About Jillian
Dr. Jillian Barna is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with 19 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, relationship struggles, and LGBTQ+ concerns.
Jillian focuses on practical change and steady support rather than quick fixes. Her work often centers on addiction and its ripple effects. She also helps people with panic and mood disorders, codependency, attachment questions, and workplace strain.
Sessions move at a person’s pace and aim to make daily life feel more manageable.
Background and approach
Jillian uses a mix of approaches to fit different needs. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns. She also uses client-centered methods to follow each person’s values and goals.
When emotional pain feels heavy, she emphasizes small, achievable steps. Motivational interviewing can help clarify what change matters most. Narrative therapy is used to look at the stories people tell about themselves and try new ways of living those stories.
People can expect a collaborative and respectful tone in sessions. Jillian aims to help people rebuild hope and strengthen coping skills. Her style is patient, direct, and focused on practical tools that fit everyday life.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Client-centered therapy emphasizes the person's own goals and values. The therapist listens closely and follows what matters most to the individual, which helps with issues like anxiety, depression, and identity concerns.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing behaviors that keep problems going. It often involves short exercises and practical skill-building for anxiety, panic, and mood symptoms.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) adds skills for managing strong emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It can be useful for people dealing with mood swings, intense reactions, or self-harm urges.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then recommend or combine methods that fit. This is a collaborative process and may shift over time as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by licensed professionals using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls work well for in-depth conversations and visual cues, phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, live chat is useful for brief check-ins, and text messaging lets people share thoughts between sessions. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into busy lives.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Attachment issues
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self-harm
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 19 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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