About Joni
Joni De Groot helps people manage stress, anxiety, relationship problems, family and parenting concerns, and offers coaching for life transitions. She brings 35 years of practice in California and focuses on practical steps people can use right away.
Background and approach
Joni works with common struggles like abandonment, attachment issues, codependency, communication problems, and the stress of caregiving. Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth.
She listens first and helps people notice the patterns that shape their choices. Sessions blend client-centered conversation with cognitive-behavioral strategies and mindfulness practices to teach skills for coping and change.
Joni draws on a broad background in community and clinical settings. She has worked in intake and case management, sub-acute care, outpatient clinics, schools, residential programs, and with multi-disciplinary teams that included psychiatrists and social service agencies.
That variety informs a flexible approach to real-life problems. In practical terms she focuses on teaching coping tools, improving communication, and strengthening daily routines that reduce anxiety and relationship conflict.
She also addresses issues such as aging and geriatric concerns, autism and Asperger syndrome, blended family challenges, divorce and separation, body image, and disruptive mood problems. Joni holds a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist credential, LMFT, and uses that clinical perspective to guide collaborative treatment planning.
She is comfortable offering care through video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules. Her aim is to help people feel steadier and more able to handle life’s demands, with clear, practical steps and ongoing support.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding a person's experience and building sessions around what matters most to them. This approach helps people feel heard and gain clarity about their goals, especially when dealing with relationship and family concerns.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns. It is commonly used for anxiety, stress, and mood-related difficulties.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, adds skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress. These skills can be useful for people struggling with strong reactions or ongoing interpersonal conflicts.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to try methods that fit their needs and preferences, adjusting the plan as goals change. Clients help set priorities and decide which skills to practice between sessions.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets people meet face-to-face when that is helpful. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is desired. Live chat or text messaging can support quick check-ins, ongoing coaching, or notes between appointments. These options make it easier to fit sessions into work, school, or caregiving schedules while keeping therapy practical and accessible.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Parenting issues
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 35 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English