Patricia Pena, LCSW
Compassionate bilingual clinician for parenting concerns
Explore online therapy options- Years in practice
- 26
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Parenting issues
About Patricia
Patricia Pena is a bilingual clinician licensed in California. She brings 26 years of experience to help people manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, relationship strain, and parenting challenges. She meets people in English and Spanish and aims to make the first steps toward help feel manageable.
Patricia favors a respectful, compassionate approach and adapts conversations to each person's needs. Sessions focus on practical skills and clear steps people can try between meetings.
Background and approach
She uses listening and questions to help people name what matters and decide on achievable goals. Her work draws on client-centered therapy to follow each person’s priorities. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors.
Mindfulness strategies and elements of dialectical behavior therapy help with strong emotions and improving moment-to-moment coping. Patricia has long experience supporting concerns such as abandonment, communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation, mood disorders, social anxiety, and women’s issues. She aims to keep sessions straightforward and focused on what will make daily life easier.
She will tailor the plan to fit each person’s situation and preferences. People who choose her can expect clear language, practical tools, and steady encouragement. The goal is steady progress, not instant fixes.
Patricia acknowledges the courage it takes to start and works to make the process feel doable.
What Patricia works with
Everything Patricia lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Patricia helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Abandonment
- Communication problems
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Approaches Patricia lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-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 these approaches translate to online therapy
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following what matters most to the person. Online sessions let Patricia center conversations around your priorities and adjust pace and topics from one meeting to the next. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors; through video or messaging she can guide thought records, problem-solving, and practical experiments to try between sessions.Dialectical behavior therapy techniques and mindfulness help when emotions feel intense or overwhelming. These tools include breathing and grounding practices, emotion regulation skills, and step-by-step exercises that fit short check-ins or longer video sessions. Choosing the right mix of methods is a collaborative process - Patricia will work with each person to decide what fits their goals, needs, and comfort level and will adjust the approach as progress is made.
Online formats offer flexibility and different ways to engage. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and screen-sharing for worksheets. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a hands-free option is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging support brief check-ins, quick skill reminders, or continued reflection between scheduled sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and maintain momentum between meetings.
Questions people ask about Patricia
What concerns does Patricia help with?
She offers help for stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting concerns, low self-esteem, and depression, along with related issues like abandonment, communication problems, guilt and shame, and isolation.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is respectful and compassionate with a focus on plain language and practical steps. Sessions emphasize listening, collaborative goal-setting, and tools to use between meetings.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She is a licensed clinical social worker with 26 years of professional experience working in California settings that included early childhood, adolescence, and family-focused environments.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds a California LCSW license and practices in California.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model 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 schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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