Finding a therapist in California can be challenging. Even in some of the biggest California cities, barriers to treatment, like concerns about cost or a lack of available providers, can make finding in-person therapy difficult. If you’re looking for mental health care in the Golden State, consider an online therapy platform like BetterHelp.

BetterHelp therapists have extensive experience and can help you work to overcome your unique challenges and meet your highest potential. From young adults needing help managing the effects of ADHD to seniors struggling to heal from events of the past, therapists can help adults of any age navigate the challenges in their lives and learn how to improve their mental wellness.

If you’re looking for a licensed therapist, CA has many online options available. Contact one of the providers below to schedule your first session and learn more about the benefits of online treatment.

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Shannon Lee

Offering therapy in California
License: LMFT
Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsParenting issuesDepressionCoping with life changes
24 years of experience

Shannon Lee is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Shannon has over 30 years of experience working with children and families in various settings. Shannon has worked with high profile families, including royalty, traveling to different countries, broadening her understanding and appreciation for the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the world.   She has over 23 years of experience working as a therapist with a highly diverse population of individuals, couples, children, adolescents, and families. Shannon has a positive, supportive manner with a direct solution-focused approach. Shannon is down to earth and uses laughter, humor, art, music, and creativity to reach children, adolescents, and adults.    Her focus is on the present. She is working with each client to purge past painful experiences, coaching each client to acquire and apply skills to help them improve functioning and decrease maladaptive symptoms. She believes that each client is unique and tailors each session to that client and their needs. She collaborates with the individual concerning goals and works toward assisting them in meeting their goals to live life fully with a positive outlook.    She will work to empower each client, using an enthusiastic nonjudgmental approach. Open discussion of the direction of the session will help the client meet their needs and goals. At the same time, gentle confrontation of issues supports change as appropriate to increase coping skills and awareness.    Shannon has extensive experience working with children and adolescents. She has worked with children and teens from privileged backgrounds to those underprivileged, lacking resources, and family support. Shannon has run several residential group homes (Level 12) for nearly ten years, with a diverse population of children and teens placed in residential care due to severe behavioral and emotional problems. She has worked with abused, neglected, and delinquent children as well as children and teens struggling with teen issues and parent conflict. She has worked closely with the Department of Probation and other community organizations. She was collaborating to promote juveniles to acquire skills to assist them in making healthy choices and move forward confidently in their lives, to reunite with their families, and be successful in the home, community, and school settings.    Her work with parents is to encourage them to gain positive parenting skills. She works closely with each parent, modeling and coaching the use of effective communication skills to increase positive interactions with children. Encouragement to parents includes using a positive and practical approach with children. Support to parents to validate and understand their children, as well as increasing consistency, follow-through, and positive parenting techniques, provides an encouraging environment. Encouragement to parents includes taking responsibility for parenting, receiving, and accepting support to implement new strategies, resulting in improved relationships.    The therapeutic environment provided is warm, caring, and confidential, focusing on the client-therapist relationship and effective treatment. Depending on presenting information and goals, Shannon will use several treatment modalities to assist each client with improving functioning and using the well researched, effective methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy, including DBT and several other treatment modalities, tailored to suit the client. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-D.B.T. is an evidence-based approach for effectively treating impulsive behavior, oppositional defiant behavior, and self-injuring behavior. Originally designed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was specifically used for individuals with self-harm behaviors such as self-cutting, suicide thoughts, urges to suicide, and suicide attempts. More recent use of DBT addresses other problems, including anxiety, eating disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol and drug problems. DBT is an “empirically supported treatment,” researched in clinical trials and shown to be effective in reducing self-harm behaviors and emotional dyscontrol. Trained in DBT, Shannon uses this modality, or components of this modality when working with many of her clients. Other approaches for treatment include eclectic, humanistic, positive psychology, parent coaching, family/marital therapy, and existential. The approach for treatment depends on each client and their presenting problems and goals.    When Shannon is not working, she is surfing, creating, making art, or music. Shannon also appreciates education and learning and is regularly pursuing educational goals. Currently, she continues to pursue her doctorate with a plan to continue to help children, teens, parents, and families. Providing effective treatment and staying informed with current developments and research in psychology is necessary and rewarding for Shannon.

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Dean Williams

Offering therapy in California
License: LMFT,LPC
Stress, AnxietyGriefCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes
11 years of experience

I approach helping someone by working in whichever ways are the most effective for that individual. This is often a combination of changing thoughts, accessing feelings, and changing behaviors. I also emphasize identifying and developing strengths. I provide both therapy and career counseling. I am licensed as a therapist (LMFT) in Oregon and California, and as a counselor (LPC) in Oregon. My experience as a therapist includes helping clients find relief from depression, grief, anxiety, and stress. My clients have resolved conflicts and developed healthy boundaries in relationships at home and at work. And I specialize in teaching (ACT) skills that improve mindfulness, coping skills, and impulse control. The career counseling I offer involves helping clients identify, and work through, whatever is holding them back from developing and implementing an engaging and meaningful career strategy. Career therapy often addresses issues such as difficulty making a career decision, motivation development, the influences of family on career, and strengths development.

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Michele Lando

Offering therapy in California
LGBTGriefSelf esteemCompassion fatigueADHD
13 years of experience

Hello. I am licensed in California with 13 years of professional therapeutic work experience. In my private practice in Northern California, I provide therapy and professional consultation. I am 2e (Twice Exceptional), Neurodivergent & LGBTQIA affirming. My training and specialization center on trauma-informed integrative therapy. Certification and training including mindful CBT, Brain-spotting & Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy, PSI Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders, Solution Focused Narrative therapy, & Motivational Interviewing. Additional areas of competency include working with Neurodivergent/Autistic/ADHD/2e (Twice Exceptional) clients. Interventions utilized include mindfulness, CBT/DBT/ACT, EFT attachment therapy, grief & loss, motivation, self esteem & confidence, & managing compassion fatigue. Relational, attachment & somatic therapies such as Brain-spotting help us to heal our nervous systems and grow resilience. Identifying strengths and navigating challenges together through narrative and family systems therapy builds skills to form more secure attachments and improve relationships. When we shift our focus toward resilience, we set ourselves up for growth.

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Kristina Meyer

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGriefDepressionCoping with life changes
3 years of experience

I am licensed in California, Oregon and Texas with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

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Machelle Pardue

Offering therapy in California
Stress, Anxiety
3 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

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Dr. Craig Landry

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
27 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 24 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

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Monique Hicks

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseGriefDepressionCoping with life changes
12 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 12 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

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Kathy-Ann Dougan

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGriefSelf esteemCoping with life changes
10 years of experience

I am licensed in California with three decades of professional work experience with 10 of those years as a licensed therapist helping clients with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, self esteem, confidence issues, and coping with grief and loss. In an open and safe environment thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. I am here to support you in that process.

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Monica Webb

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes
5 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, trauma, abuse, motivation, self esteem, confidence, & career difficulties. I also have experience working with coping with life changes. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

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Apryl Love

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemCoping with life changesCoaching
15 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 15 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, motivation, self esteem, confidence, coping with life changes, executive coaching, & professional coaching. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

How can a counselor support you?

Therapists can practice many types of counseling, from marriage and family therapy to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). They may also assist you with symptoms of depression, stress, or anxiety.

Therapists may help you set and achieve career goals, work on current issues you may be facing, or address your past. Over 32,349,851 people live in CA, and one out of five Americans has a mental health condition. Searching for local licensed professionals may help you find mental health support for personal growth, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health concerns. You do not need a mental health diagnosis to seek support from one of BetterHelp's licensed providers above.  

The mental health field can include psychiatric medication management, online therapy, marriage counseling, couples therapy, clinical social work, licensed counseling, and other mental health services in person and online. Seeing a licensed provider can help you navigate mental health conditions and life circumstances through mindfulness and other specialized techniques.

Please note that a BetterHelp therapist does not offer diagnostic or medication management services.

Why do people choose to work with a licensed counselor?

People reach out for mental health support for a variety of reasons. Many individuals work with a counselor for general life advice, while others may attend therapy for a specific concern. Whether you live in a large city or a smaller county, BetterHelp can match you with a licensed professional tailored to your preferences noted when you sign up.

The mental health therapists in California support clients with varying issues through therapy, such as:

  • Challenging situations or life stressors
  • Eating disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Depression or depressive conditions
  • Adjustment issues
  • Emotional support for a terminal illness
  • Chronic pain emotional support
  • Grief
  • Personality disorders
  • Trauma
  • Relationship conflicts and concerns

Finding a therapist that takes new clients in online therapy can be the first step in finding a treatment plan that works for you. Your therapist can provide a safe space for you to focus on self-care and well-being.

If you're interested in speaking to one of the therapists above or being matched with a counselor in 24 to 48 hours, consider signing up for BetterHelp. BetterHelp has over 35,000 providers, including those listed above.

Emergency services to contact in a crisis

If you are experiencing a crisis or emergency, don't use the BetterHelp site. If you are in life-threatening danger, call 911. If you require support for a crisis, reach out to the hotlines below:

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Some of the most commonly asked questions about therapy can be found in the section below.

How much does a therapist cost?

Mental health professionals can differ in price. Forbes found that the average cost of in-person therapy in the US is around $100 to $200 per hour. Pricing can also vary based on your location. 

BetterHelp offers payment plans of $60 to $90 per session, charged monthly in a lump sum. You can also take advantage of this pricing on one of BetterHelp's sister platforms, like ReGain for couples or TeenCounseling for teens aged 13 to 19.

Many therapists may be upfront about their pricing and whether or not they take health insurance from the beginning. Additionally, some in your area may offer a sliding scale plan to allow those with lower incomes to pay less for therapy. However, services online can often save individuals a few hundred dollars per month.

When should I get a therapist in California?

Mental health services and mental health providers may help you navigate various concerns. You do not need a diagnosis or condition to attend therapy; You can discuss grief, relationship concerns, stress, or life changes and ask for general advice. A counselor may help you gain power over your life and emotions while you navigate day-to-day experiences.

Mental health issues don't always present as a crisis. Many professionals provide talk therapy and support for life transitions, skills learning, relationship problems, or life coaching. Online therapy sessions can allow clients seeking therapy to experience professional help through video, phone, or live chat sessions without commuting to an office.

Does insurance cover the cost of therapy?

Different counseling services can vary in cost. Therapists must apply to accept insurance through insurance companies, which may take time and money, so not every therapist offers services through insurance. If you cannot find a therapist that accepts your plan, BetterHelp may be cheaper than visiting an in-person therapist.

Is online therapy the safe option?

Online therapy through BetterHelp and its sister platforms is safe. Therapists are licensed, experienced, and vetted before being contracted with the platform. If you experience any concerns with your therapist, you change your counselor through the platform or app at any time.

In today's fast-paced society, mental well-being has become a cornerstone of a fulfilling life. Amid the daily challenges and stressors that can overwhelm even the most resilient individuals, seeking professional guidance often offers a path to clarity and balance. The journey toward improved emotional health involves understanding personal triggers, embracing self-compassion, and developing effective coping strategies. While self-help books and online resources provide valuable information, nothing compares to the personalized support offered by a qualified mental health professional. One-on-one sessions with experienced experts can help uncover the underlying issues contributing to anxiety, depression, or other emotional hurdles. With a careful and empathetic approach, these professionals tailor their advice to suit individual needs, ensuring that each person receives strategies that work best for their unique circumstances. Whether through cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, or other innovative methods, the aim is to foster resilience and empower individuals to take control of their inner lives. For those living in bustling urban centers, engaging in face-to-face sessions in a welcoming environment can be particularly beneficial. Access to a caring clinician provides not only a safe space to explore difficult emotions but also builds a support network essential for long-term recovery. The process encourages self-reflection and greater insight into behavioral patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. While the journey can be challenging at times, the rewards include enhanced emotional stability, improved interpersonal relationships, and a renewed sense of self-worth. In one notable case, the guidance provided by a highly trained therapist proved instrumental in navigating a tumultuous period. Through structured sessions and tailored interventions, the individual learned to identify stressors and develop healthier responses to adversity. This experience underscored the transformative impact that dedicated support can have on one's overall quality of life. In a region like Texas, community-based initiatives and accessible mental health programs further reinforce the value of professional help. These efforts emphasize early intervention, preventive care, and continuous support, ensuring that more people are equipped to face life's inevitable challenges. Ultimately, investing in mental well-being is an act of self-care that yields lifelong benefits. By embracing professional support, individuals can unlock new levels of emotional resilience and discover pathways to a brighter, more balanced future. Each step taken toward healing represents a commitment to personal growth, enabling a life filled with renewed optimism and strength. Embracing this transformative journey consistently paves the way for deeper understanding, lasting peace, and meaningful personal progress.
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