Cheryl Wharton, LMFT - Therapist in California

About Cheryl

Cheryl Wharton is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with three decades of counseling experience. She focuses on helping people who are overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, and life transitions. Cheryl aims to create a calm, respectful space where clients can be listened to and begin to make steady changes.

Her style is warm and direct, designed for people who want practical help and clearer next steps.

Background and approach

Cheryl combines practical talk therapy with techniques drawn from several well-known approaches. She uses Client-Centered methods to follow each person’s pace and priorities. She applies Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, to spot and shift unhelpful thinking patterns.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, to teach emotional regulation and coping skills. Her training includes a degree in psychology and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, and she holds California license CA LMFT 39140. Over 30 years she has helped people address relationship strain, intimacy issues, parenting challenges, addiction struggles, and trauma-related concerns.

Cheryl emphasizes practical tools you can use between sessions as well as steady emotional support during them. In sessions she pays attention to the whole person - feelings, relationships, behavior, and values. She encourages clients to discover strengths, set realistic goals, and practice new ways of coping.

The work is collaborative and paced to each person’s needs. Cheryl welcomes conversations about life purpose, family patterns, communication problems, and rebuilding trust after breaches. She works in English and practices in California as an LMFT.

Approaches that guide online sessions and practical tools

Cheryl commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy, which centers on listening closely and following each person’s priorities to build trust and clarity. This approach helps when you need a calm space to sort out feelings and decide next steps.

She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, a hands-on method that helps identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with clearer, more useful ones. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and for changing patterns that get in the way of daily life.

Finding the right approach is a shared effort. Cheryl will talk with you about your goals, try methods that fit your needs, and adjust the plan as you learn what helps. The work is collaborative and paced to what feels doable for you.

Online sessions offer flexible ways to connect. Video calls let you have face-to-face conversations from home, phone sessions provide an easy alternative, and live chat or text-based messaging suit people who prefer written exchanges or shorter check-ins. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to keep working on skills between sessions.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Cheryl help with?

She addresses stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns, anger, self esteem, bipolar challenges, and coping with life changes along with related relationship and intimacy issues.

What is her general approach in therapy?

She blends Client-Centered listening with practical CBT techniques and DBT skills training. The focus is on clear steps and skills you can use between sessions.

How much experience does she have?

Cheryl has 30 years of professional counseling experience working with a broad range of concerns and life stages.

What are her credentials and where does she practice?

She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - CA LMFT 39140 - and practices in California.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with her?

She does not accept international clients at this time.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on your needs.

How are costs and getting started handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Family conflicts

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 30 years
Licensed: California
Languages: English

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