Dianna Zuniga, LISW, LCSW

Dianna Zuniga is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California. She has 21 years of clinical experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, substance concerns, and relationship or intimacy-related issues.

Dianna usually begins by listening to what matters most to the person in front of her. She aims to create a warm, respectful space and meet clients where they are. Her style focuses on practical skills people can use between sessions to manage strong emotions and daily challenges.

She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness approaches, solution-focused work, and trauma-focused therapy to shape treatment. That means she helps people identify unhelpful thoughts, try new coping skills, practice emotion regulation, and work toward clear, achievable goals.

Dianna's background includes work in community mental health clinics, substance use programs, and both public and private schools. Over two decades she has led individual therapy, groups, couples counseling, and family counseling in those settings.

Sessions can be conducted in English or Spanish. She encourages collaborative planning so each person leaves with usable strategies for stress, parenting strain, or life transitions. Dianna emphasizes steady progress rather than quick fixes, and she supports people through recovery, loss, and moments of change.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Dianna frequently uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and change patterns that worsen mood or anxiety. CBT focuses on clear steps you can try between sessions to reduce distress and test new ways of thinking.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. DBT offers practical tools for managing intense feelings, improving interpersonal effectiveness, and reducing reactive behavior during stressful moments.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dianna collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and personal style. She checks in about what is and isn't helping and adjusts the plan together over time.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Video can support longer skills work and real-time interaction, phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text can serve for brief check-ins or ongoing coaching between appointments. These options aim to make consistent therapy easier to fit into busy lives.