Leslie Barton, LMFT

Leslie Barton is a California-based licensed therapist with 36 years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. As an LMFT - a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - she draws on extensive experience with LGBTQ concerns as well as a broad range of related life challenges including adoption and foster care, aging and geriatric issues, autism and Asperger Syndrome, chronic pain and illness, codependency, communication problems, divorce and separation, fertility and pregnancy issues, gender dysphoria, and mood disorders.

Leslie approaches therapy from a strengths-oriented perspective, believing that each person is the expert of their own story and brings strengths that can be used to navigate change. She emphasizes courage, practical coping strategies, and empowerment as central parts of the work, offering steady support as clients take steps toward more fulfilling and happier lives. Her practice attends to both immediate symptom relief and longer term adjustments, helping clients manage day-to-day challenges while exploring meaning, purpose, and relationship patterns.

Clients who work with Leslie can expect a collaborative process that honors their goals and preferences, with a focus on practical tools, emotional processing, and building resilience in the face of loss, transition, and trauma.

Evidence-based approaches and remote care with Leslie Barton

Leslie uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical skills to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. These skills-based strategies help people manage stress, regulate emotions, and develop clearer ways of coping with anxiety and depression so they can navigate challenging moments more effectively.

She also provides trauma-informed and strengths-based support that helps clients process difficult experiences and build on existing resilience. This approach emphasizes empowerment, validating each person’s story while working toward healing from trauma, grief, and loss.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the work and Leslie treats it as a collaborative process. She partners with each client to identify goals, test different techniques, and adjust the plan based on what feels most helpful for the client’s needs, preferences, and life circumstances.

Offering video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, Leslie provides flexible options that fit busy schedules and varied comfort levels. Online sessions make it easier to access therapy from home or on the go and allow ongoing support during life transitions and times of increased need, while preserving the same professional therapeutic relationship one would expect from in-person care.