Stephen Creel

Stephen Creel is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 24 years of experience helping people cope with life changes and emotional pain. He left a career as a professional drummer in Hollywood and later found therapy life-changing, which inspired him to train in clinical psychology. Stephen earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and now focuses on real-life concerns like addiction, anxiety, grief, and relationship strain.

He uses straightforward, practical work in sessions. He believes therapy is a collaboration - two people working together to find what is wrong and how to heal it. He listens for the painful self-beliefs that often lie beneath problems, such as not feeling good enough or wanted enough, and helps people name and challenge those beliefs.

Over two decades he has worked in rehab settings and private practice, guiding people through substance use recovery, trauma responses, mood struggles, and codependency. Sessions aim to clarify patterns, set small goals, and build more helpful habits.

Stephen combines client-centered listening with tools from cognitive behavioral approaches and trauma-focused methods. He also uses motivational strategies when people are weighing change and may include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing when trauma work is needed.

He practices in California as an LMFT and offers therapy in English. People who are thinking about big life shifts, career crossroads, parenting stress, or recovery from addiction often seek his help to regain direction and calm.

How Stephen’s approaches work in online therapy

Stephen blends client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral tools to help people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Client-centered Therapy focuses on empathetic listening and helping the person set the pace, which can be useful for anyone facing big life changes or relationship stress.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to spot and shift thinking patterns that feed anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. EMDR, when used, addresses distressing memories and trauma reactions through a structured process aimed at reducing the emotional charge of those memories.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Stephen will talk with each person about goals, symptoms, and preferences and will suggest methods that fit their needs. That collaborative process helps decide whether to focus more on trauma work, skill-building, or motivational strategies for change.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Licensed professionals can use remote sessions to practice CBT exercises, process trauma material, and maintain treatment momentum while people manage everyday responsibilities.