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Brian Olden

Therapist profile

Brian Olden, LCSW

California

Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Relationships and Parenting

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About

  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Emotionally-Focused Therapy

About Brian

Brian Olden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 45 years of experience. He focuses on relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, parenting concerns, and life transitions. He also addresses issues such as stress, grief, sleep problems, intimacy-related concerns, and career stress.

He uses a variety of approaches and builds therapy goals together with the person seeking help. Sessions are shaped around the issues brought in, whether that is adoption and foster care questions, caregiver stress, blended family tensions, or challenges tied to chronic illness and pain. Brian notes experience with military and sexual trauma among adults.

In sessions he helps people identify strengths and practical strategies. He works with changes like job transitions, separation or divorce challenges, and fatherhood matters. He also addresses impulsivity, substance-related strain, compassion fatigue, and first responder stress.

Brian spent time living overseas and says this has made him more aware of cultural differences that affect family life and relationships. He aims to agree on goals with each person and to help them develop steps to reach those goals.

He has long experience with adults facing both emotional and practical issues at home. His work often blends client-centered listening with problem-focused techniques to address symptoms and improve how people handle everyday pressures.

How sessions work

How his approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the person. It helps people clarify goals and feel understood while they decide what changes to try. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and uses practical exercises to reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression, or sleep trouble. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people notice and name emotions in relationship situations and practice new ways of responding to connection and conflict.

Finding the right approach is part of the early work. The therapist will collaborate with the person to choose which methods to use based on their goals, preferences, and the problems they bring. That choice can shift as progress is made or new issues emerge.

Confirm the specific session formats available before booking, as the biography does not list formats explicitly. Online sessions can help fit therapy into a busy day by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, or making it easier to keep appointments around work and family schedules. Therapists and licensed professionals often adapt exercises and EMDR elements for remote conversations so practical tools remain usable in everyday life.

Areas of focus

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommunication problemsDivorce and separationFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Sexual dysfunctionSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Narrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

45+ years

Listed in

California

Languages

English

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does he address?

He works with relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, parenting, grief, and life changes among other issues.

How would he describe his therapeutic style?

He blends client-centered listening with practical, problem-focused methods and agrees on goals with each person.

How long has he practiced?

He has 45 years of experience as a clinician working with adults on emotional and family-related issues.

What credential does he hold and where is he based?

He is a California Licensed Clinical Social Worker, listed as CA LCSW, and practices from California.

Can I work with him if I live outside the United States?

Sessions are offered in English and he is not currently accepting international clients.

What session formats are available?

Confirm current session options before booking to learn which formats are offered for his practice.

How are costs handled?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with him?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.

Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.

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Brian Olden

Continue with Brian