Brian Olden, LCSW

Brian Olden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California with 45 years of experience. He welcomes people who want practical help for real-life struggles and decision points. He speaks English and draws on a long career to offer steady, experience-based support.

He favors making goals together with the person in the room. Sessions focus on clear steps and workable strategies rather than jargon. He uses straightforward conversation to help people see strengths they already have and build on them.

Over his career he has helped with relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, and stress. He also works with parenting and fatherhood issues, caregiver strain, chronic illness and pain, and end-of-life topics. Aging and geriatric issues are among the additional areas he lists.

His style blends several approaches to match what a person needs. He draws on client-centered work to keep the person’s priorities central. He also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy tools to address thoughts, feelings, and relationship patterns.

Brian has experience with military-related trauma, sexual trauma, and a range of other trauma presentations. He is comfortable helping people through life transitions like job changes, divorce, and blended family challenges. He works with people aiming to meet goals they have not yet reached and to build clear plans to get there.

How his approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person's goals and lived experience. In practice this means the therapist listens closely, asks what matters most, and shapes sessions around those priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and trying small behavior experiments to shift feelings and reactions. That approach can help with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Brian will discuss different methods and offer recommendations based on a person's needs, goals, and preferences. That decision is collaborative and can change over time as progress is made.

The practical benefits of online therapy can include easier scheduling on busy days, fewer travel requirements, and the ability to fit sessions into a break at work or between appointments. Because session formats are not specified in the biography, confirm available options before booking so you know whether video or phone sessions are offered. The focus remains on making therapy fit daily life while using methods that address specific concerns.