- Client-centered
- CBT and DBT
- Sex positive
About Virginia
Virginia Ballantyne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 12 years of experience based in California. She works with people coping with relationship stress, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, and anger. She also supports concerns such as career strain, parenting pressures, LGBT issues, and major life changes.
Virginia uses a client-centered stance that starts by listening and building on a person's strengths. She favors practical skills alongside talking through experiences. Sessions focus on clear, actionable steps to reduce reactivity, manage stress, and build healthier patterns of coping.
Her practice includes approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy ideas are woven in to help people clarify values and rewrite difficult stories about themselves. These methods are used together in a way that reflects each person's history and goals.
Virginia provides a sex-positive setting where topics of sexual intimacy and identity can be discussed without judgment. She identifies as an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist and names social justice and self-determination as guiding values in her work. Her background includes many years in nonprofit and county services supporting people from disadvantaged circumstances.
People meet with her to learn concrete ways to notice triggers, shift automatic reactions, and handle anger and resentment more effectively. The work is collaborative and skill-focused, aimed at helping individuals regain steadier control of their daily life.
How her approaches translate to online work
Virginia commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to guide online sessions. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors, which can be useful for addressing anger, anxiety, and depressive patterns. DBT teaches concrete skills for regulating emotions, tolerating distress, and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which helps when reactions feel overwhelming.She also uses a client-centered approach that emphasizes listening, priorities, and strengths. Finding the right approach is part of the work; she will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and daily life. That may mean trying skill practice one week and narrative reflection the next until a useful mix is found.
The original biography lists phone, video, and live chat session options, so confirm which formats are currently offered before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counseling into a workday, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, or avoid the need to travel. The focus is on practical ways to build skills, reduce reactivity, and apply what is learned in everyday situations.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
She helps people with relationship problems, trauma and abuse, career stress, depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, parenting strain, and anger.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered and strengths-based, combining practical skills training with collaborative conversation.
How much experience does she have?
She has 12 years of clinical experience working in nonprofit and county services as well as private practice settings in California.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
She is not accepting international clients and works with people who reside in California.
What formats are used for sessions?
The original biography lists phone, video, and live chat as session formats; confirm the current options before booking.
How do fees and scheduling work?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; to begin, use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.