(she/her)
Hi! I am Esther Castillo, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I take pleasure in working with individuals (s) who are seeking to overcome significant obstacles to obtain contentment. My emphasis has been working with individuals and their families to overcome trauma, addiction, and mental health stigma so they can reach their full potential. I am fluent in Spanish!
In our first session, we'll briefly introduce ourselves and then discuss your specific challenges. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions.
The greatest strength I possess as a provider is that I am patient, compassionate, and understanding, with 20 years of experience in the mental health field. I have worked with a wide diversity of individuals struggling with trauma, mental health, and addictions for the past 20 years; I've developed a sense of understanding and compassion to help you identify the root cause of your issues and challenges to create a tailored treatment plan that leads to measurable progress.
I enjoy helping individuals who need guidance, strength, and a voice to overcome challenges that hinder their daily struggles. I enjoy assisting clients who are willing to make changes in their lives, are motivated to commit to treatment, and are ready to embark on a new journey to recovery. I prefer working with individuals from a remote setting regardless of race, gender, diagnosis, cultural or religious beliefs, etc.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cash - $225 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Amerihealth Administrators
Anthem
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Cross
Blue Shield
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
Golden Rule
GTEB
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Health Net (Commercial)
IHSS Healthy Workers
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
L.A. Care Covered
L.A. Care Covered Direct
L.A. Care PASC-SEIU
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Scripps Health Plan
Sharp Health Plan
Surest (formerly Bind)
Sutter Health Plan
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems. It targets unhealthy thought patterns to promote healing.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
Solution-focused brief therapy is a strength-based approach to psychotherapy that focuses on solution-building rather than problem-solving. Unlike other forms of psychotherapy that analyze present problems and past causes, Solution-focused brief therapy concentrates on current circumstances and future hopes.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma-informed care or Trauma-and violence-informed care, is a framework for relating to and helping people who have experienced negative consequences after exposure to dangerous experience
Trauma-Focused CBT
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy or counseling that aims at addressing the needs of children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder and other difficulties related to traumatic life events.
4 ratings with written reviews
March 6, 2026
Esther is understanding, emphatic, and gives you tools to help better manage what you are going through.
February 26, 2026
Very welcoming and easy to talk to.
September 17, 2025
What stood out to me was her warm and understanding nature, which made me feel genuinely heard and understood. Her Spanish cultural perspective added depth to our conversation and helped me feel more connected and supported throughout the session.