About Connie
Connie St. James is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps people facing anxiety, stress, relationship strain, grief, and life changes. She writes and talks plainly so clients can understand their options.
Connie draws on decades of life experience alongside clinical training to support people working toward clearer goals and better day-to-day coping. Connie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Northridge, and a Master of Arts in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy from California Family Study Center (now Phillips Graduate University).
Background and approach
She completed a 3,000-hour internship and passed California's written and oral licensing exams to become a California LMFT in 1992. Early in her career she worked in a range of settings, including psychiatric and substance use treatment, services for abused children, and inpatient group work for major depression. She later maintained small personal practices and facilitated hospital groups focused on depression.
Over many years she also stepped away from clinical work while working in real estate, retaining counseling skills in day-to-day life and relationships. Now in her later years, Connie returned to helping people who want practical changes. Her in-session style is patient, empathic, and nonjudgmental.
She listens for the facts, feelings, and behavior patterns that keep someone stuck and then helps identify small, workable steps to try. Therapy with Connie centers on the client's story. She focuses on what is working, what is not, and on clear goals for change.
Clients lead the pace, and she adjusts the work to match each person's needs and timing.
Evidence-based techniques and flexible online care
Connie draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Cognitive approaches look at unhelpful thinking patterns and teach ways to reframe or test those thoughts so anxiety and low mood often feel less overwhelming. Behavioral techniques involve trying small, practical steps and new habits to shift how daily life feels and to build confidence.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Connie will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as progress unfolds. This collaboration helps keep sessions relevant and focused on real-life changes.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication styles. Video is useful for deeper conversation and seeing nonverbal cues, phone works when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in, and chat or messaging can support day-to-day coaching and quick reflections. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other commitments while keeping the focus on practical progress.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Self-love
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Experience
- 3 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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