Optum Therapists in California

Finding a therapist who accepts Optum insurance can make accessing mental health support more manageable and affordable. With 908 verified therapists in California who accept Optum insurance, you can filter by therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and solution-focused therapy to address issues like anxiety, depression, or relationship challenges. Each Grow Therapy-verified therapist is currently welcoming new clients and has availability within the next 30 days, ensuring you have access to quality care that fits within your Optum insurance coverage.

Availability updated: 8/24/2026

Warm
Authentic
Open-minded
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Personality Disorders
+3
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I specialize in working with adults and young adults navigating life transitions, emotional challenges, and recovery from substance use. My clinical experience has been shaped by years of working in community mental health and substance counseling settings, where I’ve supported individuals from diverse backgrounds facing a wide range of mental health struggles. At the heart of my approach is a strong belief that healing begins when we reconnect with what truly matters to us. I work collaboratively with each client to explore their personal values—helping them gain clarity, build emotional resilience, and make meaningful choices aligned with who they are and who they want to become. My goal is to provide a compassionate, grounded space where you can grow, heal, and move forward at your own pace.
VirtualAvailable
Warm
Authentic
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
+10
I am a California Indigenous (Ohlone) and third generation Mexican- and Sicilian-American Psychotherapist in the San Francisco Bay Area, currently providing therapeutic services online. I specialize in supporting teens and adults that are struggling with issues of anxiety and depression, grief, low self-esteem, negative thinking, self criticism, difficulties with life transitions and postpartum and women's issues. I work with individuals who may be struggling with depression, anxiety or grief.
VirtualAvailable

Often rebooked

Authentic
Open-minded
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and PTSD
+10
Thank you for your interest in me as your future therapist. It has always been my passion to help others and guide them towards healing. I make every effort to help my clients move forward from what may be troubling them. I enjoy working with all ages and focus on developing a relationship that will be supportive and transformative. I speak directly and highlight thoughts and behaviors as we speak in the therapy session so my client can begin to recognize obstacles within themselves that could be contributing to their difficulties.
VirtualAvailable
Empowering
Authentic
Warm
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Self Esteem
+4
I’m a licensed therapist who helps people reconnect with their emotions when they’ve spent years pushing them aside just to get through life. Many of the clients I work with are thoughtful, capable, and deeply caring, but feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or hard on themselves without fully understanding why. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in Emotion-Focused work, helping you slow down, understand what’s happening inside, and build a more compassionate relationship with yourself. Therapy with me isn’t about fixing you, it’s about helping you feel more like you again.
VirtualAvailable
Warm
Authentic
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Depression
+7
Welcome, and thank you for visiting my profile. I hold a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Seminary’s Graduate School of Psychology and a Doctorate in Leadership from Evangel University. Since 1994, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside women as they navigate life’s challenges and transitions. Specializing in women’s issues has been a deeply meaningful focus of my work, and I consider it an honor to be entrusted with my clients’ stories. Rooted in my Christian faith, my approach is grounded in both compassion and clinical excellence. I strive to provide care that is evidence-based, ethical, spiritually sensitive, and tailored to the unique needs of each client. In addition to my private practice, I serve as a university professor, where I have the joy of teaching, training, and supervising graduate students on their path to becoming licensed therapists.
VirtualAvailable
Authentic
Empowering
Warm
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and PTSD
+1
Saundre has over 15 years of professional counseling experience working in shelters, schools, and mental health clinics. She received a master’s degree in social work from Howard University with a focus on Black mental health and community healing. Growing up in East Oakland, in a single-parent household quickly taught Saundre about the importance of her own mental health care. Personally experiencing the effects of misogyny, classism and racism pushed her to create safe and humanizing spaces for Black Women to begin their healing journey. During the pandemic she courageously opened her private practice Queens N' Therapy®, which is specifically tailored to meet the mental health needs of Black Women.
VirtualAvailable

Often rebooked

Warm
Authentic
Direct
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Perinatal Mental Health
+10
Hi, I’m so glad you’re here. Seeking support is a courageous step, and I’m honored to be part of your journey. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist & a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, my approach is warm, collaborative, and rooted in compassion. I offer a safe, judgment-free space where you can explore your story, build on your strengths, and move at a pace that feels right for you. I work with teens, young adults, and adults navigating anxiety, trauma, life transitions, identity, and more—especially BIPOC clients, moms, and transitional age youth. I draw from evidence-based, strength-based, and person-centered practices tailored to your unique needs. Therapy is a space for healing and growth, and I’d be honored to walk alongside you as you reconnect with yourself, your goals, and your resilience.
VirtualAvailable
Direct
Solution oriented
Authentic
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Mood Disorders
Hello, I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) currently practicing in California. I received my Masters Degree from the National University in Sacramento and have over 25 years experience working with every walk of life from young foster children, to at-risk adolescents, to adult inmate patients. My specialties include crisis intervention, moderate-to-high acuity, mood disorders, and other mental illnesses.
VirtualAvailable
Authentic
Solution oriented
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Mood Disorders
+6
Whether you are struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, or a life transition, I am here to offer support and help you make meaningful change. Using cognitive behavioral techniques, as well as strength-based and solution-focused models, my goal is to help my clients develop coping skills to manage day-to-day stress, strengthen their relationships and gain an improved quality of life. I am a licensed therapist with over 15 years of experience working with adults, couples, families, and children. I utilize my professional and personal experience, humor, and warmth to create a strong, collaborative relationship with my clients.
VirtualAvailable

Often rebooked

Warm
Authentic
Empowering
Specialties
Addiction
Self Esteem
Trauma and PTSD
+10
Hi my name is Jazmin. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is passionate about helping people who need guidance coping with stress, trauma, substance abuse, and troubling thoughts. My therapeutic style is working collaboratively with you and empowering you to change your unwanted feelings and behaviors. Let's work together to uncover what is holding you back from being your best self.
VirtualAvailable
Warm
Empowering
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Career Counseling
Women's Issues
+3
Hi, I’m Kristen—Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 13 years of experience supporting high-achieving women and young professionals who are navigating burnout, career transitions, and the pressure to “hold it all together.” Many of my clients are driven, capable, and successful on paper—but internally feel overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected from the life they’ve built. They’re often at a turning point: ready to pivot careers, grow a business, or redefine what success actually means for them. My approach is collaborative, direct, and results-oriented. I combine evidence-based therapy with practical strategy to help you regulate stress, gain clarity, and make confident, aligned decisions—without spending years in therapy. This work is about more than insight; it’s about creating real momentum in your life and career. You can expect a space where you’re both supported and challenged—where you don’t have to perform, but you also won’t stay stuck. Together, we’ll move you out of burnout and into a more grounded, intentional way of living and working. For those who value faith as part of their healing, I also offer a nondenominational, faith-integrated approach rooted in compassion, purpose, and spiritual alignment. Whether you’re building something new, questioning your next move, or simply wanting to feel more like yourself again—this is a space to reset, realign, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
VirtualAvailable
Warm
Authentic
Direct
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Self Esteem
+8
Welcome! I'm Patricia Soto, a compassionate Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist committed to guiding individuals towards mental well-being and empowerment though all seasons in life. With a focus on addressing depression, self-esteem, anxiety, grief, life transitions, work-related stress, and challenges within relationships and families, I'm dedicated to helping you harness your innate strengths and work on your journey to healing and happiness.
VirtualAvailable
Authentic
Warm
Intelligent
Specialties
Anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)
Trauma and PTSD
+10
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with 9 years of experience. My clinical experience is working with individuals who are dealing with cancer and chronic illness, both from a personal and clinical perspective. I have successfully helped clients navigate through challenges such as anxiety, depression, and OCD. I enjoy the creative collaborative process of utilizing Exposures and Response Prevention with my clients. Clients learn somatic techniques to help with anxiety and OCD. I am also trained in EMDR which helps reprocess triggering or traumatic thoughts. My goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment where clients can explore their emotions, develop coping strategies, and ultimately find healing and growth.
VirtualAvailable

Often rebooked

Authentic
Empowering
Warm
Specialties
Anxiety
Child or Adolescent
Depression
+10
Teenagers often arrive in therapy carrying things that no one at home or school knows how to name yet. I've spent years working alongside adolescents and their families in schools and community settings—and I bring that same depth to my work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, grief, and major life transitions. I also specialize in early psychosis: working with teens and young adults experiencing their first break with reality, and the families trying to understand what's happening. My approach centers on building clear goals, strengthening hope, and learning to move through the uncertainty that real change requires. If you'd like to learn more about me & my approach, please visit: www.benjaminclover.com/about
VirtualAvailable
Authentic
Empowering
Warm
Specialties
Life Transitions
Spirituality
Trauma and PTSD
+9
Nicole Widman is the founder of Eden Therapy Group, a private practice based out of Southern California that functions to heal, restore and equip God’s sons and daughters. Nicole operates from a deep conviction to raise up men and women who are led by the Spirit by creating a space for her clients to discern God's voice and encounter God’s transformative love.
VirtualAvailable
Authentic
Intelligent
Warm
Specialties
Trauma and PTSD
Addiction
Anxiety
+8
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (TX LPC #88209, CO LPC#0024066) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (CA LPCC #16170) based in Dallas, TX with over 15 years experience in mental health and recovery-oriented work. I dedicate my practice to helping individuals navigate life's complexities and find their own path to well-being. My approach is warm, collaborative and tailored to your unique needs. I believe that counseling is a partnership, and I provide a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences at your own pace. My goal is to empower you to build resilience, cultivate self-compassion, and create a life that feels authentic and meaningful to you.
VirtualAvailable
Empowering
Warm
Authentic
Specialties
Coping Skills
LGBTQ
Racism
+6
Hello, my name is Claudia, and I hold an LCSW to practice therapy in California. I am a neurodivergent, queer practitioner, daughter of immigrants, and mama bear. I am deeply engaged in the ongoing reclamation of my lineage and helping other folks find the culture and healing from their own connection process. I come from generations of artists, dancers, and poets, and my approach reflects the creative, embodied wisdom of those ancestors who came before me, those who survived, thrived, and cared for one another. My work is designed to help individuals and groups implement nonviolent communication, healing justice practices, and integration strategies that foster authenticity and alignment in daily life—through creativity, mindfulness, and movement/somatics. Rooted in a community organizing foundation, my consulting work is highly strategic and intentionally targeted. I collaborate with organizations and individuals ready to embrace new approaches to solution-seeking—grounded in transformative justice, liberation, and nervous system regulation—while applying ancestral, intergenerational wisdom to sustain meaningful progress. I offer short-term, deeply immersive work that ensures rapid but lasting transformation, with results typically realized within 3 to 6 months. My approach is not just about conceptual change but about daily embodiment, where new habits of expansion and love are integrated into every dimension of life. Additionally, I provide multi-modality, creative expansion workshops and art installations—transformational experiences designed to activate lasting shifts in one encounter. These immersive practices harness the wisdom of our five senses, rewiring internal narratives and dismantling restrictions that keep us stuck. If this resonates, let’s connect and explore how we can co-create something powerful together.
VirtualAvailable
Solution oriented
Authentic
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Depression
+10
I am a bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). In 1991, I obtained a B.H. in Social Psychology from The Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (Mexico). In 2008, I graduated from University of Phoenix with an M.A. in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy. I have more than 22 years of experience working with patients—including adolescents, parents, adults, and couples. My focus is on improving relationships and addressing mental or emotional issues such as depression, anxiety, phobias, trauma, psychosocial stressors, life challenges, and personal goals.
VirtualAvailable

Often rebooked

Warm
Solution oriented
Authentic
Specialties
Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety
Depression
+1
Hello, I am Julie. We often are doing the best we can with what we are given, and I am here to help improve daily practices, routines, and maintain a life worth living. I help clients who struggle with Acute and Chronic Trauma, Borderline Personality Disorder, Anxiety disorders, and Depressive disorders. I am trained in utilizing Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Reprocessing Desensitization (EMDR) therapy. Although, I have training in specific therapy modalities I take time to incorporate client goals and address the needs of your mind, body and spirit. I also integrate mindfulness and art to help you develop a stronger relationship with yourself. I am excited to begin working with individuals in their journey to self-exploration and healing. "What we don't need in the midst of struggle is shame for being human." -Brene Brown
VirtualAvailable

Often rebooked

Warm
Authentic
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Depression
+10
Great to meet you! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and I’m really glad you’re here. Reaching out for support isn’t always easy, so taking this step already says a lot about your willingness to grow. I work with clients navigating anxiety, stress, relationship challenges, and patterns that can feel hard to break. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the same cycles or unsure why certain things keep coming up, you’re not alone — and that’s exactly the kind of work we can explore together.
VirtualAvailable
Empowering
Authentic
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Fertility & Reproduction Issues
Life Transitions
+3
You're the one everyone calls first; composed outside, exhausted inside. I'm Dr. Dezetta Burnett, DSW, LCSW. My virtual California practice helps women and professionals work through anxiety, burnout, boundaries, and the waiting and grief of IVF. Sessions are direct and practical: you'll leave with a clear next step, not just insight. Midday weekday telehealth, built to fit inside your workday. If you are a new or current client who is preparing for IVF or IUI, currently undergoing treatment, or have recently completed treatment, and you do not see an available appointment within the timeframe you need, please schedule my next available appointment and send me a message. I will make every effort to accommodate you sooner if an opening becomes available.
VirtualAvailable
Open-minded
Warm
Authentic
Specialties
Anxiety
LGBTQ
Trauma and PTSD
Professional with over thirty experience collectively in mental health/clinic-based care and in an educational capacity. Bilingual fluency in both English and Spanish. Extensive work experience with culturally diverse populations throughout San Diego County and Ventura County. Knowledgeable in working with co-occurring disorders, substance abuse and a variety of mental health disorders. Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor since an intern in 2006.
VirtualAvailable
Authentic
Warm
Specialties
Life Transitions
Serious Mental Illness
Trauma and PTSD
+3
I enjoy working collaboratively to develop goals that are realistic, meaningful, and lead to positive change. I view therapy as a journey—one that helps you find steadier footing and supports you as you move along your unique path. Although much of my background has been in public service settings working with severe mental illness, acute crises, and trauma, I welcome concerns of any size. No problem is too small or too overwhelming to bring into therapy. I invite you to give the therapy process a chance to work for you! I have been in the behavioral health field for more than 30 years and have been licensed since 2012. I have a practical, down-to-Earth style with an open-minded, solution focused approach. There is likely no issue too complicated or difficult for me to work with. I like to establish a clear treatment path with attainable goals, making it easier for you. I encourage you to give the therapy process a chance to work for you. My goal is to offer steady support and thoughtful guidance as you discover a healing path that truly fits your life. While life can be challenging, you don’t have to navigate it alone—therapy can provide a safe space to find clarity, resilience, and hope.
VirtualAvailable
Warm
Authentic
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Women's Issues
+6
As a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), I specialize in helping adults navigate anxiety, depression, and the emotional challenges that can make everyday life feel overwhelming. I believe therapy is a collaborative process where you can feel heard, understood, and supported while developing the tools to create meaningful change. My approach is warm, compassionate, and individualized, I work with clients to help them understand the thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationship patterns that may be contributing to their struggles. Together, we identify practical strategies to manage symptoms, strengthen coping skills, and developing healthier ways of responding to life's challenges.
VirtualAvailable
Solution oriented
Warm
Solution oriented
Specialties
Eating Disorders
Health/Medical Issues
Mood Disorders
+10
Hello! My name is Lori Sanderson, I am a licensed clinical therapist with a master's degree in clinical social work and a doctoral degree in health education and promotion. I enjoy looking at your thoughts and assumptions and how they contribute to uncomfortable emotions or feelings. How you think contributes to how you feel and how you behave. How you behave also contributes to how you feel. I will meet you where you are, but I will also help you develop a stronger and healthier version of you. We will do this together by helping you to explore the potential roots of your struggles and by giving you the tools to manage your emotional responses to life stressors, including tragedies, medical conditions, losses, criticism, etc. You deserve somewhere that you can share what is on your mind, be emotionally supported and validated, without fear of being judged. You deserve someone who can support you in becoming the best and most fulfilled version of you.
VirtualAvailable
Frequently asked questions

When looking for online therapy, you can see anyone that is credentialed in California. We want you to find the best fit, therefore, Grow Therapy shows available therapists across California from San Francisco to San Diego! If you’d rather see someone in-person, you can change the filter from virtual and find a therapist near you in California.

Yes! If you use Optum you’ll be asked to verify your Member ID at the time you book the appointment. However, if you don’t have Optum you can select cash. Our therapists will have their cost of appointment on their profile. Individual session costs will vary.

The specialty filter is optional. You don’t need to check any boxes to see a provider. However, fit is very important when selecting an online therapist. If you have knowledge or experience to recognize what specialties you may need.

Finding a provider with a similar life experience can be beneficial because it can be easier to establish rapport and potentially be understood quicker and clearer.

Your first therapy session is for you and your therapist to meet each other and to ask any questions that you have about the counseling process. This is where you can expect your therapist to do the same as they will ask questions to gain insight into your specific situation. In this first session the therapist is doing their part to gather as much information so they can better assess if they are able to meet your therapeutic needs. Depending upon your provider's specialty, you may also discuss the methods the therapist will use. For additional information on therapy methods, please visit the Grow Therapy Help Center.Some people feel nervous before their first appointment, and that is totally normal! Coming prepared with a list of questions for your therapist may help. Remember, you're taking a brave step by seeking therapy, and it is okay to be nervous as you try something new.