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Online depth-oriented therapy for individuals and couples

Beneath the surface, the real work begins

I'm Dr. Matthew Silverstein, a depth psychologist with over 30 years of experience serving clients in California and New York. I work with people seeking relief from what's been difficult and a deeper understanding of themselves—change that often comes from the inside out.

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Licensed Psychologist, PhD        ·         California  &  New York         ·         LGBTQ+ affirming        ·         Telehealth

What you might be carrying

People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words—you just know something isn’t right.

Depth psychology starts from the idea that our struggles often point to something deeper asking for attention. The work is about building awareness of the patterns behind those struggles, so that change can begin to take shape.

You don’t need to have it figured out before reaching out. Most people don’t. That’s what the first conversation is for.

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Explore some of the areas I work with below:

Anxiety & depression

The kind that doesn’t just go away with the right habits or enough time.

Trauma & its aftermath

Old emotional wounds that show up in present-day patterns, relationships, or the body.

Relationship struggles & connection

Conflict that keeps circling back, or a distance you can’t seem to close.

Intimacy & sexuality

Feeling blocked or stuck in how you connect with others who matter to you.

Addiction & compulsions

Feeling caught in cycles of use you can’t fully understand or break free from.

Life changes & transitions

Career changes, loss, identity, or a chapter ending before the next one is clear.

Identity & belonging

Navigating who you are across communities, cultures, or chapters of your life.

Creativity & meaning

Blocks, burnout, or a sense that your work and your life aren’t quite aligned.

Spirituality & purpose

Questions about meaning, ancestral lineage, spiritual practice, or what a life well-lived might look like.

MY APPROACH

How I Work: Integrative Depth Psychology

My work is grounded in depth psychology and draws on a range of approaches, shaped by what you need and how things unfold.

Depth psychology

Understanding the patterns beneath the surface—how past experiences, relationships, and unconscious processes shape what’s happening now.

Learn more →

Mindfulness-based therapy

Bringing attention to the present moment, helping you relate differently to thoughts, emotions, and stress as they arise.

Learn more →

Dialogue therapy (for couples)

Slowing things down so you can hear each other more clearly, reduce conflict, and rebuild connection

Learn more →

LGBTQ+ / culturally affirming work

Creating space to honor and explore identities, sexualities, cultures, and lived experience without having to translate or defend yourself.

Learn more →

Dreamwork

Working with dreams as a way of understanding what may not yet have words—personally, culturally, and symbolically.

Trauma-informed care

Recognizing how past experiences continue to shape the present, and working carefully at a pace that supports stability and integration.

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EMDR

A structured approach for processing trauma and reducing its ongoing impact on your life.

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Addiction recovery

Working with patterns of use and relapse, understanding what drives them, and developing ways to stay oriented toward what matters over time.

Learn more →

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

Supporting preparation and integration of psychedelic experiences, helping you make sense of what emerges and how to carry it forward.

WHO I WORK WITH

The work begins when you're ready to go deeper

I work with adults across a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and life experiences. What matters most is not just where you’re coming from, but a desire to unpack what’s been difficult—to see what opens for you, often in ways that are hard to predict.

Over thirty years, this practice has grown to hold LGBTQ+ individuals and couples of all kinds, creative professionals in theater, film, and television, adults navigating mid-life transitions and meaning, young adults and students across California and New York, and those living with chronic illness and HIV.

This work is meaningful—and at times challenging. For those willing to go there, genuinely transformative.

AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS OF

Los Angeles
West Hollywood
San Francisco Bay Area
San Diego
Santa Cruz, CA
Statewide in California
New York City
Manhattan, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Statewide in New York

All sessions are conducted online, which means geography is rarely a barrier. Whether you’re in a busy city, a rural area, or traveling between coasts, we can make it work.

Explore My Specialties

SERVICES

How we can work together

Most people come with one of two things in mind — something specific they want to work through, or a sense that something needs to change but they’re not sure what. Either is a good place to start.

Individual therapy

Individual therapy with me is a collaborative process. We work together to bring gentle curiosity to what’s been challenging — not to get over it, but to see where it leads and what can be learned from it.

An integrative depth psychological approach means we can work with whatever feels most present — relationships, work, health, creative projects, world events, or even last night’s dream.

Some come to work through a specific difficulty. Others stay longer, using therapy as an ongoing space for reflection and growth more comprehensively. Both are valid ways of working and can also be alternated.

Learn more →

Session length: 50 minutes

Frequency: 1-2 times weekly or biweekly

Length of work: Short-term focused or longer-term ongoing

Couples therapy

Couples often come when conflict becomes a cycle, or when distance starts to feel harder to bridge.  The goal is not to eliminate disagreement but to change how you move through it together.

I use Dialogue Therapy, a method designed for couples that refines communication through clear practices, reduces the fear of conflict, and cultivates a level of intimacy that can deepen rather than fade over time.

I work with couples of all kinds—straight and queer intimate partnerships—at any stage of a relationship. Non-couple intimate partnerships (such as throuples) are also welcome.

Learn more →

Session length: 90 minutes (typically once per week)

Frequency: Weekly

Length of work: Six to nine months, but can vary

Dr. Matthew Silverstein standing outside with a green lush background

CREDENTIALS

License — California & New York

Hospital — UCLA Neuropsychiatric, 2003–2011

Core Faculty — Antioch University, Spiritual and Depth Psychology

Private Practice — Since 1997

Degree — PhD Clinical Psychology

Advanced Training — EMDR, MBCT, Dialogue Therapy, Depth Therapy, LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy

ABOUT DR. MATT SILVERSTEIN

Thirty years of clinical practice. I’m grateful to do what I love.

I came to this work partly through my own experience in therapy, and partly through a gradual recognition that this is the work that best fits who I am, deeply curious, sensitive, and a dream tender.

Before becoming a psychologist, I worked as a theater director. Over time, I came to see that both theater and therapy are concerned with something similar: being made different through the telling of stories.

What I’ve learned is that change doesn’t come from trying to fix ourselves, as tempting as that can be, but from being willing to face what’s happening—and letting that shift how we live.

I’m a queer Jewish psychologist who has spent years studying Zen and tai chi. I also teach graduate psychology, and can happily nerd out in that direction. I know how to make space for whatever needs to be shared, and direct when it’s useful.

Clients sometimes ask if I get bored hearing people’s problems all day. It’s hard to explain that every meeting is novel—I’m always curious about what’s different from one session to the next.

What I don’t often say is how honored I feel to do this work. The level of honesty and courage I encounter in my clients is something I don’t take for granted. I find it genuinely inspiring.

Read more about my background →

Dr. Silverstein is a special kind of therapist, not only kind and highly empathic but incredibly smart, exceptionally trained, and on top of the latest advancements in depth and spiritual psychology, mindfulness, trauma treatment and LGBTQ affirmative psychotherapy. I cannot recommend him enough.
Lauren CostinePhD Clinical Psychologist, lesbian affirmative psychotherapy pioneer
Dr. Matthew Silverstein is an excellent couple therapist who is trained in Dialogue Therapy. He is also an overall excellent clinician. I know his work through supervising him and recommend him highly for couples or individuals. He's thoughtful, intelligent, and competent.
Polly Young-EisendrathPhD Jungian analyst and founder of Dialogue Therapy
Matt possesses a number of traits that are pretty rare in combination - obvious intelligence, deep intuitiveness, and endless curiosity. He's decent and dedicated too by the way.
Daniel KupperPhD Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA
Read More Testimonials

COMMON QUESTIONS

A few things people usually want to know

How much do sessions cost?

My fees are in the moderate range for an independent practice. Individual sessions are $300 for 50 minutes. Couples sessions are $400 for 90 minutes. HSA and FSA accounts are accepted, and PPO insurance plans can be used for reimbursement through a superbill. In New York I am in-network with Aetna. I also hold a small number of sliding scale spots for students, artists, and others navigating financial constraints. I am happy to discuss fees directly if you have any questions.

In New York, I am in-network with Aetna. For all other plans in New York and California, I work as an out-of-network provider. I provide a superbill  so you can submit for reimbursement through your PPO plan. If you’re unsure how this works with your plan, I’m happy to help you figure it out.

I respond within one to two business days. We will start with a free 20-minute consultation, a conversation to see if we are a good fit. If we both feel ready to move forward, I will send paperwork and we will schedule your first session.

Yes. My practice is open to anyone ready to do this kind of work, regardless of identity, background, or orientation. I have expertise in LGBTQ+ affirming care, and I have also found that this orientation can offer non-queer clients more room to expansively view their own sexualities and gender expressions.

It depends on what you are working on. Some people come to address a specific difficulty over a period of months. Others stay longer, using therapy as an ongoing space for reflection and growth. There is no set timeline—we can find what fits, and adjust as the work unfolds.

Have more questions? Check out our frequently asked questions →

GET IN TOUCH

When you’re ready to begin the conversation, I’m happy to connect.

The first step is a brief online consultation, offered at no charge. It’s a chance to share what’s been happening, and what you’re hoping might come from the work. You’re also welcome to ask any questions, and we can consider next steps together.

Schedule a Free 20 Minute Consultation

Contact: (424) 294-8591  Email: drmsilverstein@gmail.com

I respond to all inquiries within one to two business days.

Hi, I’m Dr. Matthew Silverstein, and I offer Integrative Depth Psychology. This holistic, trauma-informed approach to psychotherapy may be an ideal fit if you’re wanting to address the underlying sources of your challenges and seeking support to tap into your own inner wisdom.

Through a combination of psychoanalytic insight along with mindfulness-based strategies, I’ll work closely with you to help you feel more grounded, empowered, and equipped to navigate life’s complexities, deepen your relationships, and achieve your personal, creative, and professional goals. 

Ready to take the next step? Reach out today for a free consultation to explore how we can work together.

Individual Therapy
Couple Therapy
Discover My Approach
Explore My Specialities

Individual Therapy: Integrative Depth
Psychology for Lasting Change

Anxiety, depression, intimacy struggles, or addictions usually have
underlying factors. Integrative depth psychology provides a blend of time
honored and cutting edge, evidence based practices to help you clarify
and work through old patterns that may be holding you back.

Discover the Life-Changing Benefits of
Individual Depth Therapy Without the
Commute

Experience significant improvements in your daily life through online
integrative depth psychology sessions with Dr. Matthew Silverstein,
including:

  • Addressing the root causes of challenges to help achieve your goals

  • Strengthening recovery from trauma and addiction
  • Enhancing your ability to connect intimately with others

Couple Therapy: Learning to navigate conflict &
build intimacy

For many couples conflict arises when personal histories become
entangled, communication breaks down, or the spark that once brought
you together can feel like it’s nowhere to be found. Dr. Matthew
Silverstein uses Dialogue Therapy, a powerful and effective Integrative
Depth Psychological strategy designed to provide tools to help intimate couples:

 
  • Learn skills to manage and reduce relationship conflict
  • Listen to each other with greater curiosity and compassion
  • Build intimacy and sexual connection
     

Strategies to Affirm Cultural Identities,
Bodies, and Knowledge

Here are a few culturally affirming strategies Dr. Matthew Silverstein
uses:

  • Detangling from internalized patterns of injustice and misinformation,
    such as internalized racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia
  • Honoring, exploring and reclaiming ancestral and cultural knowledge
  • Navigating multiple intersecting identities (for example, ethnicity,
    spirituality, gender, and class)

My LGBTQ+ Affirmative Commitment

I’m committed to providing LGBTQ+ people and allies with a safe,
nurturing space to heal and grow, drawing on years of teaching, clinical
practice, and community service. Here’s how:

  • Honoring LGBTQ+ ways of being
  • Respecting the intersections of LGBTQ+ and other cherished cultural identities
  • Staying current and rooted in evidence-based practices
     
Learn More Here

What are the Benefits of Working with a
Qualified Integrative Depth Psychologist Like
Dr. Matthew Silverstein?

As a licensed clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience in
both community mental health and private practice settings, I am
dedicated to guiding you toward realizing healing resources within
yourself and your most meaningful relationships.

My experience as an integrative depth psychologist allows me to
confidently focus on my top goal: supporting you in feeling more
empowered and able to live your life to the fullest.

My Credentials

 

 
Read More Here

Telehealth Accessible

Based in Los Angeles, I provide therapy sessions via
telehealth to California and New York residents. Please
contact me to schedule your initial free consultation and
take the next step towards healing and empowerment.

Get in Touch