- Stress and anxiety
- Relationship patterns
- Blended family issues
About Cheryl
Cheryl Wharton is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 30 years of professional counseling experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationships, family concerns, depression, trauma, addictions, grief, parenting, and related issues including blended family issues and communication problems.
She favors direct conversation and practical steps. Sessions tend to center on identifying strengths, naming what is not working, and practicing different ways of relating. Cheryl uses several approaches to address thoughts, behavior, and day-to-day coping skills rather than relying on abstract labels.
Her background includes a degree in psychology and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, followed by decades of clinical work. Over time she has worked with people facing separation, infidelity, codependency, midlife questions, and the stress that comes with major life changes.
In sessions she listens for patterns from past relationships and family of origin issues that affect current choices. She helps people notice habits that keep them stuck, then teaches simple tools to shift those habits. Cheryl also pays attention to how values and purpose influence decisions about commitment and parenting.
Her style combines conversational, skills-based work with reflection about meaning and personal responsibility. People who contact her can expect straightforward feedback, practical exercises, and a focus on improving everyday relationship skills and coping strategies.
Therapeutic approaches and online sessions
Cheryl draws on client-centered therapy to focus on the person's own experience and perspective. This approach emphasizes listening, reflecting what matters to the person, and supporting their self-directed choices. It helps when someone needs to clarify values, make decisions, or feel heard in a new role such as stepparent.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at how thoughts, behaviors, and feelings interact. CBT is practical and goal-oriented and can help with anxiety, depression, and repeating relationship patterns by teaching specific skills to change unhelpful habits.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Cheryl will help the client and therapist decide together which methods fit the person's goals, preferences, and day-to-day reality. That collaboration means trying tools, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan as needed.
Session logistics should be confirmed before booking because the biography does not list specific formats. When arranged online, therapy can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy schedule, shorten check-ins when needed, or avoid travel time. Ask about current session options when you complete the short matching questionnaire and schedule the first session.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, depression, trauma and addictions, plus parenting and blended family issues.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is conversational and skills-focused, combining talk with practical exercises drawn from several therapies.
How much experience does she have?
She has been a professional counselor for 30 years.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a California LMFT and practices in California.
In what language does she offer sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography.
How much do sessions cost and how does billing work?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
Online talk therapy is for adults and is not emergency care, mediation or legal advice. If you or a child are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.