- Years in practice
- 26
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Grief
About Colleen
Colleen Overholt is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California who helps people manage stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, grief, and relationship and family concerns. She works with individuals facing mood issues like depression and bipolar symptoms, as well as people coping with trauma, ADHD, caregiver stress, and life transitions.
Her plain, direct style aims to make therapy practical and understandable for busy parents. Colleen draws on more than 26 years of clinical experience in community programs, clinics, schools, and independent practice.
Background and approach
She centers sessions on the client’s goals and strengths. She offers structure and guidance while inviting people to say what they need from therapy. Sessions focus on identifying helpful habits, shifting unhelpful thoughts, and building skills that fit day-to-day life.
Her work uses client-centered principles along with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness strategies to address thinking patterns, mood, and coping. She also blends psychodynamic ideas and motivational techniques when helpful to look at past patterns and support change. The approach is collaborative and practical rather than technical.
Colleen emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as the main engine of progress. She aims to create a respectful, accepting space where people feel seen and heard. Parents will find an emphasis on realistic steps, problem-solving, and ways to reduce overwhelm at home.
Her background includes clinical supervision and program leadership alongside front-line psychotherapy. That mix informs a grounded approach that balances real-world problem solving with emotional healing. Colleen welcomes conversations about what will work best for each person.
What Colleen works with
Everything Colleen lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Colleen helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Colleen lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- 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.
How her approaches work online
Colleen often uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to guide her work. Client-centered work focuses on listening, respect, and meeting each person where they are to build trust and motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and make daily routines easier.Choosing the right approach is a shared process. She will talk with each person about what matters most, try strategies, and adjust based on what feels helpful. That collaborative process helps match practical techniques to personal goals and family life demands.
Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for busy schedules. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation when interaction matters. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text are useful for short check-ins, reminders, or brief problem-solving between longer sessions. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care while fitting therapy into a parent’s day.
Questions people ask about Colleen
What concerns does Colleen help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, relationship and family issues, grief, sleeping problems, anger, ADHD, and coping with life changes among other concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is empathetic and practical. She offers structure and guidance while centering the client's goals and strengths.
What is her professional background?
Colleen has more than 26 years of experience working as a psychotherapist and in leadership roles across community programs, clinics, schools, and independent practice.
What credentials and location are on record?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT - licensed in California and practices in that state.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Colleen offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to match different needs and schedules.
How are costs and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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