Dr. James Wood, LMFT

Dr. James Wood is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 34 years of experience based in California. He helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and struggles with addiction. He also supports clients dealing with trauma, relationship strain, and life transitions. He aims to create a straightforward, nonjudgmental space where people can talk through difficult feelings and start making small changes.

Dr. Wood blends practical, evidence-informed techniques with a respectful, person-centered stance. He uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. He also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-focused ideas to address values, emotional patterns, and close relationships.

Sessions tend to focus on clear goals and usable skills. Clients might work on coping strategies for intense emotions, routines to reduce anxiety, or plans to address addictive behaviors. He pays attention to underlying family of origin themes, attachment wounds, and issues like abandonment, codependency, or communication problems.

Over three decades of practice have included work with people facing divorce, grief, eating and food-related issues, HIV/AIDS–related concerns, and the ripple effects of natural or human-caused disasters. He also offers coaching-style support for life direction and decision making.

Dr. Wood communicates plainly and aims to help clients build steady, realistic steps forward. He is the author of an upcoming memoir titled Different Drummer, which reflects on recovery, military service, and a life in therapy and healing.

Therapeutic approaches that work online

Dr. Wood commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thinking and develop new coping behaviors. CBT is practical and goal-focused, which often fits concerns like anxiety, depression, and addictive patterns.

He also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify their values and build actions that match those values even when difficult feelings are present. ACT can be useful for chronic stress, avoidance, and when motivation feels stuck. Attachment-based ideas are woven in to address how early relationship patterns affect current reactions and communication in close relationships.

Choosing an approach is a team effort. He will work with each client to find what fits their goals, needs, and preferences, and can combine methods as those needs change. This collaborative process helps keep sessions relevant and focused on real-life steps.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different situations. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skills practice and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat can support brief check-ins or ongoing coaching between longer sessions. These options offer flexibility to fit therapy around work, caregiving, or other demands.