About Sheila
Sheila Owens is a licensed clinical social worker in California who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar symptoms, relationship struggles, and grief. She supports clients facing parenting strain, identity concerns related to LGBT issues, trauma and abuse, and major life changes. Sheila writes clearly and speaks plainly so worried parents can quickly see what she offers.
She brings eight years as an LCSW plus three decades of experience in mental health work as a case manager and coordinator.
Background and approach
That long background means she knows community resources and practical steps that can make daily life more manageable. She speaks from experience working alongside people through difficult transitions. In sessions she keeps the focus on the person in front of her.
Conversation is tailored to each client’s needs and pace. Sheila uses tools from client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral approaches to help people change unhelpful patterns and build coping skills. She also draws on dialectical behavior strategies and mindfulness techniques to help regulate emotions and reduce reactivity.
For those processing trauma, she offers approaches that address painful memories in a paced way. Her style is respectful, direct, and compassionate. Sheila aims to empower clients to make sustainable changes.
She helps set clear, doable goals and teaches skills for everyday life. People come away with clearer choices and more confidence to move forward.
How Sheila’s Approaches Work Online
Client-centered therapy focuses on your experience and priorities. In online sessions this means the therapist listens carefully and follows your lead to set goals and plans that feel doable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and teaches concrete skills to change them, which works well over video or phone for homework and skill practice. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, teaches emotional regulation and distress-tolerance skills that clients can practice between messages and sessions to reduce reactivity.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Sheila will talk with each person about their goals, symptoms, and daily life, then suggest options and adjust the plan as progress is made. Clients take part in deciding what methods feel most helpful, and the approach can shift over time based on needs and preferences.
Online therapy here uses several session formats to increase flexibility. Video calls let you work face to face and use shared exercises. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in fits your day. Live chat and text-based messaging make it possible to send quick updates, practice skills between appointments, or get support when something comes up outside session hours. These options help therapy fit into real life while maintaining a regular course of care.
Frequently asked questions
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What is her professional background?
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Anger management
- Avoidant personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English