Leslie Libutti, LCSW

Leslie Libutti is a California licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 20 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and life transitions. She emphasizes practical steps and clear goals so clients leave sessions with concrete ideas to try. Her tone is warm and straightforward and she respects the mixed feelings that come with change.

Leslie uses cognitive behavioral ideas alongside a client-centered way of listening. She asks questions that help people spot the thoughts and habits keeping them stuck. Then she works with them to test new ways of thinking and behaving that fit real life.

She also draws on existential themes to help people consider purpose, meaning, and the choices that shape their days. That perspective can help when someone is facing big life questions or feeling stuck in routine.

Leslie sometimes brings poetry into sessions as another way to name emotions and discover new language for inner experience. Poetry can open different angles on grief, shame, or self-worth when words feel thin.

Her approach balances practical tools with careful listening. Clients work on small, manageable steps between sessions and reflect on what does and does not help. Leslie encourages honesty, patience, and curiosity as parts of change.

Therapy approaches and how they work online

Leslie uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT focuses on practical steps you can try between sessions to reduce anxiety, lift mood, and change patterns that cause stress.

She also practices Client-Centered Therapy, which means she listens closely and follows the person’s concerns. That approach helps people feel heard and clarifies goals before choosing specific techniques. Existential ideas may be woven in when someone wants to talk about meaning, life choices, or purpose, offering space to weigh values and options.

Choosing the right approach is a shared process. Leslie will help identify which methods fit a person’s goals, needs, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as work progresses. Collaboration guides what happens in sessions and what is tried between meetings.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation, phone can be simpler when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins, and messaging works for ongoing brief support. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and daily life.