Works with
- Anger
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
How Virginia works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- California
- Years in practice
- 12
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Virginia
Virginia Ballantyne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She brings 12 years of clinical experience and a calm, nonjudgmental manner to sessions. People come to her for help with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, parenting strains, grief, addiction concerns, and anger issues.
She uses a client-centered approach that focuses on each person's strengths and goals. That means sessions begin with listening and helping people name what matters most to them.
Background and approach
From there she offers practical tools and new ways to look at problems so clients can try things that fit their life. Virginia combines elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy with motivational interviewing and narrative work. She helps people notice unhelpful thought patterns, practice coping skills, and rewrite difficult stories about themselves.
Sessions are collaborative and paced to the individual's needs. Her background includes many years in nonprofit and county services, where she worked with people affected by trauma, intimate partner violence, substance use in the family, and diverse social stressors. That experience informs a respectful, trauma-aware style in sessions.
She provides a sex-positive space and affirms LGBTQ+ people and sexual or gender minorities. Sessions can include talk, skill practice, and planning for manageable changes. The focus is on small steps that build toward steadier mood and healthier relationships.
What Virginia works with
Everything Virginia lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Virginia's practice.
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Adoption and foster care
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Gender dysphoria
- HIV / AIDS
- Jealousy
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Virginia lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches that translate well online
Client-Centered Therapy starts with listening and building a respectful, supportive connection. In this approach the therapist follows the person's pace, helps clarify goals, and focuses on each person's strengths to guide change.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It offers clear, practical exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors, which can help with anxiety, depression, anger, and stress.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, emphasizes skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and effective communication. Those skills are useful for managing strong emotions and improving relationships.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about needs, goals, and preferences and then recommend where to begin. Plans are adjusted over time based on what works for the individual.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to give flexibility. Video lets people work face-to-face, phone is helpful when bandwidth is limited, live chat is good for shorter check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep work moving forward.
Questions people ask about Virginia
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, addictions, parenting pressures, and anger among other concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is client-centered and nonjudgmental. She listens first, then helps people try practical tools and new ways of thinking.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 12 years of experience, including work in nonprofit and county services with people affected by trauma and substance use in families.
What credential and location should I know about?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in California and practices from that state.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English only and international clients are not accepted.
What session formats does she use?
She meets by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.