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Depth-Oriented Online Psychotherapy
Individuals & Couples · LGBTQ+ affirming · California & New York
Licensed Psychologist, PhD · 30 Years Experience · LGBTQ+ affirming · Telehealth
Licensed Psychologist, PhD · 30 Years Experience
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.
Explore some of the areas I work with below:
The kind that doesn’t just go away with the right habits or enough time.
Old emotional wounds that show up in present-day patterns, relationships, or the body.
Conflict that keeps circling back, or a distance you can’t seem to close.
Feeling blocked or stuck in how you connect with others who matter to you.
Feeling caught in cycles of use you can’t fully understand or break free from.
Career changes, loss, identity, or a chapter ending before the next one is clear.
Navigating who you are across communities, cultures, or chapters of your life.
Blocks, burnout, or a sense that your work and your life aren’t quite aligned.
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.
Mindfulness-based therapy
Bringing attention to the present moment, helping you relate differently to thoughts, emotions, and stress as they arise.
Dialogue therapy (for couples)
Slowing things down so you can hear each other more clearly, reduce conflict, and rebuild connection
LGBTQ+ / culturally affirming work
Creating space to honor and explore identities, sexualities, cultures, and lived experience without having to translate or defend yourself.
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.
EMDR
A structured approach for processing trauma and reducing its ongoing impact on your life.
Addiction recovery
Working with patterns of use and relapse, understanding what drives them, and developing ways to stay oriented toward what matters over time.
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
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.
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.
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.
Session length: 90 minutes (typically once per week)
Frequency: Weekly
Length of work: Six to nine months, but can vary
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.
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.
Do you accept insurance?
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 are unsure how this works with your plan, I’m happy to help you figure it out.
What happens after I reach 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.
Do you work with people who are not LGBTQ+?
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.
How long does therapy typically take?
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.
Contact: (424) 294-8591 Email: drmsilverstein@gmail.com
I respond to all inquiries within one to two business days.
