Machel Best

Born and Raised in Oakland, CA, Machel witnessed an interesting cross section of social justice, oppression, poverty and struggle. He quickly understood the impact of socioeconomics on mental health and overall well being. Through this understanding, he adopted a desire to be the bridge between "us and them." This led to him pursuing education in the form of an undergraduate degree from San Diego State University and an graduate degree from Cal St Dominguez Hills. After finishing undergrad, he started working in youth development as a youth counselor in South East San Diego before moving back to Northern California and doing the same in East Oakland. This led to being a case manager/ counselor at various homeless shelters in the Bay Area. Seeing the limited impact he could have referring others to the resource rather than being the resource his self, he decided to continue his education at Cal St Dominguez Hills. While attending CSUDH, Machel became familiar with the communities of LA personally working as a GRYD (Gang Reduction Youth Development) Counselor in South Central Los Angeles; both at George Carver Middle School and Crenshaw High School. This was followed by the privilege and opportunity to train at Department of Mental Health's UCLA Harbor, outpatient clinic where he started to learn many of the Psycho-Therapy skills that he uses in his practice today.

Machel Best is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 10 years experience. Currently as a Therapist and owner of Best Community Therapy, Machel works with clients on various issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, culture and intersectionality struggles, interpersonal conflict, and/ or anger management struggles. This includes cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, & Dialectical Interventions such as emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness.

I use Cognitive Behavioral and Interpersonal Therapy to help you understand patterns, shift thinking, and improve relationships. I also incorporate DBT and ACT skills for coping and flexibility. I tailor each session to your needs, offering practical tools and guidance to help you make steady, meaningful progress toward your goals.

In our first session, we’ll complete a psychosocial and cognitive assessment to understand your background and what’s bringing you in. This helps guide your treatment moving forward. It’s normal to feel nervous—my goal is to create a comfortable, supportive space where you can share at your own pace.