California Therapy Finder

Therapists licensed in California, available online across the state

Grief Therapists Available in Bakersfield

This page is for people in Bakersfield looking for therapists who work with grief and bereavement. Use it to compare therapists’ approaches, areas of specialism, therapy styles, and whether they list experience with loss, complicated grief, or grief after trauma. All therapists shown are licensed in California, and a California license covers the whole state, so being within California is not a barrier to working with any listed clinician. Consider which therapist’s stated focus and communication style match your needs before contacting them.

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  1. 1. Nathalie Contro, LMFT

    3 years in practice · English, Spanish · Female

    Collaborative LMFT for relationships and trauma

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Addictions · Relationship · Family · Depression

    Approaches Attachment-Based Therapy · Client-Centered Therapy · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    Continue with Nathalie Online sessions
  2. 2. Eileen Maxwel, LMFT

    20 years in practice · English · Female

    Licensed California Marriage and Family Therapist

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Relationship · Family · Parenting · Depression

    Continue with Eileen Online sessions
  3. 3. Cynthia Rumford-Jones, LCSW

    22 years in practice · English · Female

    Compassionate LCSW for life transitions

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Anger · Self esteem · Depression · Coping with life changes

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    Continue with Cynthia Online sessions
  4. 4. Claudia Santiago, LCSW

    12 years in practice · English, Spanish · Female

    California LCSW supporting complex emotional challenges

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Trauma and abuse · Grief · Self esteem · Depression

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Gottman Method

    Continue with Claudia Online sessions
  5. 5. Sherri Kardell, LMFT

    7 years in practice · English · Female

    Sherri Kardell, LMFT - Attachment-informed therapist

    Works with Relationship · Family · Trauma and abuse · Grief · Self esteem

    Approaches Attachment-Based Therapy · Client-Centered Therapy · Existential Therapy

    Continue with Sherri Online sessions
  6. 6. Claudia Smith, LCSW

    40 years in practice · English · Female

    California LCSW with 40 years experience

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Addictions · Self esteem · Depression · ADHD

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy · Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) · Mindfulness Therapy

    Continue with Claudia Online sessions
  7. 7. Christine Piddington, LCSW

    11 years in practice · English · Female

    Support for grief, stress, and life transitions

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Family · Trauma and abuse · Grief · Depression

    Approaches Existential Therapy · Solution-Focused Therapy

    Continue with Christine Online sessions
  8. 8. Zeph Locke, LMFT

    12 years in practice · English · Female

    Resilience-focused care for mood disorders

    Works with Grief · Bipolar

    Continue with Zeph Online sessions
  9. 9. Keith Chilton, LMFT

    30 years in practice · English · Male

    Experienced California Marriage and Family Therapist

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Addictions · Relationship · Trauma and abuse · Depression

    Approaches Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) · Attachment-Based Therapy · Client-Centered Therapy

    Continue with Keith Online sessions
  10. 10. Menachem Stulberger, LMFT

    12 years in practice · English · Male

    Compassionate LMFT specializing in relationships and anxiety

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Family · Parenting · Self esteem · Depression

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    Continue with Menachem Online sessions
  11. 11. John Hammond, LMFT

    40 years in practice · English · Male

    California LMFT with 40 years experience

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Grief · Self esteem · Depression · Coping with life changes

    Continue with John Online sessions
  12. 12. Dr. Katherine Phillips, LMFT

    12 years in practice · English · Female

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Addictions · Relationship · Depression · Coping with life changes

    Continue with Dr. Online sessions
  13. 13. Chauncey Chatman, LMFT

    15 years in practice · English · Male

    Experienced California LMFT for adult clients

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Addictions · Trauma and abuse · Anger · Depression

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)

    Continue with Chauncey Online sessions
  14. 14. Dr. Frederick Smoot, LMFT

    5 years in practice · English · Male

    Compassionate LMFT for relationships and transitions

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Relationship · Family · Depression · Compassion fatigue

    Approaches Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) · Client-Centered Therapy · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    Continue with Dr. Online sessions
  15. 15. Sandra West, LMFT

    25 years in practice · English · Female

    California LMFT with 25 years experience

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Trauma and abuse · Grief · Self esteem · Coping with life changes

    Approaches Solution-Focused Therapy

    Continue with Sandra Online sessions

About grief therapy for people in Bakersfield

Everyone listed on this page holds a licence to practise in California and works online. That matters more than it sounds: a licence is issued by the state, not by a city, so a therapist is available to anyone in California regardless of how far away they are. Someone in Bakersfield can work with a therapist whose books would otherwise be out of reach.

1,259 therapists match this page, all of whom name grief among the areas they work with. Fifteen are shown above. The list changes between pages, so it is worth looking at more than one if none of these feels like a fit.

What to compare

  • Credential. LMFT, LCSW and LPCC are different training routes to the same licensed practice. None outranks the others; they shape emphasis rather than quality.
  • Years in practice. Shown for every therapist here. More experience is not automatically better, but it is a fair proxy for how much of a given problem someone has seen.
  • What else they work with. A therapist whose other focus areas overlap with your situation is usually a better starting point than one whose listed areas stop at the single thing you searched for.
  • Approach. CBT, psychodynamic, solution-focused and the rest describe how sessions tend to run. If you have tried therapy before and it did not suit you, changing approach is often more useful than changing therapist.
  • Language. Shown where a therapist offers sessions in more than English.

How online sessions work

Sessions run by video or by messaging, arranged through our partner platform rather than booked directly with the therapist. There is no travel and no waiting room, which for most people is the difference between starting and not starting. Pricing is set by the platform and shown before you commit.

Therapy in Bakersfield

Bakersfield has a population of about 403,455. Local in-person availability varies and waiting lists are common, which is part of why state-wide online practice has grown. Nothing on this page depends on a therapist being near you.

Common questions

How do I choose a therapist for grief work?

Think about the kind of support you want: short-term coping, processing deep loss, or ongoing adjustment. Look for therapists who describe experience with bereavement, complicated grief, or loss-related trauma. Compare therapy approaches (for example, narrative, CBT, or meaning-centered work) and read clinician notes on how they handle anniversaries, ritual, and family dynamics.

Can a therapist help with grief that is tied to a chronic illness or long caregiving?

Yes. Therapists who work with grief often have experience with losses tied to chronic illness and long-term caregiving. They can help you process anticipatory grief, role changes, guilt, and burnout. Check therapist profiles for mention of caregiver support or chronic illness-related loss to find clinicians who name these concerns.

Will my therapist need to be near Bakersfield to work with me online?

No. A California licence covers the whole state, so therapists licensed in California can work online with clients in Bakersfield. Location within California is not a barrier. Still check each therapist’s profile for any notes about their online practice or preferred client groups to ensure a good fit.

Other reasons people in Bakersfield look for a therapist

Grief in nearby cities