About Brian
Brian Olden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 45 years of experience based in California. He greets each person with a straightforward, calm approach and helps people sort through stress, anxiety, relationship strains, and life transitions. He emphasizes working together to set clear goals and build on existing strengths.
He draws on a range of methods to match the needs of the person in front of him. Sessions are practical and focused on real-life changes like work shifts, parenting challenges, caregiving stress, or recovery after trauma.
Background and approach
He also addresses sleep problems, anger, grief, and issues tied to chronic illness. Brian has spent time living overseas, which shaped his sensitivity to cultural differences. He has long experience working with trauma, including military and sexual trauma.
He often supports people managing compassion fatigue and first responder stress, and those dealing with adoption or blended family dynamics. In sessions he helps people notice what already works for them and then builds strategies to expand those strengths. He uses conversational, down-to-earth language.
People can expect a plan with tangible steps and a chance to practice new skills between meetings. He offers multiple online formats, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. To begin, clients follow an online matching process and schedule a time that fits their routine.
How Brian Uses Different Approaches Online
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person and their goals. The therapist listens closely and mirrors what matters to the client, helping people find their own solutions and build confidence. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical tools to change unhelpful patterns; it works well for anxiety, stress, and depression. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people identify and shift the emotions that shape relationship patterns, which can help with intimacy and communication.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options and help choose methods that match the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That choice is collaborative and can change over time as goals evolve.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions are useful for face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone sessions can fit into a shorter break or be easier when bandwidth is low. Live chat and text give quick ways to check in, try brief coping strategies, or keep momentum between meetings. These options make it simpler to schedule therapy around work, caregiving, and busy family life.
Questions people ask
What kinds of issues does he address?
How would you describe his therapy style?
How much experience does he have?
Where is he licensed and located?
What languages are sessions offered in?
Which session formats are available?
How does billing and cost work?
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
Also listed
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Grief
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Parenting issues
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Stress, Anxiety
- Traumatic brain injury
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 45 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.