Optum Therapists in California

Finding a therapist who accepts Optum insurance can make accessing mental health support more manageable and affordable. With 898 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.

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Los AngelesSan DiegoSacramentoOaklandSan Francisco

Availability updated: 8/22/2026

Often rebooked

Warm
Empowering
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and PTSD
+10
We all experience life's challenges, feel alone, stuck and unsure what to do sometimes. I understand, it can be scary, seeking professional help for personal issues. I also know, therapy can be deeply healing, when one can open up and take the first step towards mental well-being and self-love! My name is Janaelyn Mitchell, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist that provides individual therapy and coaching.
VirtualAvailable
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Warm
Authentic
Solution oriented
Specialties
ADHD
Anxiety
Depression
+3
Seeking therapy is a courageous step, and I strive to create a warm, supportive space where you feel heard. I specialize in helping individuals facing anxiety, depression, ADHD, and past trauma. My goal is to help you develop insight, resilience, and confidence in navigating life’s challenges. Whether you're dealing with stress, life transitions, or healing from past wounds, I’m here to support you with a compassionate and client-centered approach. At this time, I do not provide couples or family therapy. I primarily offer appointments in the evening and weekends and some Fridays.
VirtualAvailable
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Often rebooked

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
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Warm
Empowering
Authentic
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Life Transitions
+10
Hey there! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Los Angeles, California. I received my Masters from USC and have been practicing for 12 years and counting. I work with adults who are struggling with stress management, anxiety, depression and major life transitions. I empower my clients to be the best version of themselves while finding balance in their life.
VirtualAvailable
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Warm
Empowering
Authentic
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Self Esteem
+2
Hello! Are you feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, grief, adjustment concerns, or relationship challenges? I'm here to help. My approach is collaborative and supportive. I'm focused on helping you build and practice new skills, deepen your understanding of yourself, and regain confidence as you navigate life's challenges. Together, we can work toward a meaningful change and well-being.
VirtualAvailable
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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
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Often rebooked

Authentic
Warm
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Life Transitions
+5
Hello and welcome, My name is Mayra, and I am currently accepting new clients for therapy. I am a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker, fluent in English and Spanish, with over 17 years of experience in the mental health field. I provide a supportive, compassionate, and nonjudgmental space where you can safely explore your thoughts, emotions, and life challenges. I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, communication struggles, divorce, life transitions, stress, and grief. Together, we will identify patterns, build effective coping skills, and create meaningful, lasting change at a pace that feels right for you. I am passionate about supporting individuals as they navigate life’s challenges and discover strategies that promote healing, resilience, and emotional well-being. My approach is warm, collaborative, and client-centered. I strive to create a space where you feel heard, understood, and empowered to grow. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. I deeply value each person’s unique story and tailor therapy to meet your specific needs, strengths, and goals. Beginning therapy can feel overwhelming or intimidating, but you do not have to face it alone. Taking the first step is often the hardest, yet it can also be the start of meaningful transformation. I look forward to the opportunity to support you on your journey toward healing and growth. — Mayra
VirtualAvailable
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Warm
Intelligent
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and PTSD
+4
I have specialized interest and experience working with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression and trauma and I meet you wherever you are on your journey. I offer my presence, empathy, authenticity and facilitate work in a way that helps you look at aspects you maybe unaware of that are needed, aspects that no longer serve and offer tools to start to move forward on your journey with renewed hope and understanding. I choose from different therapeutic modalities and am very interactive in my sessions, helping you to connect the dots to the stuck parts of yourself so you can start to experience growth in a way that is meaningful to you.
VirtualAvailable
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Often rebooked

Empowering
Authentic
Warm
Specialties
Anxiety
Life Transitions
Trauma and PTSD
+8
Welcome! ¡Bienvenido! My name is Silvia and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the State of California. My mission is to create a positive, supportive space where you feel truly empowered. Therapy should feel like a meaningful conversation—one that helps you breathe a little easier and feel a little lighter each time we meet. I strive to offer an environment where you feel heard, supported, guided, and safe. Through a humanistic approach, I focus on making our time together feel valuable, collaborative, and deeply meaningful.
VirtualAvailable
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Empowering
Authentic
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Depression
+5
Welcome! I am a licensed therapist providing compassionate and supportive therapy to adults and couples. I work with individuals who may be experiencing depression, low motivation, anxiety, excessive worry, stress, past trauma, relationship concerns, life transitions, and other challenges that may impact their emotional well-being. Therapy can provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space to talk openly about your experiences and concerns. My approach is collaborative and focused on helping you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while developing practical tools to navigate life's challenges. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or simply looking for support during a difficult time, you do not have to work through it alone. Together, we can identify your strengths, develop healthy coping strategies, improve communication and relationships, and work toward goals that are meaningful to you. I believe that therapy is a process of growth and that each person's journey is unique. My goal is to meet you where you are, provide support and guidance, and help you build greater confidence, self-awareness, and emotional well-being.
Available
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Often rebooked

Warm
Empowering
Authentic
Specialties
Autism
Self Esteem
Spirituality
+7
Hi there! This human experience is quite the journey, isn’t it? The fact that you are struggling does NOT make you weak, it means you are human! Nobody was given a manual for how to live life and we all have our own challenges. Perhaps you feel alone, lost, not good enough, angry, depressed, anxious, or all the above. Perhaps you feel stuck in the past or like you can’t get out of your own way. Whatever you’re struggling with, we can use these challenges to learn from and grow into who we truly are. My intention is always to lead with compassion to create a safe space for you to freely look within and create the life you want.
VirtualAvailable
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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
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Solution oriented
Empowering
Warm
Specialties
Anxiety
Life Transitions
Self Esteem
+10
Hi, I’m Brittany, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. I help adults and adolescents who are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, life transitions, or relationship challenges. Many of my clients are high-functioning but stuck in patterns of overthinking, self-criticism, or burnout. I take a collaborative, practical approach using evidence-based tools to help you feel calmer, more grounded, and better able to manage daily stress and life changes over time.
VirtualAvailable
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Warm
Authentic
Empowering
Specialties
Anxiety
Child or Adolescent
Depression
+10
Welcome! I'm Melinna. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Los Angeles, California. I received my Master's Degree from USC and have been practicing for 13 years. I want to commend you for taking the first step towards bettering your mental health because, let's be honest, starting therapy can be empowering, confusing, or scary, all at the same time. I strive to create a safe and welcoming environment that allows clients to explore obstacles with concerns related to their mental health issues. I focus on helping clients develop coping skills, assertive communication, and boundaries with themselves and those around them, and on gaining the tools to improve their quality of life. Therapy can foster personal development in whatever way you seek and help build the life you so deeply deserve. If that's what you're looking for, I'm here when you're ready to share. ¡Bienvenidos! Soy Melinna. Soy una terapeuta matrimonial y familiar con licencia (LMFT) en Los Ángeles, California. Obtuve mi maestría en USC y he ejercido durante 13 años. Quiero felicitarlo por dar el primer paso para mejorar su salud mental, porque, seamos honestos, comenzar la terapia puede ser empoderador, confuso y aterrador, todo a la vez. Me esfuerzo por crear un entorno seguro y acogedor que les permita a los pacientes explorar obstáculos y preocupaciones relacionados con sus problemas de salud mental. Me enfoco en ayudar a los pacientes a desarrollar habilidades de afrontamiento, comunicación asertiva y límites consigo mismos y con quienes los rodean, y a obtener las herramientas necesarias para mejorar su calidad de vida. La terapia puede fomentar el desarrollo personal de cualquier manera en que esté buscando y ayudarlo a construir la vida que tanto merece. Si eso es lo que está buscando, estoy aquí cuando esté listo para compartir.
VirtualAvailable
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Authentic
Empowering
Warm
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Life Transitions
+7
Hello, I’m Dr. Crystal Bender-Hester, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience supporting adolescents, adults, couples, and families through life’s challenges. I specialize in helping clients manage anxiety, depression, stress, relationship concerns, self-esteem issues, and major life transitions while creating a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space for healing and growth. My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and practical. I use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), DBT-informed strategies, and solution-focused techniques to help clients better understand themselves, strengthen coping skills, improve communication, and create healthier patterns in their daily lives and relationships. I believe therapy should feel empowering, culturally sensitive, and tailored to each individual’s unique needs and goals. For clients who desire it, I can also incorporate a spiritual or faith-based perspective into the therapeutic process as part of a holistic approach to healing and emotional wellness. My goal is to help clients feel heard, supported, and equipped with tools that promote long-term emotional wellness and personal growth.
Available
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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
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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
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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
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Warm
Authentic
Solution oriented
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Life Transitions
+10
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps adults ages 18 to 65+ navigate anxiety, trauma, life transitions, relationship stress, and emotional overwhelm. I provide a warm, supportive, culturally sensitive space where you can feel understood and empowered. My goal is to help you build insight, strengthen coping skills, heal past wounds, and create a more balanced and fulfilling life.
VirtualAvailable
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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
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Warm
Authentic
Direct
Specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Life Transitions
+1
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker that practices using a solution focused, trauma informed approach. My speciality includes EMDR, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and mindfulness approaches rooted in meditative practice to allow for a safe, and calming space. I have over 18 years of experience in the mental health field in which I apply to my practice with each tailored plan per client.
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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
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Specialties
Anxiety
Life Transitions
Men's Issues
+4
I’m a licensed professional counselor with 20 years of experience in community mental health settings. As a therapist and behavioral health practitioner, I have worked with complex trauma, psychosis, mood disorders, anxiety, depression, and co-occurring substance use. I have a masters degree in clinical psychology from the University of Amsterdam and lived in the Netherlands for six years. There, I also began building my family, and that international foundation shaped both how I think and how I work. I work with adults navigating a wide range of life challenges — from anxiety, depression, and relationship patterns to identity, major transitions, and the quieter but persistent sense that something just isn’t working. This includes people working through faith transitions or untangling the psychological weight of a strict or high-control religious upbringing — something I understand not just clinically, but personally. Whether you’re in crisis or simply ready to understand yourself better, I meet people where they are.
Available
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Warm
Empowering
Authentic
Specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
+9
Hello! I know that choosing to seek therapy is hard and I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been working in the mental health field for over twenty years. I specialize in depression, anxiety, grief & loss, addiction, chronic illness, as well as relationship issues. During my sessions, I provide empathy, support, validation and am a space of unconditional acceptance to help you to be YOU - only better.
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Often rebooked

Authentic
Empowering
Direct
Specialties
Life Transitions
Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)
Self Esteem
+4
Through connection, empathy and a non-judgmental approach, I offer ways to help you discover what may be blocking you from finding your true path in life. By not seeing an individual for what symptoms they have or what is affecting them, I am more interested in helping you find what is the cause of symptoms and how to process them. I work with adults from all backgrounds. I am also open to any culture, belief, identification or orientation. All are welcome. I base all individual therapy on a client-focused approach and adapt sessions to the needs of each person.
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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.