also paying attention to your environment and access to social support.  
• I work with you to build a safe space where you can share your experiences without the fear of being judged, and where you can focus on becoming clear about what you want, and how you want to go about making that happen.
• I believe that it is important to build a strong therapeutic relationship, as well as paying close attention to what is happening for you in-the-moment. 
• I find it helpful to work to understand the different beliefs that we bring into the room, and how these worldviews might affect our interactions. 
• I believe that understanding how you think and understanding how those thoughts are related to your behaviors can be empowering, and help you to actively account for your reality, and to make the changes that you find necessary in order to live life in a more healthy way.
• I provide online Individual Therapy for Adults 18+
  • $300 per 45-50 minute individual therapy session ​

Phone Consult

Before the first appointment, we offer a free 5-10 minute phone consultation with administrative staff. We will talk in order to see if the therapist is a good fit for what you are looking for in a counselor.