PuttingFamilyFirst

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JG Portrait of Joni De Groot
Online therapist

Joni De Groot

Calm, practical support for families

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Credentials
LMFT
Experience
35 years
Licensed in
California
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Joni

Joni De Groot is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 35 years of experience helping people with stress, anxiety, relationships, family matters, parenting, and coaching. She meets caregivers and parents where they are and focuses on practical steps to ease day-to-day strain. Her tone is straightforward and collaborative, aimed at families juggling busy lives and worrying about their children.

She uses clear, hands-on tools from cognitive behavioral therapy combined with client-centered listening.

Background and approach

Mindfulness and a Jungian perspective are part of how she helps people notice patterns that shape their choices. Sessions aim to make ideas and strategies usable at home, school, and work. Her background includes work across many settings.

She has been an intake coordinator, case manager, and therapist in sub-acute care, outpatient, school, and residential programs. She has worked alongside psychiatrists, county mental health, juvenile justice, and school systems. Joni brings a wide-angle view to problems.

She looks at family patterns and practical routines that affect daily life. The goal is to help families and individuals build clearer communication and better coping skills. She also addresses focused concerns such as attachment issues, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, body image, and separation or divorce.

Joni works with clients across the lifespan and frames change as a collaborative process you make together. Sessions are offered in English from California by a California-licensed LMFT, CA LMFT 29377. Her style is steady, practical, and respectful of each person’s circumstances.

Approaches and online support for family life

Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding each person’s perspective. The therapist listens without judgment and helps clients find their own solutions, which is useful for parents and family members trying to improve communication or decision making.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts influence feelings and behavior. This approach teaches concrete skills for managing anxiety, stress, and daily parenting challenges so people can try new ways of responding at home.

Dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, emphasizes skills for emotion regulation and tolerating distress. It can help parents and teens learn tools to reduce intense reactions and improve interactions during heated moments.

Finding the right fit is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, try approaches that match a family’s needs, and adjust methods as progress is made. Clients and the therapist make decisions together about what feels most helpful.

Online sessions are offered by licensed professionals through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into hectic days, reduce travel time, and allow follow-up conversations between sessions. For many families, online formats increase consistency and flexibility while working toward clearer routines and better communication.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?
Joni focuses on stress, anxiety, relationships, family issues, parenting, and coaching. She also works on attachment, blended family problems, caregiver stress, and divorce or separation.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is collaborative and down-to-earth. She listens first, then offers practical strategies from cognitive behavioral and mindfulness practices.
What experience does she bring?
She has 35 years of experience working in outpatient, school, residential, and sub-acute care settings. Her work has included roles as intake coordinator, case manager, and team-based therapy.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, licensed in California. License number CA LMFT 29377 and she practices from California.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. This gives families options that fit busy schedules.
How much do sessions cost and how do subscriptions work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions are provided through a subscription model. The subscription can be canceled at any time.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
35 years
Licensed
California
Languages
English

Next step

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