Tina Phillips, LMFT

Tina Phillips is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 31 years of experience. She focuses on practical approaches that help people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, relationship strain, grief, and parenting challenges. Tina speaks English and practices in California while accepting international clients.

Tina uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and shift the behaviors that follow. She combines that with mindfulness practices to help people stay present and reduce reactivity. Solution-Focused Therapy is used to map small, achievable steps toward specific goals.

Her past work includes time in a psychiatric facility and helping people with dual diagnosis and substance use concerns. She has also supported people through divorce and child custody matters, and has experience with adoption and foster care related issues. Her background includes work across the lifespan, including seniors, children, and young adults on the autism spectrum.

In sessions she tends to keep language clear and direct. Conversations focus on what is practical and doable, like skills for sleep, managing anger, or building self-esteem. She also addresses career stress, compassion fatigue, and coping with major life changes.

Tina invites people to start with a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session. Therapy generally includes reviewing current problems, trying small experiments between sessions, and tracking progress over time. This gives a clear way to see whether a plan is helping.

Approaches that translate to online care

CBT helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include setting clear goals, practicing new skills during the week, and reviewing progress together. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and support better sleep and mood; these exercises can be guided during a video call or reinforced with short text reminders. Solution-Focused Therapy zeroes in on small, practical steps that move someone toward their goals and is useful when a person wants quick, concrete changes.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and past experience, then suggest one or a mix of methods. Together the person and therapist will adjust the plan over time if something isn’t working.

Online sessions are offered by licensed professionals using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for longer work and skill practice. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a camera feels like a barrier. Live chat and messaging fit shorter check-ins, quick coaching, or when someone needs flexible timing. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family, or caregiving commitments while keeping consistent progress.