California Therapy Finder

Therapists licensed in California, available online across the state

Parenting Therapists Licensed in California

This page lists therapists licensed in California who work with parenting issues. It is for parents, caregivers, and guardians looking for online support with co-parenting, behaviour management, child development concerns, blended family transitions, and parent mental health. Compare therapists by their specialty areas, therapeutic approaches, experience with child age ranges, whether they offer family or individual sessions, and communication formats. A California license covers the whole state, so your city is not a barrier to working with any therapist on this list. Read each profile to see which approach and focus feel like the best fit for your family needs.

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  1. 1. 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

  2. 2. Deana Porter, LMFT

    29 years in practice · English · Female

    California LMFT for relationships and families

    Works with Relationship · Family · Trauma and abuse · Intimacy-related issues · Self esteem

    Approaches Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) · Gottman Method

    Continue with Deana Online sessions

  3. 3. Earl Barrios, LPCC

    38 years in practice · English · Male

    Support for anxiety, relationships, and trauma healing

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

    Approaches Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Existential Therapy · Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

    Continue with Earl Online sessions

  4. 4. Hyun Lee, LMFT

    11 years in practice · English · Female

    Works with Relationship · Family · Intimacy-related issues · Parenting · Self esteem

    Continue with Hyun Online sessions

  5. 5. Dr. David Sommers, LCSW

    40 years in practice · English · Male

    California LCSW with 40 years experience

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

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy

    Continue with Dr. Online sessions

  6. 6. Alejandro Holguin, LCSW

    13 years in practice · English · Male

    Compassionate, evidence-based support for lasting emotional balance

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

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

    Continue with Alejandro Online sessions

  7. 7. Linda Alcala, LMFT

    10 years in practice · English, Spanish · Female

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

    Continue with Linda Online sessions

  8. 8. 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

  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. Katherine Eldean, LMFT

    20 years in practice · English · Female

    Katherine Eldean, California LMFT focused on relationships and stress

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

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

    Continue with Katherine Online sessions

  11. 11. 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

  12. 12. Lynda Green Alter, LMFT

    25 years in practice · English · Female

    California LMFT specializing in relationships and trauma

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

    Continue with Lynda Online sessions

  13. 13. Patricia Riley, LCSW

    20 years in practice · English · Female

    California LCSW supporting relationships and life changes

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

    Approaches Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) · Motivational Interviewing

    Continue with Patricia Online sessions

  14. 14. 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

  15. 15. Robyn Peace, LCSW

    11 years in practice · English · Female

    LCSW specializing in trauma and parenting

    Works with Trauma and abuse · Parenting

    Continue with Robyn Online sessions

About parenting therapy in California

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 outside a major metro can work with a therapist whose books would otherwise be out of reach.

971 therapists match this page, all of whom name parenting 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.

Common questions

How do I choose a therapist who understands parenting across different child ages?

Look for therapists who specify the child age ranges they have worked with, such as infants, toddlers, school-age children, or teens. Check their descriptions for experience with developmental stages and age-specific issues, like sleep, discipline, school problems, or adolescent identity. Ask about techniques they use for parent coaching versus direct work with the child.

Can a therapist help with co-parenting conflicts even if parents live in different parts of California?

Yes. Because California licenses cover the whole state, therapists listed here can work with parents who live in different cities within California. Compare therapists on whether they offer joint sessions, mediation-style support, or coaching for communication and custody-related concerns. Ask about their approach to coordinating care across households.

What should I ask a therapist before starting parenting-focused therapy?

Ask about their training and experience with parenting issues, the therapeutic approaches they use for families and parents, whether they offer parent-only coaching or sessions that include children, and how they measure progress. Also ask about session format options, typical session length, and how they handle crisis or urgent concerns related to child safety.

Parenting therapists by city

Other focus areas