About Leslie
Leslie Barton is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California with 36 years of professional experience. She focuses on practical help for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and LGBT concerns.
Background and approach
Leslie speaks plainly and centers each conversation on the person in front of her. Leslie treats people as the experts on their own lives and looks for strengths to build on.
Sessions are collaborative and goal-focused. She aims to make the first steps feel manageable and to support steady progress over time.
Her approach is founded on widely used, evidence-based therapeutic techniques that fit everyday problems. She helps people develop clearer communication, healthier routines, and coping tools for painful memories and ongoing stress.
Practical strategies are paired with time to talk through experiences and feelings. Leslie has worked with clients dealing with a range of concerns beyond core areas, including adoption and foster care, aging and geriatric issues, autism and Asperger syndrome, chronic pain and illness, codependency, and relationship communication problems.
She also supports people facing fertility, pregnancy, postpartum matters, and gender dysphoria. Sessions are offered in English and conducted online by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging.
She aims to help people take the next manageable step toward a more fulfilling life, offering steady support as they try new ways of coping.
Evidence-based approaches for online care
Leslie draws on well-established, evidence-based techniques that focus on managing symptoms and improving daily functioning. One common approach she uses teaches practical coping skills for anxiety and stress, such as breathing exercises, activity planning, and step-by-step behavior changes to reduce overwhelm.She also uses trauma-informed strategies that help people process painful memories at a manageable pace and build safety in daily life. These techniques aim to reduce the hold of upsetting memories and to strengthen emotional regulation over time.
Finding the right way of working is a shared process. Leslie will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Together they will try methods that fit the situation and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video lets people work face-to-face when that is useful. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth or camera use is limited. Live chat or text messaging can fit short check-ins, brief coping supports, or times when typing feels easier. These options help therapy fit into busy schedules and varying day-to-day needs.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Fertility issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
- Experience
- 36 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English