Hi, I’m Luke. Here’s who you’d be talking to.
I’m a licensed clinical social worker in California, and I work online with adults who carry a lot and rarely get asked how they’re doing.
- License
- LCSW No. 121917
- Where
- Telehealth only, for adults in California
- Approach
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and parts work, from a warm, person-centered home base
- Sessions
- 50 minutes, $200, private pay, superbills available
- First step
- A free 15-minute video call
(Yes, I’m a real person. Yes, I know that’s a low bar.)
The people I tend to work with
Most of the people who come to me are the reliable ones. They run teams, businesses, households, and group chats, they know what a room needs before anyone says it, and they’ve gotten very good at making things look easy. They’re also tired in a way that’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t felt it.
The details vary, and I read them as three overlapping patterns:
Preparing, checking, and bracing, even when everything is going well
A standard that moves every time it’s met, and rest that keeps getting rescheduled
Keeping everyone comfortable, and losing track of what they want
If you’re still doing the days and paying for them at night, you’re in the right place.
Who this isn’t for
I’d rather be upfront about who I’m not the right fit for than have anyone find that out in session three.
- Anyone in a mental health crisis or at immediate risk
- Court-involved or court-ordered therapy
- Primary treatment for substance use or addiction
- Couples or family therapy
- Teens and children, since I work with adults only
If one of those sounds like what you need, that’s not a failing on your part. It just means someone else will serve you better, and I’m happy to say so on the free call.
What it’s like to work with me
Warm and accepting
There’s no need to arrive with a tidy story or the right words. “Here’s what’s going on and I don’t even know how to make sense of it” is a perfectly good place to start.
Deeply listening
I listen for what’s underneath what gets said, and I’ll tell you what I’m noticing along the way, because an hour of polite agreement isn’t much use to anyone.
Room for it all
The capable parts, the exhausted parts, the humor, and the heavy stuff are all welcome, and none of it has to be tidied up first.
Plain language
No jargon unless it earns its place, and if I use a term I’ll explain it. If one of your own images, like a weight, a wall, or energy, says it better than a clinical word, we’ll use yours.
None of this is about making anyone less capable or less driven. What tends to change is the fear underneath the drive, so the same ambition can feel lighter to carry. I’d rather help someone keep what’s good about how they work than file it down.
What we actually do
Sessions are 50 minutes, online, and more conversation than lecture. Roughly, they go like this:
- 1We start with what’s most alive this week.Not a prepared agenda, just whatever is taking up the most room.
- 2We get curious about the passengers.The part that’s bracing, the part that’s tired, the part that says yes too quickly. None of them is wrong, and each has been trying to help.
- 3Sometimes there’s a small experiment.Something to try or notice, to see what changes, never a test to pass.
- 4We check in on whether it’s useful.If something isn’t working, that’s information, and I’d like to hear it.
Homework is optional. Therapy isn’t a quick fix, and I’d rather say so than promise otherwise, but many people notice small shifts along the way, and we keep checking that the direction still feels right.
A bit about me
I’m a licensed clinical social worker in California, trained at California Baptist University and licensed in 2024. Before becoming a therapist I worked in education, and since then my clinical experience has taken me through psychiatric hospitals, work with veterans, county mental health, and a school district. For the past two years I’ve also been in private practice.
What pulled me toward this work was never the technique. It was the quiet one-on-one moments when someone felt safe enough to be honest and something shifted. I try to build that kind of room: one where you don’t have to perform, explain yourself perfectly, or take care of anyone else.
I don’t hold a specialty certification in anxiety, perfectionism, or people-pleasing. What I have is training, experience across a range of settings, and a group of people I understand well and work well with.
(That’s the résumé version. The rest comes out in sessions.)
What working together looks like
Goals are a big part of therapy, and they don’t have to be perfectly worded. They’re more like a destination we map out together, and they can change along the way. My job is to keep checking that we’re headed toward what matters to you.
Good to know
- Where
- Telehealth only, for adults who live in California
- When
- First sessions are often available within about a week
- Cost
- $200 per session, private pay, superbills available
- Policies
- Cancellation and scheduling details come with your intake paperwork
Common questions
Do you offer in-person sessions?
No. Everything is online, for adults who are located in California at the time of the session.
What if we’re not a good fit?
Then I’ll say so, and we can look for someone better suited. Fit matters more than momentum, and a free call is a low-pressure way to find out.
I’ve been in therapy before and it didn’t help. Is this different?
I can’t promise it will be, but I’d like to hear what didn’t work, because it tells me a lot. Many people come to me after therapy that felt repetitive, lacked direction, or left them doing the explaining, and I try to keep checking in on whether the work is useful.
Start with a free 15-minute call
Bring questions about me, too. This goes both ways, and it’s meant to be an easy first step.
(I’ll answer honestly, including with “I don’t know.”)