On Finding a Local In-Person Therapist Near You
new year’s resolutions: Is it time to start therapy?
So we’re almost at the end of January, which means you have probably already given up on New Year’s Resolutions or are just now getting around to thinking about making some. While I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions, I do believe deeply in supporting people to feel empowered right where they are.
Still, many folks feel pressure this time of year to “start doing something different.”
One of the most common changes people consider? Starting therapy for the first time—or returning after a long break.
If this is you, I see you. If you’ve been finding yourself flirting with google searches like “therapist near me” or “therapy in Northeast Los Angeles,” welcome. You are in excellent company. We’ve all asked Google to help us find one of the most intimate relationships of our lives: a therapist who actually gets us.
And, let’s face it, sometimes google actually does a pretty decent job recommending therapists and other services that might just be a great fit for you.
Why Finding a Therapist in Los Angeles Is So Hard
Despite being one of the most saturated therapy markets in the world, Los Angeles somehow makes therapy-seeking feel like speed-dating without the drinks.
Clients tell us all the time that:
therapists never call back
directories are overwhelming
therapists they’re interested in have no openings
they’re not sure who’s the right fit for them
they have no idea where to start
On our team, we’ve been there too—for our own therapy searches. So please know this: your frustration is valid.
My colleague, Steve Wilson, wrote a very helpful blog about 3 tips to help you start to find the therapist who will be a great fit for you, which gives you questions to consider when contacting prospective therapists to help determine if the therapist could be a good match. Or there’s this fabulous blog post by Caitlin Harrison about feeling ready to start therapy and what to expect from initial therapy sessions to help you feel more comfortable starting out.
How to Find Psychotherapists Near You (Without Losing Your Mind)
Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone
But how do you even get to the point of contacting a therapist who you feel could be a good fit?
I hear from clients and friends all the time about how overwhelming it feels just trying to locate any decent options. Honestly, I’ve been there too while searching for my own therapist—so if you’re feeling stuck, you’re (sadly) not alone.
The Telehealth Boom Changed the Therapy Landscape
Since the pandemic, online therapy (often called telehealth) has become widely accepted.
That’s great for accessibility, but it introduced a new challenge: it’s now harder to find a local therapist who offers in-person sessions in an actual therapy office.
My, how times have changed!
Big Therapy Tech Has Taken Over the Internet
I’ll be honest with you—therapy-tech giants like TalkSpace, BetterHelp, and TwoChairs, have fully taken over the online advertising space. This makes it incredibly tough for small, human-centered therapy practices to stand out…and it makes it tougher for therapy seekers (like you, dear reader) to find truly personalized, community-rooted support.
Why Local, In-Person Therapy Still Matters
At Kindman & Co. Therapy for Being Human, our focus is on supporting our hyperlocal communities of Highland Park and Northeast Los Angeles.
We see therapy as something that ripples outward—when we support people in our neighborhood, healing spreads through the community, and everyone benefits. More and more prospective clients tell us they’re craving a return to in-person psychotherapy and want support from therapists who genuinely understand their local community.
So How Do You Find a Local Therapist Who’s a Great Fit?
In a world dominated by online therapy ads and nationwide therapy tech companies (I’m sure you’ve also been barraged by the constant BetterHelp ads on NPR), finding a nearby therapist who actually offers in-person sessions can feel like detective work.
And if you’re interested in learning more about the quality of services provided by these online therapy giants, check out Anna Kim’s thoroughly-researched article about why we think BetterHelp isn’t really better help.
But don’t worry—we’re about to get into the good stuff!
And I promise it doesn’t have to involve interrogating your local barista (unless you want to, of course).
start with word-of-mouth recommendations
When you’re trying to find a great therapist near you, your best first move probably isn’t Google—it’s your people. Ask the folks you trust: colleagues, friends, family members, your dog walker, your book club buddies…anyone who might have a recommendation for a therapist they’ve seen or may happen to know.
Personal referrals carry a kind of relational magic that digitized therapist directories just can’t match. If someone who knows you thinks a local therapist could be a good fit, that insight is worth gold—and saves you from scrolling through 47 pages of “therapist near 90042” or “relationship therapist near Pasadena” at 2 a.m.
Am I right?
That’s also a lot of search results to try to sort through and a lot of time and energy devoted to doing so! I’m here to tell you to please first consult with your social circles and check out the trusted referrals that your loved ones (and dog walker) recommend for you first. These personal recommendations are also much more likely to be a great fit for you than any blind internet search.
And here’s a tiny insider secret:
Therapists love knowing someone referred you. We’re human—we also like being liked! If you mention a friend, former client, or colleague sent you my way, I’m going to do everything I can to make space for you if it’s possible.
Starting with your own community is often the quickest, warmest path to finding a therapist you can actually imagine opening up to.
Use Google Maps to Search for Local Therapists
In the off chance that your personal network comes up dry (or your dog walker only knows about dog therapists), Google Maps is your next best friend.
Though I was teasing a bit before about late-night web searches for therapists near me, this isn’t a bad option if you’re feeling stuck. Instead of typing “therapist in Highland Park” into the main Google bar—where big therapy tech dominates—open Google Maps and search there.
Why? Maps shows you actual local therapy offices, not large online platforms pretending to be in every city on Earth.
This helps you:
See which therapy practices are physically close to you
Filter for in-person providers
Find vetted practices by reading star ratings and reviews from local clients
Find smaller practices Google’s main search results bury
So searching within google maps helps to focus your efforts on local, in person offerings that you can ensure are easily accessible to you. If you want in-person therapy near Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Pasadena, or Northeast Los Angeles, Maps gives you the real local landscape—not the corporate one.
If you can’t get a personal recommendation, checking out local clients’ feedback about their experience with a therapist/practice is the next best thing!
Discover Local Therapy Practices by Walking Around Your Neighborhood
Yes, you read that right. Old-school wandering works surprisingly well.
If you spend time in Highland Park, L.A., you’ve probably walked right by several therapy practices without realizing it—many of us are tucked into busy stretches of Figueroa Blvd and York Blvd, often near the places you already visit.
Take a look around next time you’re grabbing an iced latte, browsing a bookstore, or waiting for your tacos at HomeState. Our Kindman & Co. office sits right across from the Lodge Room music venue and next to Mendocino Farms and Jeni’s Ice Cream—basically a therapeutic triangle of emotion processing, sandwiches, and sundaes.
Clients tell us all the time they found us just by strolling past—we love to hear that people are enjoying our signboard! Sometimes the right therapist is literally steps away.
A quick note:
Some practices have reception staff who can readily answer your questions, but many small practices (like ours) don’t take walk-ins. A quick email or website contact form is usually the best bet for getting in touch.
check community boards for local therapist flyers
If after some local strolling you still haven't found what you're looking for, check the community boards around your neighborhood—especially in places like coffee shops, yoga/dance studios, mom-and-pop restaurants, indie bookstores, and small retail spots.
Local businesses often make space for each other by sharing flyers and announcements. It’s community helping community, which is exactly the spirit we love. You might find flyers for therapists offering individual therapy, relationship work, therapy groups, or workshops that align with what you’re looking for.
At Kindman & Co., we regularly post flyers around Highland Park and Northeast LA when we’re running groups or community events. These boards are a surprisingly effective way to find therapists who are deeply rooted in your neighborhood.
Since we love supporting our local businesses too, I want to take this moment to encourage you to take a quick peek at our Highland Park neighborhood guide!
Kindman & Co. Is Your Local Northeast L.A. Therapy Practice
If you’re looking for an in-person therapist in Highland Park or anywhere in Northeast Los Angeles, you’re already closer than you think. Our office sits right in the heart of the North Figueroa Corridor—just two blocks from the Metro Gold Line Highland Park station, making us easy to reach from Pasadena, Azusa, or Downtown LA.
We’re a community-centered therapy practice—we deeply care about the people of Northeast Los Angeles and want to see our community continue to build collective healing. When we support the individuals, couples, and families of Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, and Cypress Park, we support the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
Since we love supporting our local businesses too, I want to take this moment to encourage you to take a quick peek at our Highland Park neighborhood guide! There are so many small businesses you can visit before or after your therapy sessions, within a few block walk from our office.
If you’re craving local, relational therapy with humans who care deeply about what happens in our neighborhood, reach out—we’d love to help you feel more grounded, supported, and connected.
We’re thrilled to be one of the featured 100 Best Psychotherapy Blogs on Feedspot! Check out their website to see some of the other featured psychotherapy blogs that you can follow.
Kaitlin Kindman, is a co-founder of Kindman & Co., is disabled, an activist, and a feminist. Her purpose is to help her clients come to believe that they are not alone, they belong, AND they inspire—they have the power to bring about change. She works with her clients to feel more connected, so that they take actions that improve their relationships and the world.
Kaitlin is deeply committed to providing socially just and anti-oppressive therapy. She really loves working with couples to improve their relationships and deepen intimacy, with other therapists and healers, as well as entrepreneurs and other business owners. Kaitlin finds true enjoyment in cuddling with animals, a just-right temperature cup of tea, feeling the sun on her face, and dancing in supermarket aisles.
GET HELP NOW
If you are interested in therapy with Kindman & Co. and would like to learn more about the services we have to help you, follow these quick & easy steps:
Schedule a free 20-minute phone consultation with our Care Coordinator.
Get matched with the therapist who’s right for you.
Start feeling more supported and fulfilled in your life and relationships!
THERAPY SERVICES AT KINDMAN & CO.
We are here for your diverse counseling needs. Our team of therapists provides lgbtqia+ affirmative therapy, couples therapy & premarital counseling, grief & loss counseling, group therapy, and more. We have specialists in trauma, women's issues, depression & anxiety, substance use, mindfulness & embodiment, and support for creatives. For therapists and practice owners, we also provide consultation and supervision services! We look forward to welcoming you for therapy in Highland Park and online.