Colleen Overholt, LMFT

Colleen Overholt is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in California with 26 years of clinical experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, sleep problems, ADHD, and the challenges of chronic illness and caregiving. Her style is warm and direct; she encourages clients to say what they need and sets practical goals together.

Colleen draws on approaches such as client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, psychodynamic ideas, and solution-focused methods. She offers structure and guidance while following the client’s needs. Sessions often include noticing thinking patterns, practicing new coping skills, and identifying personal strengths to build from.

Her background includes decades of work in clinics, schools, community programs, and private practice. She has held roles as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, program manager, and executive director, which shaped her ability to work across systems and settings. That experience informs how she supports people through big life changes and ongoing stressors.

Colleen emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as the core of change. She aims to meet people where they are, affirm their worth, and stay engaged in the work. Her approach is practical and compassionate, focused on helping people find ways to feel more capable and steady in daily life.

To begin, she asks clients to identify goals and preferences so therapy can be tailored. Colleen helps people uncover strengths and then practices skills that fit their life and needs.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s experience. Online sessions using this approach center on the client’s priorities and encourage the person to set the pace and goals for change. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses short, practical exercises to shift patterns. In online sessions CBT often includes reviewing homework, role play, and practicing new ways of responding between meetings.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, practical needs, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust them over time based on progress and preference.

The original biography does not list specific session delivery methods, so confirm current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Some formats use less bandwidth and work well for brief updates, while others support longer therapeutic work and exercises. Licensed professionals adapt tools and interventions so therapy stays practical and relevant to daily life.