About Me

Welcome! I’m Helen Valenstein, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist in California.

Philosophy: My approach balances insight—deepening your understanding of yourself, relationships, and the world around you—with action, creating a clear path for meaningful change. I provide a supportive, nonjudgmental space where your goals shape our work together. My hope is you feel supported and seen, knowing I’m truly “in your corner” as we work to address what’s bringing you to therapy.

I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, substance use, relationships issues, and life transitions. My approach is flexible and grounded in evidence-based therapies that have been shown to be effective through research, to ensure you get the most out of our time together. Specifically, I have extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Behavioral Activation, Exposure Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, and I am a certified Cognitive Processing Therapy provider and consultant for Prolonged Exposure therapy.

Training and Experience: I earned my undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Washington, and have worked in academic medical centers and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, I am a therapist supervisor and consultant for a national mental health technology company while running my private telehealth therapy practice. My past research, published in peer-reviewed journals, focuses on therapy effectiveness and therapist training (you can find my Google Scholar profile here).

On a personal note, I enjoy spending time outdoors, singing (formally in choir, now in the car), and seeing live theater and comedy.

I look forward to getting to know you and supporting you on your path.