Matthew RojoWalnut Creek Therapist

Anxiety & Trauma

Therapy for anxiety, panic, and trauma in Walnut Creek

When your mind won't slow down, you're exhausted but can't sleep, and panic can hit out of nowhere, it's hard to believe it will ever feel different. It can. I help people quiet the racing thoughts and constant worry, recover from trauma, and get their life back — with approaches that are proven to work, in person in Walnut Creek.

Book a free consultation Call (925) 315-8205

When worry won't switch off

Maybe your mind races and won't slow down. Maybe you lie awake exhausted, or a low hum of worry follows you through the day and you can't quite name it. Maybe panic arrives out of nowhere — heart pounding, the sense that something is badly wrong — and you've started avoiding the places it's happened. This is common, it's treatable, and you don't have to white-knuckle your way through it.

When there's something underneath

Sometimes anxiety and panic have a root. Earlier experiences your nervous system is still braced against can keep the alarm running long after the danger has passed — and it doesn't have to be one big, obvious trauma to leave a mark. When that's part of the picture, we treat it directly with EMDR and Cognitive Processing Therapy, so the old experiences stop driving today's anxiety instead of something you manage forever.

Phobias and specific fears

Fear of flying, driving, heights, needles, dogs — specific phobias respond well to gradual, paced exposure: facing the fear in small, manageable steps, with support, until it loosens its hold. We go at your pace, never by force, and most people are surprised how far that steady approach takes them.

Measurement-based care

You'll know whether it's working

We set clear, observable goals at the start, then check in every so often with short, standard questionnaires to track anxiety, depression, trauma, or whatever's bringing you in. They take a couple of minutes, and they let us see how you're actually doing, in plain numbers instead of guessing.

Two reasons it matters. First, it keeps us both honest — rather than going on a vague sense of how things are going, we can see whether the approach is actually helping. And on the weeks you walk in sure that nothing is working, the numbers give you an honest read on where you actually are — which on a hard day is often exactly what you need to see.

Common questions

Frequently asked

What is exposure therapy?
Gradually and safely facing what you've been avoiding, at your pace and in small steps, until it loses its grip. It's one of the most effective treatments there is for anxiety, panic, and phobias, and a core part of trauma work.
What is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)?
A structured, well-tested therapy for trauma that helps you find and loosen the stuck beliefs a trauma can leave behind — the 'it was my fault' or 'I can't trust anyone' conclusions — so they stop quietly running the show.
Do you offer EMDR therapy?
Yes. I'm trained in EMDR and use it to help your brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their charge — in person in Walnut Creek and by secure video across California.
What is the Flash technique?
Flash is a gentle, EMDR-based method that lowers the intensity of a distressing memory with far less distress in the moment, which makes it easier to then process. I use it alongside standard EMDR.
How will I know it's working?
We set observable goals at the start and check in periodically with short, standard questionnaires to track anxiety, depression, trauma, or whatever's bringing you in. They take a couple of minutes and let us both see how you're actually doing, in plain numbers rather than guessing.
Is this available online?
Yes — individual therapy is available in person in downtown Walnut Creek, or by secure video for anyone located in California.
What does therapy cost?
Individual sessions are $275 per 50-minute hour. Private-pay and out-of-network, with a superbill available for reimbursement and HSA/FSA cards accepted.
How do I know I can trust you?
You don't have to force it. If part of you doesn't trust me, that's worth paying attention to rather than pushing past — closing the gap between us is my job, not yours, and it's genuinely okay if we turn out not to be the right fit. There's more on my About page, including why some wariness toward a therapist can be perfectly reasonable.

Explore

Couples therapy

Structured, skills-based work with a clear finish line.

Adult ADHD

Help with the anxiety, overwhelm, and relationship strain that come with ADHD.

Get started

Start with a free 30-minute consultation

Office
1535 North Main Street, Suite 250
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Sessions
Couples therapy is only in person. Individual therapy is in person or by video.
Book a free consultation