Online therapy in California: who it's right for
By Dr. Virginia Todd, Ed.D | Licensed Psychologist, San Francisco & Marin County
If you've been thinking about starting therapy but keep putting it off, there's a good chance the logistics are part of the problem. Finding time to drive across town, sit in a waiting room, and carve a full hour out of an already packed day — for a lot of people, that friction is enough to keep them stuck.
Online therapy has changed that equation. And in California, where commutes are long, schedules are demanding, and the need for quality mental health support is high, virtual therapy has become not just a convenient alternative — but often the better one.
So who is online therapy actually right for? The honest answer is: more people than you'd expect.
You're busy, and your schedule isn't flexible
This is the most common reason people choose virtual therapy, and it's a completely valid one. Parents managing school pickups, professionals in back-to-back meetings, people caring for aging parents — for many of my clients, the idea of blocking two-plus hours in their day to commute to and from a therapy appointment just isn't realistic.
With online therapy, your session happens wherever you are. Your home office. A quiet conference room at lunch. A hotel room when you're traveling for work. You show up, you do the work, and you get back to your life.
You live outside a major city
California is enormous, and access to quality mental health care is not evenly distributed across it. If you live in a smaller community — in the Central Valley, the North Bay, the Sierra foothills, or anywhere that isn't San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, or San Diego — your options for finding a specialist who truly fits your needs can be limited.
Online therapy opens up the entire state. You're no longer restricted to whoever happens to have an office within driving distance. You can choose a therapist based on fit, specialty, and approach — not geography.
You've been in therapy before and know what you need
People who have done therapeutic work before often find online sessions particularly effective. They already understand the process, they know how to use the space, and they don't need the in-person setting to feel comfortable opening up. For them, virtual therapy removes friction without removing depth.
You're dealing with anxiety, and leaving the house is part of the struggle
There's a certain irony in expecting someone with anxiety to navigate traffic, find parking, and walk into an unfamiliar office in order to get help for their anxiety. For people dealing with social anxiety, agoraphobia, health anxiety, or panic, the barrier to entering a physical office can be genuinely high.
Online therapy meets you where you are — literally. You can do meaningful, effective work from the comfort of a familiar environment, and over time, as things shift, the question of in-person sessions can always be revisited.
You're not sure therapy is for you yet
For people who are curious about therapy but hesitant — maybe they've never done it before, or they had a bad experience in the past, or they're just not sure they're "ready" — online therapy can feel like a lower-stakes way to start. There's no commute to commit to, no waiting room to sit in. You can try a session and see how it feels.
In my experience, that lower barrier to entry often means people actually show up. And showing up is the hardest part.
What to expect from online therapy with me
My virtual sessions are 50 minutes, held over secure video, and available to clients throughout California. There's no software to download — just a link, a good internet connection, and a quiet place where you can speak freely.
I work with individual adults on a range of concerns: anxiety, OCD, life transitions, relationship patterns, body-focused repetitive behaviors like trichotillomania, and more. I also offer clinical hypnotherapy virtually, which many clients find works just as well — sometimes better — than in person.
If you've been on the fence, I'd encourage you to reach out. The first conversation is just a conversation.
Ready to get started? Call or text 415.541.5041, or visit the contact page to get in touch.
Dr. Virginia Todd is a licensed psychologist (PSY 21882) and certified hypnotherapist (CHT 604-312) with offices in San Francisco and Marin County, California. She offers virtual therapy to adults throughout the state.