Licensed to practice in California and accepts 73 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Self Esteem, Trauma and PTSD and 5 more.
Pamela DeRitis
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who shows up real, empathetic, and grounded. I work with clients navigating trauma, family dynamics, identity, and life challenges. My goal is to create a non-judgmental, empowering space where clients feel safe enough to grow, challenge old patterns, and find their metaphorical wings. I believe healing happens in relationship—through honesty, trust, and deep self-awareness.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session is all about connection and clarity. I want to get a real sense of what’s going on in your world and what brought you to therapy—without judgment or pretense. You’ll share at your pace, and I’ll ask thoughtful questions to get us grounded in your goals. You’ll leave knowing what to expect from me, and where we might head together.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I create a space that’s real, emotionally safe, and insight-driven. Clients often tell me they feel seen in a way they haven’t before. I balance warmth with directness—I won’t sugarcoat, but I’ll never shame. With a strong foundation in trauma-informed care, navigating burnout, boundary-setting and assertiveness, and more, I help clients find empowerment through accountability, self-awareness, and relationship. I show up consistently and authentically, every time.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
You’ve tried the surface-level stuff and want something deeper. You’re motivated (or at least curious), maybe a little rebellious, maybe exhausted. You’re ready to be challenged with compassion and held accountable without shame. You might be a parent struggling with a child’s behaviors, a teen who feels misunderstood, or an adult working through trauma, grief, or identity shifts. You value honesty and want someone who will meet you where you are—but not let you stay stuck there.
Specialties
Top specialties
Anxiety
Self Esteem
Trauma and PTSD
Other specialties
ADHD
Coping Skills
Couples Counseling
Parenting
Personality Disorders
I identify as
Woman
Serves ages
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Licensed in
California
Accepts
Aetna
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Medicare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Ambetter from Health Net
Amerihealth Administrators
Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage
Anthem
Blue Cross
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Shield
Blue Shield of California - Medi-Cal
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Blue Shield of California - Medicare
Independence Personal Choice 65 PPO
Independence Keystone 65 HMO
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
L.A. Care PASC-SEIU
L.A. Care Covered
L.A. Care Covered Direct
Sutter Health Plan
IHSS Healthy Workers
Cash - $95 per session
Centivo
Central California Alliance for Health (Medi-Cal)
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
GTEB
Gold Coast Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Gold Coast Health Plan Total Care Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Health Net (Commercial)
Health Net (Medi-Cal)
Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley (Medi-Cal)
CalViva Health (Medi-Cal)
Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan – Medi-Cal
Humana - Medicare
Humana Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)
L.A. Care Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
L.A. Care Medicare Plus (HMO D-SNP)
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Partnership HealthPlan of California (Medi-Cal)
SFHP Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)
San Francisco Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Santa Clara Family Health Plan - Medi-Cal
Scripps Health Plan
Sharp Health Plan
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicare
UnitedHealthcare Complete Care (C-SNP)
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods
Person-centered (Rogerian)
As a therapist, I focus on creating a warm, accepting, and non-judgmental environment where clients feel safe to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. The key principles of this approach are unconditional positive regard, empathy, and authenticity, and I use them as the foundation for all my work with clients.
Integrative
In my practice, I use an integrative approach by combining methods from several schools of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, humanistic approaches, and mindfulness-based techniques. Depending on the client's goals, challenges, and strengths, I blend different strategies to create a comprehensive treatment plan.
4 ratings with written reviews
May 20, 2026
After being unexpectedly dropped by my previous therapist, I was really nervous about starting over. From the very beginning, she made me feel comfortable and understood. She is incredibly down to earth, easy to talk to, and somehow manages to keep up with the absolute whiplash of my life events and emotions without ever making me feel like “too much.” I genuinely feel supported and cared about. I’m very grateful I found her.
Verified client, age 25-34
August 20, 2025
Patient, Positive and empowering !
Verified client, age 25-34
April 27, 2025
Pamela is straightforward and is a great listener. I really appreciate her!