Jacob Scholl
I’m Dr. Jacob Scholl, a licensed psychologist who sees adults by video all over California. I focus on trauma and PTSD, and I also help with anxiety, depression and sleep. I’m a Christian and offer Christian faith-integrated therapy.
You don’t have to carry it alone. Christian faith-integrated therapy for trauma, anxiety and depression, by video anywhere in California.
My goal is to help you find freedom from what is weighing you down.
First session
Our first session is mostly about getting to know you. We’ll talk about what brought you in, what’s been hard, and what you want to be different. I’ll ask about your history and have you fill out a few short questionnaires, so we have a clear starting point. By the end, you’ll know how I’d approach what you’re facing and what the next few sessions will look like, and you can ask me anything. You don’t need to have the right words or know your diagnosis. Showing up is enough.
Strengths
I’ll be direct with you and, when it helps, I’ll challenge you. I use proven trauma treatments like CPT, fitted to you rather than a script, and track progress so we both see what’s changing. I treat you as a whole person: mind, body and faith.
Ideal clients
You’re an adult who’s been through hard things and is tired of just getting by. Maybe it’s trauma, anxiety, low mood or poor sleep. You may serve or have served, or work as a first responder. You want to put in the work, be pushed when you need it, and may want your faith to be a part of it.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
A lot of us spend our energy fighting painful thoughts and feelings, trying to push them away, avoid them or wait until they’re gone before we live our lives. ACT helps you stop that fight. In our sessions, you’ll learn to notice hard thoughts without letting them call the shots, and to make room for difficult feelings without being run by them. Then we get clear on what matters most to you, whether that’s your family, your work or your faith, and take small, concrete steps toward it, even on the hard days. I often use ACT with anxiety, depression and the aftermath of trauma, and I blend it with other approaches when it fits.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
How we think, how we feel and what we do are all connected, and when one gets stuck, the others usually follow. CBT is a practical, hands-on way of getting unstuck. Together we’ll look at the thoughts that show up when things get hard, test whether they’re really true, and build habits that help you feel better instead of keeping you trapped. Between sessions you’ll try things out in real life, because that’s where change takes hold. I use CBT for anxiety, depression and stress. For sleep, I use CBT-I, a version of CBT built for insomnia. If you lie awake with a racing mind or wake at 3 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep, we’ll track your sleep patterns, set a steady schedule, and quiet the worries that keep your mind running at night, all without medication. Medical guidelines recommend it as a first step for chronic insomnia.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
After something traumatic, it’s common to get stuck in beliefs like “It was my fault,” “I can’t trust anyone,” or “I’m not safe anywhere.” Those beliefs can keep the pain going long after the event is over. CPT is a structured treatment for PTSD, usually about twelve weekly sessions, that helps you find where you’ve gotten stuck and look at those beliefs honestly. You don’t have to relive every detail to do this work. Together we’ll sort out what really happened from the conclusions you drew from it, and you’ll use short worksheets between sessions to practice.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Some emotions hit so hard and fast that you react before you can think, whether you snap at someone, shut down or do something you regret later. DBT skills give you practical tools for those moments. I teach them as part of our regular sessions: how to get through a crisis without making it worse, how to calm intense emotions and keep them from building, how to stay present instead of getting swept away, and how to ask for what you need while protecting your relationships. We practice the skills in session, and you try them out during the week. I use DBT skills as part of individual therapy rather than offering the full DBT program.
Faith-based therapy
I’m a Christian, and I integrate faith into therapy. Your faith is part of who you are, so it belongs in the room alongside everything else. That can mean drawing on Scripture and prayer, working through questions like “Where was God in this?”, or untangling guilt, shame and spiritual wounds that often come with trauma. I combine this with the same evidence-based treatments I use throughout my practice, such as CPT, CBT and ACT. This is psychotherapy from a licensed psychologist, grounded in faith. It is not pastoral counseling, and it doesn’t replace your church or your pastor. It works alongside them.
Location
Virtual sessions
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 36754