Keith Nelson, LCSW

California · 18 years in practice

Keith Nelson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 18 years of experience.

License and registration

LCSW, California: 21893 · expires October 2027
NPI: 1023120086 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 18
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.

About Keith

Keith Nelson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 18 years of experience. He uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside other approaches to help people manage strong emotions and improve how they relate to themselves and others. He helps people with anxiety, depression, stress, and addiction concerns.

He also supports those coping with trauma, grief, relationship pain, and intimacy-related issues. His background includes work on substance abuse and emotional dissonance. Keith centers the person in their environment.

Background and approach

That means he looks at how work, family, health, and beliefs affect feelings and behavior. Sessions are collaborative and practical, focused on skills and understanding that fit each person’s life. He draws on a mix of methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address thoughts, behaviors, and values.

Attachment-Based and client-centered approaches help him attend to connection and emotional safety in the room. In sessions, clients can expect straightforward conversation, targeted strategies, and attention to strengths. Therapy aims to reduce suffering and build better ways of coping with life’s changes.

Keith practices in California and brings experience supervising other clinicians and conducting research related to substance use. He aims to work with each person to find practical steps toward calmer, more connected days.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Keith lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Addictions
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Depression
LGBT
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Eating disorders
Sleeping disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Coping with life changes
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
Abandonment
Aging and geriatric issues
Antisocial personality
Attachment issues
Avoidant personality
Blended family issues
Body image
Caregiver issues and stress
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Control issues
Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
Dependent personality
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
Dissociation
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Drug and alcohol addiction
Eating and food-related issues
Emptiness
Family of origin issues
Fatherhood issues
Fertility issues
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
HIV / AIDS
Hoarding
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Impulsivity
Infidelity
Isolation / loneliness
Jealousy
Life purpose
Men's issues
Midlife crisis
Money and financial issues
Mood disorders
Narcissism
Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Paranoia
Personality disorders
Phobias
Postpartum depression
Post-traumatic stress
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Self-harm
Self-love
Sex addiction
Sexual dysfunction
Smoking / vaping cessation
Social anxiety and phobia
Somatization
Traumatic brain injury
Trichotillomania
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Keith names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

How emotion-focused methods translate to online therapy

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people notice and name strong feelings and change unhelpful interaction patterns. It is often useful for addressing deep emotional pain and improving how someone understands their own reactions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to clarify values and take committed action even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. It can help with anxiety, depression, addiction, and coping with life changes.

Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early and current relationships shape expectations and emotional responses. It supports people working through abandonment, attachment issues, and difficulties forming close connections.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist works with each person to match approaches to their goals, daily life, and preferences. Strategies are adjusted over time based on what is helpful.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video is useful for deeper conversations and visual cues, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, and chat or text can support brief check-ins and ongoing skill practice. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different routines.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does he address?

Keith works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, sleep and eating concerns, parenting strain, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and related challenges.

How would you describe his therapeutic style?

He combines Emotionally-Focused Therapy with practical methods like ACT and CBT, focusing on emotions, values, and concrete skills in a collaborative way.

What professional background does he have?

He has 18 years of experience including therapy, supervision of therapists, and research in substance use and emotional dissonance.

Where is he licensed and based?

He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California and holds a CA LCSW credential.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with him?

International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How are fees handled and how do I begin?

Costs vary with location and are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

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