Tina Paxton, LCSW

Tina Paxton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in California with 12 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strains, grief, depression, and major life changes. Tina aims to make the first steps toward therapy feel manageable and respectful of each person's pace.

Her approach treats the client as the expert in their own life. Sessions emphasize clear goals, practical skills, and small steps that fit day-to-day life. She uses methods that help people notice thoughts, decide what matters most, and change behaviors that get in the way of well-being.

Tina draws on cognitive behavioral strategies to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns. She also uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help clients build a values-focused life, and client-centered techniques to listen and respond to each person's experience. Mindfulness and dialectical behavior tools are added when they can help manage strong emotions or improve focus.

People come to her for everyday problems and more complex concerns such as caregiving stress, communication problems, addiction, family of origin issues, and the impact of trauma. She works with people dealing with abandonment, blended family strain, aging-related challenges, and first responder stress.

Her sessions are practical and straightforward. She helps people notice what is working, try alternative responses, and set realistic steps forward. Tina encourages curiosity, small experiments, and steady progress.

Approaches and online care that fit your life

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of thinking and behaving to reduce symptoms like anxiety or low mood. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify personal values and take action even when difficult feelings remain, which can be useful for grief and life changes.

Client-centered therapy prioritizes listening and responding to each person's unique story, giving space for people to lead the pace and focus of work together. Tina combines these approaches so the plan reflects each person's goals and preferences rather than a one-size-fits-all method. She collaborates with clients to try methods, notice what helps, and adjust the plan over time.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls allow conversation much like an in-person visit. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging work well for brief check-ins, homework support, or when writing feels more comfortable. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to keep steady momentum between appointments.