Kasimu-Richard Harley, LMFT

Kasimu-Richard Harley is a California licensed therapist with 27 years of professional experience helping individuals, families, and groups navigate life’s challenges. He brings a lifetime of personal and professional experience to his work - born in the United States with African roots and raised in Pennsylvania, he served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam Era and draws on those formative experiences when supporting clients. As a husband, father, brother, uncle, and son he approaches therapy with lived understanding of family roles and responsibilities.

Over more than two decades Kasimu-Richard has worked in outpatient and residential treatment settings supporting adolescents and adults with substance use and mental wellness needs, and in educational environments addressing socio-emotional barriers that impede student learning. He has also provided stress reduction and work-balance coaching to teachers and school administrators. His practice focuses on a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, relationships, family dynamics, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief, parenting, intimacy issues, and compassion fatigue among others.

He practices as an LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and holds California license CA LMFT 29988. Kasimu-Richard uses a systemic, eclectic approach drawing from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and trauma-focused methods to help clients work through depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and loss. He frames therapy as a collaborative process aimed at restoring personal growth and resilience, inviting clients to “Walk in Your Awesomeness.”

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Kasimu-Richard Harley often combines client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness practices in his work. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a nonjudgmental, empathetic stance - the therapist listens deeply and helps clients explore their values, goals, and personal strengths to address relationship and identity concerns. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems. Mindfulness practices teach present-moment awareness and simple regulation skills to reduce reactivity and support recovery from trauma and chronic worry.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process and Kasimu-Richard collaborates with each client to determine what fits best based on needs, goals, and personal preferences. Together they tailor methods and strategies, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds to ensure the work feels relevant and achievable.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call or phone, and shorter check-ins are possible via live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit consistent care into busy schedules, to maintain continuity during life changes, and to access licensed professionals from different locations while preserving the collaborative, goal-oriented focus of in-person work.