- Years in practice
- 45
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Depression
About Brian
Brian Olden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 45 years of experience in California. He frames therapy as a partnership and invites people to take practical steps toward change. His style is direct and steady, aimed at helping clients clarify goals and build on strengths.
Brian uses an adaptable approach rather than a single method. He draws on therapies that match each person’s needs, and he collaborates with clients to decide what will be most useful.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on real-life problems like stress, anxiety, and relationship concerns, with clear strategies to try between visits. His background includes long clinical experience and work with trauma. That experience informs how he approaches difficult memories and emotional pain.
He also helps people who are facing life transitions, such as job changes, caregiving challenges, and grief after loss. Parents often seek him out for guidance around parenting challenges and family stress. He helps parents identify patterns that cause conflict, find manageable changes, and practice new ways of communicating.
The emphasis is on practical steps that fit daily life rather than abstract theory. Brian values cultural sensitivity and brings perspective from time spent living overseas. Sessions tend to be conversational, focused on problem solving, and paced to match each person’s comfort level.
He invites people to set clear, achievable goals and to notice progress along the way.
What Brian works with
Everything Brian lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Brian helps people with.
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sexual dysfunction
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Workplace issues
Approaches Brian lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person’s experience and offering support that respects their pace and goals. It helps people feel heard and encourages them to find solutions that match their values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and introduces concrete techniques to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful routines. Emotionally-Focused Therapy, or EFT, focuses on emotions in relationships and can be useful for repairing connection and improving communication.Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with each person to choose which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process includes checking progress and adjusting techniques over time so the work remains relevant and practical.
Online sessions offer several practical benefits. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when travel is difficult. Phone sessions can work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers audio only. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, homework, and steady support between longer sessions. These formats make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, caregiving, or other responsibilities.
Questions people ask about Brian
What kinds of concerns does he help with?
He works with many issues including relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, stress, grief, parenting challenges, sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career questions, ADHD, and bipolar concerns.
What is his therapy style like?
He uses a collaborative, practical style that focuses on clear goals and workable steps. Conversations are straightforward and aimed at building everyday skills.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He brings 45 years of experience as a clinician in California, including substantial work with trauma and life transitions.
What credentials and region should I know about?
He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, listed as LCSW, practicing in California.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does cost and billing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule based on therapist availability.
More therapists for parents in California
All in California
Moushumi Ghose
LMFT
California 23 years in practice
Intimacy and relationship-focused therapy
- LGBT
- Relationship
- Intimacy-related issues
Jeana De Lay
LMFT
California 17 years in practice
Practical therapy and parenting support
- Self esteem
- Career
- Stress, Anxiety
Yanina Lambert
LMFT
California 20 years in practice English, Spanish
Supportive therapist for parenting and relationships
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship
- Trauma and abuse