Find a Therapist in California, the United States

The profiles listed above are practitioners who consult in California, or who name California as an area they work in. You can narrow the list by profession, by the difficulties someone works with, by language, by client group and by identity. That matters when the fit of the person counts for as much as the method.

You can also filter for people who work online. That opens up the list without changing what you are looking for. Choosing well is a question of its own, and we have written about what to weigh.

Read how to choose a therapist

Psychologists practising in California hold a licence from the California Board of Psychology. Most other therapists here are licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, among them marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers and professional clinical counsellors. The difference between an associate and a licensed practitioner matters when you are choosing: an associate has completed the degree but is still working under supervision.

Psychiatrists are physicians, licensed by the Medical Board of California. Whoever you are considering, you can check a licence on the California Board of Psychology register. Verify with California Board of Psychology (BOP), California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) or Medical Board of California (MBC).

Everyone listed must be qualified for the work they offer. Whether that qualification is also a licence depends on the profession. A tick beside a registration, qualification or membership means we have seen evidence for that entry, not that we endorse the practitioner.

The Verified mark means we have run a closer check on that practitioner's documents. It is paid for by the practitioner, and it fails if the documents do not pass. Where a profession is registered, that register is the check worth making before you book.

Read how we review and verify listings

Therapist is a colloquial word rather than a protected title. It covers everyone who offers talk-based help for emotional and relationship difficulties, and it tells you nothing on its own about training. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health.

Psychiatrists can prescribe medicine, which is the main practical difference between them and the other three. A psychologist is trained in the study of the mind and behaviour, and works by assessment and talk therapy. Where the title is protected, it usually takes a postgraduate qualification in psychology and registration with the body that governs the profession.

Counsellors and psychotherapists work by talk therapy as well, and their training runs from a short course to years of supervised practice. The titles that carry legal weight are the registered ones. Where a title is not registered, anyone may use it, so the register is what tells you what training sits behind the word.

Read which professional titles are protected in the United States

In the United States what you pay depends on your insurance as much as on the therapist, and many therapists do not take insurance directly. With an in-network provider you pay a copay and your plan pays the therapist. Out of network you pay the full fee up front and claim part of it back.

That only applies if your plan has out-of-network benefits, and only after the deductible, and some plans have none at all. Ask the therapist whether they are in network with your specific plan, and ask your insurer what your out-of-network benefit is. Where cost is the obstacle, community mental health centres charge on an income-assessed basis and many practices hold reduced-fee places they do not advertise.

What a particular practitioner charges is set by them, not by any figure on this page. Their profile lists a fee where they have given one, and asking them is the way to be sure.

An online session is usually not much cheaper than one in a consulting room. Practitioners commonly charge the same rate either way, so what you save is the travelling and the time around the appointment.

How to think about the cost of therapy in the United States

Cost stops many people before they start, and there is usually more than one rung below the full private fee. Many practitioners keep a few reduced-fee places. They set the reduction themselves after asking about your income, so it is worth asking rather than assuming the answer.

Group therapy costs less per session, and for a number of difficulties it works as well as individual work. Publicly funded clinics and non-profit services exist in many countries, and will often see someone without a referral.

Read how to find affordable therapy

For most common difficulties the research puts video sessions close to in-person work. That holds on the same condition that governs the rest of therapy: the working relationship between the two of you has to be a good one. It suits people who live far from a practitioner, who have little room in a week, or who want a choice their own town cannot offer.

It suits some situations less well, and a practitioner should say so. Immediate risk to safety, and having nowhere private to talk, are the usual reasons a practitioner suggests meeting in person. Text-based and on-demand app services do cost less, and they are a different product rather than a cheaper version of the same one.

The evidence behind them is thinner than for regular psychotherapy. What is being sold is often messaging rather than a scheduled hour with one practitioner who knows your history.

Of the practitioners listed in California, 3 offer online sessions and 0 work in person only. Filtering the list above for online availability shows who offers it here.

Read the evidence on how well online therapy works

Yes. Confidentiality is the condition that makes the rest of therapy possible. A registered practitioner works inside an ethical code that requires them to keep what you say private.

Someone who belongs to a professional body is bound by that body's code as well. The limits are narrow. They commonly include a serious and immediate danger to you or to another person, and abuse of a child or of a vulnerable adult.

A court order or a subpoena can also compel disclosure. A claim to an insurer usually carries some information with it.

A practitioner should set those limits out in the first session. You are entitled to ask where the line sits before you say anything you would rather keep private.

The first session is an orientation and a brief assessment, usually 50 to 60 minutes. The therapist will ask what brings you, say how they work, and go through confidentiality, fees and practical arrangements. It is also your chance to ask about their approach and experience. You do not need to prepare anything; come as you are.

Whether it is a good fit matters more than any technique. People do better in therapy when the working relationship is strong,³ and that relationship usually takes a few sessions to settle, so give it a little time before deciding.

To learn more, read our guide on What is Therapy?

There is no single answer, and the honest version is that the match between you and the practitioner matters at least as much as the school they trained in. The names you will come across include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, EMDR, family therapy and couples therapy. What shapes the choice is the nature of the difficulty, and whether you want something short and focused or something open-ended.

It also depends on how much of the past you want to work with, and what you can sustain in time and money. A first consultation is partly for settling this. Someone trained will ask what brought you there, say what they think would suit, and say so when they are not the right person.

Read how to pick the therapy that suits you

You do not need a diagnosis to benefit from therapy.¹ Many people come because something is not working and they want to think it through with someone. If you want change, support, or clarity, therapy is likely for you.

Common reasons people seek therapy:

• Personal growth to build confidence, self-understanding, and emotional maturity²
• Low mood, worry, emptiness, or irritability
• Relationship strain and conflict
• Support for your child or teenager
• Big changes like job loss, bereavement, relocation, or divorce

About 1 in 8 people lives with a mental health condition, and many more face stress or want more from life.¹ You do not need to wait for a crisis.

To learn more, read our guide on Who Needs Therapy?

In California you choose your own therapist and approach them directly. Nobody is assigned to you, and the two of you agree the goals and the way of working together. An independent practitioner can adjust the approach, the pace and the session length to what you need, rather than working to somebody else's protocol. Fewer parties are involved in your care, and you can see the same clinician over time, which supports deeper work.