Howard Acosta, LCSW
Licensed in California · 24 years in practice
Howard Acosta is a licensed clinical social worker in California with 24 years of experience.
License and registration
- LCSW, California
- 74837 · expires July 2026
- NPI
- 1043590953 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 24
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Howard
Howard Acosta is a licensed clinical social worker in California with 24 years of experience. He helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, and major life changes. His work emphasizes practical skills people can use between sessions.
Howard offers straightforward care that is grounded in common-sense strategies. He focuses on identifying what is getting in the way day to day, then tries small changes that can make a real difference.
Background and approach
Sessions tend to include goal-setting, problem-solving, and tools to manage strong emotions. His background includes long experience with LGBT concerns, veteran and armed forces issues, aging and hospice-related matters, and addiction. Howard also supports people dealing with adoption and foster care questions, fatherhood issues, and those facing isolation or loneliness.
He draws on two decades of practice to tailor plans to each person's situation. Howard uses approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy along with Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused techniques. He explains ideas in plain language and works at a pace people can follow.
The emphasis is on skills you can try between sessions and review together. Sessions are offered in English and designed to fit busy schedules. Howard accepts international clients and provides online options so people can access care from different locations.
To begin, clients use the site's sign-up flow to match and schedule a first appointment.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Howard lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Co-morbidity
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Men's issues
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Howard names
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
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
Online approaches that fit your life
Howard commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy to address thoughts, moods, and day-to-day reactions. CBT helps people identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that feed anxiety or low mood. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple practices to notice stress and calm the body and mind in the moment.He also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify goals and strengthen their own reasons to change. That approach is useful for addiction, motivation problems, and any situation where someone feels stuck. Howard works collaboratively with each person to decide which approaches to try and when to adjust them based on progress and preferences.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls allow a fuller conversation and visual cues, phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit a break at work, live chat offers quick check-ins, and messages let people reflect in writing between meetings. These options help people fit care into busy lives and keep work focused on practical steps and steady progress.
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Questions people ask
What concerns does this therapist address?
Howard helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, anger, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. He also focuses on topics like adoption and foster care, aging issues, veteran concerns, and gender dysphoria.
What is Howard's therapeutic style like?
He uses practical, goal-oriented work with clear tools to practice between sessions. The approach blends skill-building, mindfulness, and motivational conversations to help people make steady progress.
How much clinical experience does he have?
Howard brings 24 years of clinical experience in mental health settings. That background informs how he shapes treatment plans and selects approaches for different problems.
What credential does he hold and where is he based?
He is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - practicing in California. The profile lists his California LCSW credential as the professional licensure on file.
Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are accepted for remote sessions according to scheduling and applicable rules.
Which session formats are offered?
Howard provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules. These options let people choose shorter check-ins or fuller video conversations.
How does cost and scheduling work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. Final scheduling is arranged after completing the matching process.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. After matching, schedule a session according to the therapist's availability and the platform's booking options.
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