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Walnut Creek therapists · California telehealth

Walnut Creek Therapists for Couples, Sex Therapy, EMDR, and ADHD.

Three California-licensed therapists based in Walnut Creek: Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093 (founder of My Mental Climb), Michelle Cortez, AMFT #146795 (supervised by Christina), and Jalyse Stewart, AMFT #153712 (supervised by Christina). One small team, each clinician with a defined specialty, so the consult conversation can match you to fit instead of handing you off.

Telehealth is our default. Most of our Walnut Creek clients meet with us via secure video, which fits how the Bay Area works: commute schedules, childcare windows, and jobs where blocking 90 minutes for an office visit is hard.

Book a Free 15-Min ConsultMeet the Team
Secure telehealth statewide
1460 Maria Ln #300, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (business address)
Evenings and weekends

The team

Three therapists, one practice, defined specialties.

Most California therapy practices either advertise one solo clinician (limited capacity, limited match) or list thirty therapists (you pick blind). Our team is intentionally small enough that the intake conversation can match the clinical fit, and broad enough across modalities that you don't have to leave to find what you need.

Christina Mathieson, LMFT

Christina Mathieson

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) #115093

Human sexuality, couples work, ADHD and neurodiversity-affirming therapy, and affirming care for individuals navigating relationships, identity, and life transitions.

Michelle Cortez, AMFT

Michelle Cortez

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #146795

Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093

If therapy has felt too slow or too surface-level, that is exactly what I work against. Couples stuck in attachment patterns, anxiety and OCD, and neurodivergent clients who need structure and real feedback.

Jalyse Stewart, AMFT

Jalyse Stewart

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #153712

Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093

Trauma-informed therapy for women healing from childhood sexual abuse, complex trauma, and what a lifetime of carrying other people's weight does to the nervous system. I also work with neurodivergent clients and trauma that intersects with grief, anxiety, or chronic overcompensation.

What our Walnut Creek therapists work on

Specialties covered by the team.

Couples therapySex therapyTrauma therapy & IFSEMDR therapyAnxiety & OCDDepressionADHD & neurodivergenceLGBTQ+ affirmative therapyWomen's therapyGottman MethodEmotionally Focused TherapyIndividual therapy

Why telehealth works for Walnut Creek clients

Walnut Creek runs on commute and calendar pressure. Telehealth removes the friction.

The 680 corridor moves on tight schedules: dual-career couples coordinating childcare windows, tech and biotech professionals with meetings stacked from 9 to 6, parents in Lafayette, Orinda, Alamo, and Danville running between school pickups and client calls. The reason most Walnut Creek clients chose us is that they could fit a 50-minute session between a late meeting and dinner without a commute on either end.

The math on in-person therapy in Walnut Creek is usually 20 to 40 minutes of driving + parking + buffer time on top of a 50-minute session. That's often the difference between making weekly therapy work for 6 months and dropping it after 4 weeks. Telehealth removes that overhead. For Walnut Creek and East Bay clients juggling commute and calendar pressure, it's usually the structural difference between therapy working and therapy not working.

The research backs this up. Outcome studies on telehealth therapy consistently show comparable results to in-person work for most adult outpatient cases, including for couples therapy and trauma reprocessing. What matters is a stable internet connection, a private space, and a clinician who knows how to manage the intensity of the work remotely.

We also see clients across California beyond Walnut Creek. Our license covers the state, and we regularly see clients in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and Santa Barbara. Walnut Creek is our home; California is our service area.

FAQ

Common questions about working with our Walnut Creek therapists.

Are your Walnut Creek therapists all licensed in California?

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Yes. Christina Mathieson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #115093). Michelle Cortez and Jalyse Stewart are Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFT #146795 and AMFT #153712), both supervised by Christina under California Board of Behavioral Sciences regulations.

Do all three Walnut Creek therapists offer telehealth?

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Yes. All three see clients via secure video across California. Telehealth is our default model. Most Walnut Creek and East Bay clients meet with us via video for the flexibility around commutes, childcare, and professional schedules.

What kinds of clients do your Walnut Creek therapists typically work with?

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Couples (Gottman Method with Christina, EFT-informed work with Michelle), individuals working on anxiety, depression, ADHD, identity, and life transitions, trauma survivors (EMDR with Jalyse, IFS with Christina), and clients in ethical non-monogamy, kink-affirming, or LGBTQ+ work. Many of our Walnut Creek clients are dual-career professionals, parents in high-achievement zip codes, or people in mid-life transitions.

Can I work with one of your Walnut Creek therapists if I don't live in Walnut Creek?

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Yes. All three clinicians are licensed to see clients anywhere in California via telehealth. Many of our clients are in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other California metros. Walnut Creek is our business and licensing address; California is our service area.

Do your therapists work evenings and weekends?

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Yes. We offer evenings and weekends to fit around the typical Bay Area work schedule. Jalyse Stewart specifically offers weekend sessions, which is useful for couples whose weekday schedules don't allow weekly therapy.

How does pricing work?

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We don't accept insurance directly, but most PPO plans reimburse out-of-network sessions. We provide superbills for reimbursement. Rates vary by clinician level (associates and licensed). See our cost of therapy page for the full breakdown by therapist type and how California PPO out-of-network reimbursement works.

Start the conversation

A 15-minute call with one of our Walnut Creek therapists.

Free, no pressure. We'll figure out which clinician on the team is the right fit, or refer you somewhere better suited if we aren't.

Book a Free Consult