About
- Stress and anxiety
- Trauma and PTSD
- Parenting support
About Leonard
Leonard Burns is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, practicing in California with 35 years of experience. He focuses on concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, and parenting challenges.
He has worked with people coping with complex PTSD, depression, and problems around identity and intimacy. He also helps with sleep problems, anger, low self-esteem, ADHD, and the everyday strains that come with caregiving and chronic illness. His additional attention areas include abandonment, attachment issues, blended family challenges, and communication problems.
He draws on a mix of family systems thinking, psychodynamic ideas, and trauma-focused work including EMDR. Sessions tend to be straightforward and practical. Conversations look at patterns that keep problems going and small changes that make daily life easier.
He places a lot of weight on the therapist-client relationship as the basis for change. That means honest feedback and direct collaboration on what feels useful. He says progress often looks like steady steps rather than sudden fixes.
Clients who choose him can expect a long-practice perspective and a willingness to work through difficult, sometimes frightening changes. He aims to help people recover stability after trauma, manage symptoms like anxiety or sleep loss, and handle the pressures of parenting and family life.
How sessions work
How his approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT, focuses on helping people clarify what matters to them and take small actions toward those values while allowing difficult thoughts and feelings to be present. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationship patterns shape reactions and closeness. It can help with relationship strain, attachment issues, and problems tied to abandonment or caregiving stress. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person's experience and priorities, using reflective listening and collaboration to help people make their own changes. Finding the best approach is part of the work together. He will talk with each person about goals, try approaches that fit those goals, and adjust based on what feels most helpful. The choice of method is collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all. Session logistics and formats are not specified here, so confirm current session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Talk about practical needs like session length and scheduling during your match and first session so arrangements fit everyday life.Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does he help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, parenting issues, sleep problems, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD, and related areas.
What is his therapeutic style like?
He combines family systems, psychodynamic ideas, and trauma-focused methods. Sessions emphasize clear conversation, practical steps, and strengthening the working relationship.
How much experience does he have?
He has practiced as a therapist since 1990 and brings 35 years of clinical experience to his work.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, licensed in California and practices there.
Does he work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with him?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Choose the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your 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.