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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April Bolin

Offering therapy in California
License: LCSW
LGBTGriefSelf esteemCoping with life changesCompassion fatigue
25 years of experience

My name is April Bolin, and I am a licensed Clinical Social Worker with three decades of professional service in the San Francisco Bay Area. I received my Master of Social Work degree from the University of California Berkeley. Over the years, I have worked with a diverse range of individuals who have found themselves adjusting to life circumstances, relationship challenges, or needing to improve mental health. As a therapist, I have worked closely with the LGBTQIA community, victims of abuse and trauma (xenophobic, systemic, multi-generational, etc), and individuals experiencing depression and feelings of emptiness. Having worked in the past as a partial hospitalization program therapist, I have found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to be a highly effective method of supporting people who are dealing with challenges that feel overwhelming. When we begin to understand how our negative thoughts and feelings weigh us down, we can begin to incorporate healthy strategies for improving the way we think and move about the world. I am also a graduate of the Chaplaincy Institute’s Interfaith Seminary, which invites more of a psycho-spiritual approach for people seeking support around issues such as grief and loss, caregiver exhaustion, or recovery from religious dogma. I consider myself spiritual but not religious and, therefore, have no particular faith tradition that I identify with and the utmost respect for all faith traditions that serve to lift humanity. I learned from my own life challenges that the most effective therapists are those who have worked through their own demons so that they can authentically support the personal growth of others. As I reflect on my work as a therapist, that which has been most satisfying are the “aha moments” that spark positive changes in the lives of those who I have helped. There is a quote by Stephen Covey that I will end my summary with. It has become a philosophical intersection between my fundamental belief as a person and my practice as a therapist: “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”

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Brenda Wicks

Offering therapy in California
License: MA, LMFT
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsFamily conflictsGriefDepression
20 years of experience

I am a License Marriage Family Therapist in California that has 20 years of experience working with children, adolescences, adults, and older adults in numerous mental health settings. I have worked with clients from a wide range of concerns like depression, anxiety, addiction, incarceration, pervasive developmental disabilities, anger issues, ADHD, crisis, environmental stressors, family and parental issues. to name a few. I also have 8 years of experience working with Victims of Violent Crimes assisting, guiding, and emotionally supporting clients navigate through traumatic issues/events. My counseling style is supportive, interactive, and warm. I believe as a therapist that every individual from different walks of life deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My counseling approach combines Cognitive Behavioral, Solution-Focus, Family Centered, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Humanistic. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. I know counseling can be scary for some and it takes courage in taking the first steps in seeking assistance in improving, working through, processing concerns, traumatic events, issues, stressors, triggers, and symptoms experienced for a more fulfilling and happier life for positive life changes. If you are ready to take that step, I am here to support and empower you through your journey in therapy.

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Emily Nielsen

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issues
10 years of experience

I am a licensed therapist in California with 10 years of professional experience. I have been helping clients with reducing stress, anxiety, creating healthy relationships, good communication, boundaries, coping with change, sadness, loss, & intimacy related issues. I am a strengths based clinician & believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards making a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

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Te'Ha Demps

Offering therapy in California
License: MSW,LCSW
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsParenting issuesSelf esteem
6 years of experience

I am a licensed clinical social worker in the state of North Carolina with experience working with individuals, couples, and families. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, and career challenges. My counseling style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating anyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, client centered, and narrative counseling. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek for a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support and empower you. I look forward to working with you!

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Antonio Wong-Rivadeneyra

Offering therapy in California
Family conflictsParenting issuesSelf esteemCoping with life changesADHD
50 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 50 years of professional work experience. I am Bilingual, Spanish, I have experience in helping clients with family conflicts, parenting issues, motivation, self-esteem, and confidence, & 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 sign up for therapy can take courage and I congratulate you for getting started! I offer my services to help you work on issues that may be taking away from your ability to live a joyful life. We can look at how you can feel that you have control over your experiences and manage how to deal with disappointments, if they take place in your life. When you find yourself stuck in a place in your life, it often helps to have another person help you analyze what is the cause of that feeling and often this is a path to clear blocks in your life. These are tools that will be useful in your life. We are born with many resources and often most are not used in dealing with our issues. By helping you tap into your capacity to manage your life, we can work on gradually mastering your strengths so that you will be the one in charge. Learn about what subtle messages you have accepted that guide your life and only accept the positive ones. When you take on the role of a therapist, you make a commitment to the person who seeks your help. You learn to become attuned to what drives that person in their lives and help them become a guide to choosing what they need to find fulfillment in their life. My work ends when you master control over what works for you in your life.

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Antonia Sloan

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
13 years of experience

I am licensed in California and Washington with 13 years of professional work experience. I specialize in helping children, teens, & adults who are struggling with depression, anxiety, current life stressors &/or have experienced traumatic events. In my practice, I honor everyone's individual story & use client-centered approaches to support the development of self-worth, personal strengths & coping skills. I strive to create a warm, collaborative atmosphere and view it as the foundation for meaningful work with my clients. My unique approach to counseling includes traditional talk therapy with the option of adding art therapy techniques to assist my clients down the path to recovery and healing. Art therapy is a great tool in my work with children & teens. It provides both verbal & nonverbal methods of working through intense emotions & teaches ways to reorganize the thought patterns that lead to depression/anxiety, feelings of loneliness/lack of self-worth & interpersonal struggles with peers & family members. I aspire to find the best approach that will enable you to gain insights, achieve personal growth and develop happiness within your life and personal relationships. I believe that each of us has the capacity for change and look forward to assisting you in your journey.

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Tina Schab

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsGriefDepressionCoping with life changes
22 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 22 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, depression, life changes,coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, & coping with grief and loss. 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. 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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Frosan Karim

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseSelf esteemDepression
6 years of experience

Sometimes we feel ready to "do the work," but might feel uncertain about where to start. I work in this field because I believe we are capable of making tremendous changes when we understand ourselves better. Through making sense of our past, we can better understand our current motivations. I believe in empowering you to recognize the ways you can be in control of yourself and your situation. I am interested in who you are and like to meet you where you're at. My style is to support you in connecting your head and your heart to help you gain clarity on your current concerns, and ultimately help you make the right decisions for yourself. I am licensed in California with 7 years of clinical work experience. I received my Master's degree in Counseling at Palo Alto University, and am currently a candidate for a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at California Southern University. I have experience in helping clients with trauma, depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and self esteem struggles. I use my multicultural background and immigrant experience to better understand you and your cultural identity. I know there can be barriers to seeking out help, thus I'm glad that you are taking the first steps towards healing yourself.

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Stephanie Molina

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesSelf esteemDepression
18 years of experience

I am licensed in California with over 18 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, depression, relationship issues, life transitions, motivation, self esteem, and confidence. 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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Hannah Karolewicz

Offering therapy in California
License: LMHC
Stress, AnxietySelf esteemDepressionADHD
9 years of experience

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida with over 6 years of experience. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, parenting problems, communication disorders, ASD, and ADHD. I have worked with clients of all ages ranging from 3 to 95 and have done so in individual and group settings. My counseling style is warm, collaborative, empowering, and interactive. I treat all my clients with respect, sensitivity, and compassion and my clinical approach is cognitive-behavioral. I strongly believe that our mindset is very powerful and it is important to evaluate our thinking style as it greatly contributes to the way we feel and the actions we take. I tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs and I will always challenge you to dive a little deeper and explore new opportunities. You are brave. I know that taking the first steps to living a more fulfilling and joyful life, takes courage and you have taken that first step towards change. You should feel proud of yourself! Once you are ready to take the next step, I am here to work with you to execute the change that you desire. You are powerful. You are able. You are valuable. You are lovable. And you deserve the life you dream of. I am here for you, I am ready to support you. I look forward to working with you!

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Elana Berman

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietySelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoaching
11 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 11 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, career difficulties and coping through 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 available to support you in that process.

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Penny Gifford

Offering therapy in California
License: MS, LAC, LCPC
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
27 years of experience

Your recovery begins here. I seek to help adults in individual sessions to integrate new and healthy skills to gain self-empowerment and improve your life. Whether you struggle with mental health issues or change of life issues the goal is to provide a supportive therapeutic environment to empower you to grow and make effective changes in your life. Creating a collaborative, non-judgmental and positive atmosphere is a crucial piece to your healing process and change. I have extensive experience with the following conditions: anger management, anxiety & stress, co-dependency, family discord, eating disorders, grief & loss, life purpose & transition, mood disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, post- traumatic stress disorders. I employ treatment through integrative counseling by drawing on behavioral therapies, psychodynamic therapy & humanistic therapies to help you learn, grow and heal by guiding you through a directive and solution focused process.

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Ani Asulyan

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsTrauma and abuseSelf esteemDepression
20 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 20 years of professional work experience, including extensive work as a Substance Abuse Counselor. I have helped clients navigate a wide range of challenges, including stress, anxiety, trauma, abuse, addiction, depression, and self-esteem issues. My background in addiction counseling has equipped me with a deep understanding of the complexities of substance use and the recovery process. I specialize in supporting individuals in overcoming substance abuse, using evidence-based techniques, motivational interviewing, and personalized care strategies. In addition to my work with addiction, I also have experience in helping clients build coping mechanisms, improve motivation, and foster greater self-confidence. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Each person's journey is unique, and I am committed to tailoring our therapy sessions and treatment plan to meet your specific needs and goals. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage, and I am proud of you for getting started. Together, we can work toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.

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Evan Thomas

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesAnger management
4 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 8 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, family conflicts, trauma, abuse, & parenting issues. I also have experience working with anger management. 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. 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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Robin Allen

Offering therapy in California
Stress, AnxietyGriefSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
6 years of experience

I am licensed in California with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, coping with grief, coping with loss, motivation, self esteem, confidence, & depression. I also have experience working with coping with life changes. 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. 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.

How can therapists in California support you?

Therapists in California 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 California, and one out of five Americans has a mental health condition. Searching for licensed professionals in California 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 BetterHelp does not offer diagnostic or medication management services.

Why are many residents in the state of California working 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 in California, BetterHelp can match you with a licensed professional tailored to your preferences noted when you sign up.

Mental health counselors in California support clients with varying issues, which can include:

  • 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

If you are experiencing a crisis or emergency, don't use this site's online services. 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 commonly asked questions can be found 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.

How do I know if I should get a therapist?

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 in California can allow clients seeking therapy to experience professional help through video, phone, or live chat sessions without commuting to an office.

Does insurance cover 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 safe?

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.

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