Leonard Burns, LMFT - Therapist in California

Anger management work
Trauma informed methods
Values based action

About Leonard

Leonard Burns is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, practicing in California with 35 years of clinical experience. He works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship and family strains, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, anger, sleep problems, parenting challenges, and identity concerns for LGBT clients. He also supports people facing ADHD, low self-esteem, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue.

He draws on a mix of family-systems thinking, psychodynamic ideas, and trauma-focused methods. Sessions focus on building an honest working relationship first. He treats that relationship as the groundwork for addressing difficult patterns and painful memories.

Practically, he helps clients name what they feel and the patterns that keep repeating. He uses acceptance and commitment ideas and cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice thoughts and take action that fits their values. Attachment-based work is used to look at how early relationships shape current reactions.

For people with trauma histories, he brings approaches aimed at reducing the hold of past events so daily life is less interrupted by intrusive memories and intense emotional reactions. He also talks through grief, cancer survivorship concerns, and long-term stress responses in straightforward terms.

Sessions are conversational and direct. He expects active participation and honest feedback. New clients are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session to begin clarifying goals and practical steps forward.

Therapeutic approaches and working online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that align with their values rather than getting stuck in reactivity. It can be useful for anger, anxiety, and when life changes make goals unclear.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current reactions and patterns. This approach can help with relationship strain, intimacy-related issues, and recurring anger linked to attachment wounds.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss different methods and decide together which fits the client's goals, needs, and preferences. That collaboration helps tailor practical steps and homework that make sense in daily life.

Confirm current session options before booking because the biography does not list specific online formats. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, avoid travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Talk with the therapist about what will work best for scheduling, whether you prefer phone check-ins or longer video conversations, and how to structure sessions so they fit into everyday routines.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse Grief

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteem Depression Coping with life changes Compassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disability CodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separation Domestic violence Family of origin issuesFamily problemsGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMen's issues Midlife crisisPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryVisually impairedWorkplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Jungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

35+ years

Listed in

California

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does he help with?

He works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, anger, sleep problems, parenting, LGBT identity concerns, depression, ADHD, and related difficulties.

What is his therapeutic style?

His style is direct and conversational, grounded in an honest therapist-client relationship and practical techniques to change patterns and manage emotions.

How much experience does he have?

He has 35 years of clinical experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California.

What credential and location should I know?

He is an LMFT licensed in California and practices with that credential within the state.

Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?

Sessions are offered in English and he is not accepting international clients at this time.

What session formats are available?

Please confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography.

How does payment work and what does it cost?

Cost varies by location; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I start working with him?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to begin.