The City of Atascadero founded in 1913 by E. G. Lewis is on the Pacific Coast and in the California Central Valley. The name Atascadero, which just means a place of much water in Spanish, is a good way to describe the watery town, where almost two percent of the entire town is water. If you don’t like the beach, try downtown Atascadero, where there are movie theaters, wine bars, microbreweries, restaurants, and an art gallery.
In fact, there is something for everyone to do in Atascadero. However, if you are not interested in things like you used to be, that may be a sign of depression and you should seek treatment from one of the many licensed mental health professionals in town. They are ready to help you right now.

Claudia Stein
Claudia Stein, LCSW Years of experience: 30 License: LCS #21322 My name is Claudia Stein, LCSW. I have over 30 years of experience in treating people of all ages who have experienced mood disorders, adjustment disorder, addiction, co-existing disorders, malaise, loss of motivation and purpose, and grief and loss. Throughout my career I’ve demonstrated an ability to provide sincere emotional support, empathy, insight, and practical steps in reaching clients' goals. My therapy style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I integrate a bio-psycho-social perspective on mental health, incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with other modalities, depending upon each case and what would be helpful, like Mindfulness Meditation, psychoeducation, and Psychodynamic Therapy. In order to have an overall sense of well being, one must take steps towards improving not only their outlook and attitude, but also their lifestyles. In recent times, we are becoming ever more aware of the impact that lifestyle,(i.e. the foods we eat, exercise, work-life balance), affects our mental health. I apply my clinical training and my life experiences in assisting clients to learn how to manage and overcome obstacles in order to their best lives. I look forward to hearing from you to see how I may be of help. Sincerely, Claudia Stein, LCSW

Laura D. Cutler
Hello and welcome! I am Laura Cutler, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). For more than 20 years, I have been working with adults, children, youth, families, and communities in the field of psychotherapy and child welfare in a variety of settings, including private practice, the foster care system, and hospital setting. It has been said that one of the most courageous things a human being can do is to enter therapy. The inner world of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations can often feel overwhelming. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, current or post-traumatic experiences, relationship problems, grief and loss, or any other human experience for which you need support, healing, individualized strategies, and encouragement, you have come to the right place. My own journey began with anxiety and depression as a young child, which continued into adulthood. As a child and adolescent, I lived in a private hell of anxiety and a deep sadness that I could not understand. Learning about proper nutrition and meditation helped significantly. But it was not until I entered therapy in my mid-30's that I began to see how my childhood experiences and current ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, were shaping me, dictating the degree to which I could explore and enjoy my own life. During my first session, I experienced a thrill of hope beyond description, a glimmering of what may be possible in my quest for total freedom to live, love, create, and make my contribution to the world in this lifetime. I loved the therapeutic experience so much that I went back to school to become a therapist. My therapeutic style is warm, supportive, solution-focused, and based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, which teaches us to notice and question our negative thoughts and perceptions of self and other in order to come to a more balanced view. I also incorporate "body-focused" therapies, having been trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM. Research has shown that trauma lives in the body, not just the mind, and that sometimes talk therapy alone is not enough to resolve our deepest emotional wounds. Also included in my therapeutic approach is psycho-education, or a teaching element, to provide you with new knowledge and to support skill building. I grew up in a house filled with books and two parents that revered learning. So, naturally, being in a state of continuous learning is something that I value greatly and trust will benefit your therapeutic process. As I continue to learn, too, I will happily share my discoveries when pertinent to your own journey in psychotherapy. Our work together will rest upon several core principles: 1. We come into the world with a brain that is hard wired to adapt. Effective therapy seeks to enhance and strengthen the adaptive information processing mechanism and adaptive memory networks that already exist in your brain and help to calm your nervous system. These adaptive mechanisms support our work in therapy to honor, reprocess, and integrate your traumatic memories into your experience, so that you can live more fully in the present moment. 2. All feelings, negative thoughts, and body sensations are valuable and serve as our constant teachers. 3. When we get good at slowing down, noticing and questioning our thoughts and assumptions, magical changes can begin to happen. 4. Focusing on our existing personal strengths and seeking to build upon them is the most effective way to move forward in our lives. Past regrets and traumas are to be honored and learned from, but we need not live there. 5. Good therapy does not need to take years. When we develop a treatment plan together, based on a comprehensive assessment, your insights and needs, and with my clinical input, significant progress can be made in weeks or months. 6. The skills you will learn in therapy with me can serve you for the rest of your life. You will become your own therapist and even share your experiences with others to encourage and support those who are still suffering. 7. Therapy alone is never enough. We must give attention to our nutrition, exercise, work life, need for creative expression, sexuality, and play. Spiritual practices, such as a faith tradition, yoga, meditation, and other spiritual tools, are also extremely helpful in reconnecting you with your truest self - which is always unfolding! But even with all of the insight and knowledge in the world, I have seen and personally experienced that, ultimately, it is relationship that heals - relationship first and foremost with ourself and then others. It is deep listening that heals. It is kindness, patience, giving up the need to be right, being curious, being gentle with ourself, seeking to love and understand ourself and others, that heals. I invite you to experience the therapeutic space with me and see what is possible. Know that there is no such thing as failure or "getting it wrong" with me - only new discoveries about what works and what feels right to you, moment by moment. You have the capacity to grow and change. And, you don't have to do it alone! With new knowledge and skills - with a new way of simply being - we can come to know a new freedom and a new happiness. Our unnecessary suffering begins to melt away...

Tracey Manning
Hello! My name is Tracey and I am a License Professional Counselor with a Master's of Art in Community Counseling. During the past 11 years, I’ve worked with many populations including abused and neglect youth, couples and families, as well as active duty service members and veterans. Over the years, I’ve also worked with hundreds of individuals to resolve concerns related to anxiety, depression, suicidality, varies forms of trauma, grief and loss, problematic sexual behavior in children and youth, domestic and family violence, and relationship and marital concerns. My therapeutic approach is client-centered in that I believe my client’s needs matter and that my client is the authority in their own lives and in our sessions. I believe my role in the therapeutic relationship is to assist my client through the development of self-awareness and skill-building. I facilitate this effort by seeking to deeply understand and quickly identify the unmet needs, intentions and motivations behind my client’s problematic behaviors or presenting issues. I am eclectic in my use of treatment modalities as I see the merits and benefits of many different styles and approaches, however I specialized in trauma-informed therapies such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). By reading this page you have shown that you are ready and willing to take action towards creating the experiences you desire. So, congratulations on taking steps toward your healing and growth! I look forward to working with you soon.

Anupama Masih
I am licensed in California with 20 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, & parenting issues. I have done faith-based Therapy for Christian clients . 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. I also speak fluent Spanish,.

Charlene Black
I am licensed in California with 8 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, & parenting issues. 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.

Mari Conti
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California with over 15 years of clinical work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship and/or family issues. In addition I can assist in increasing motivation, self esteem, and confidence. Using a strength based approach, and a little humor, I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. We will work together to create a 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!

Michal Pomeranetz
I am licensed in California with 14 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, confidence, & depression. I also have experience working with coping with life changes. 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 sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

Bobbie Paul
I am licensed in California with 32 years of professional work experience. I have training and experience helping clients with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma, abuse, depression and 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. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process. I am confident we can develop the necessary tools so you can prevail over your current challenges and achieve your goals. If you wish to know more about my approach to therapy visit my website at https://www.bobbiejpaul.com.

Alejandro "Alex" Zendejas
I am licensed in California with 8 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, confidence, & career difficulties. I also have experience working with 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 sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

Yolanda Lewis
I am licensed in California with 20 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, coping with addictions, trauma, abuse, motivation, self esteem, & confidence. I also have experience working with 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!
Find a therapist serving clients in California
What types of therapists are available to clients in Atascadero?
Understanding the type of therapy you'd like to search for is crucial before finding a therapist or psychologist. Be sure to narrow your search for therapists in Atascadero that can offer psychodynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), therapeutic talk therapy, group therapy, marriage and family therapy for individuals or couples, or couples therapy depending on your needs.
Licensed therapists & mental health professionals available through BetterHelp's online platform
Mental health therapists in Atascadero available through BetterHelp are accredited as psychologists to help individuals and couples. Atascadero therapists' credentials can include licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), and clinician or doctor of psychology (PsyD). Regardless of their licensure, Atascadero therapists are trained in any type of therapy in the Atascadero region and in the state of California.
How can a therapist help you destress, manage your emotions, and guide you towards the life you want?
Therapists in Atascadero can help clients in improving healthy relationships, communication skills, working through life transitions, couples challenges, managing a mood disorder, improving coping skills, self help tips, offer life coaching, family life, or change in negative thinking patterns. A therapist in Atascadero may also provide a safe place and validation for clients experiencing emotional pain, or that simply want a psychological assessment.
Is it better to find a mental health counselor or therapist in Atascadero offering online therapy or in person?
Studies show online therapy can be just as effective as in-person counseling. Online therapy with licensed counselors is often more affordable, with BetterHelp pricing ranging from $65-$100 weekly, while in person therapy can cost up to $200 per session.