California Therapy Finder

Therapists licensed in California, available online across the state

Grief Therapists Available in Oakland

This page lists therapists who work with grief and are available to clients in Oakland. It is for anyone looking for online grief support, whether you are processing a recent loss, navigating complicated feelings, or seeking parent, partner or family support after bereavement. Compare each therapist’s approach to grief, training, specialties, session format and whether they work with adults, adolescents or families. Note that a California license covers the whole state, so therapists available to clients in Oakland are legally able to serve you regardless of where they are based within California.

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  1. 1. Mark Saverino, LCSW

    35 years in practice · English · Male

    Experienced California LCSW helping with stress and grief

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Grief · Anger · Self esteem · Depression

    Continue with Mark Online sessions
  2. 2. 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
  3. 3. Matthew Esselstrom, LMFT

    22 years in practice · English · Non-binary

    California LMFT with 22 years experience

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

    Continue with Matthew Online sessions
  4. 4. 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
  5. 5. 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
  6. 6. Christopher Lum, LCSW

    15 years in practice · English · Male

    Works with Addictions · Grief · Depression · Coping with life changes · Compassion fatigue

    Continue with Christopher Online sessions
  7. 7. Zeph Locke, LMFT

    12 years in practice · English · Female

    Resilience-focused care for mood disorders

    Works with Grief · Bipolar

    Continue with Zeph Online sessions
  8. 8. 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
  9. 9. 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
  10. 10. 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
  11. 11. Ginger Little, LMFT

    35 years in practice · English · Female

    California LMFT specializing in men's issues

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · Relationship · Trauma and abuse · Grief · Intimacy-related issues

    Continue with Ginger Online sessions
  12. 12. Dr. Andrea Shirley, LMFT

    27 years in practice · English · Female

    Experienced California LMFT supporting relationships and life changes

    Works with Stress, Anxiety · LGBT · Relationship · Family · Self esteem

    Approaches Client-Centered Therapy · Narrative Therapy · Solution-Focused Therapy

    Continue with Dr. Online sessions
  13. 13. 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
  14. 14. Joseph Tillman, LCSW

    40 years in practice · English · Male

    LCSW with 40 years supporting emotional healing

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

    Continue with Joseph Online sessions
  15. 15. Kendall Jones, LCSW

    25 years in practice · English · Male

    Compassionate therapist guiding personal growth

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

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

    Continue with Kendall Online sessions

About grief therapy for people in Oakland

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 Oakland 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 Oakland

Oakland has a population of about 440,646. 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

What kinds of grief do these therapists typically work with?

Therapists on this list often work with many types of grief, including bereavement after death, anticipatory grief, complicated or prolonged grief, and grief related to relationship endings or loss of roles. Check each profile for specific experience with the type of loss you’re facing and whether they offer approaches that match your needs, such as trauma-informed care or family-focused support.

How do I choose a grief therapist if I’m unsure what approach I need?

Look for profiles that describe their therapeutic approaches, like CBT, grief-focused therapy, narrative or meaning-making methods. Consider whether you want short-term coping strategies, help processing traumatic loss, or ongoing support. Read about their experience with similar losses and client populations, and use initial contact to ask how they typically structure grief work and what a first session might cover.

Can therapists on this page help with grief that is complicated by mental health issues?

Many therapists list experience treating grief alongside depression, anxiety, trauma or substance use. When a loss is complicated by other mental health concerns, look for clinicians who note integrated or co-occurring treatment experience. Ask about how they coordinate care with other providers and whether they adapt grief work to address overlapping symptoms and safety concerns.

Other reasons people in Oakland look for a therapist

Grief in nearby cities