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JK Portrait of Dr. Julia Kaluga
Online therapist

Dr. Julia Kaluga

Practical therapy for stress and life changes

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Credentials
LMFT
Experience
14 years
Licensed in
California
Languages
English, Russian
Format
Online sessions

About Julia

Dr. Julia Kaluga is a licensed marriage and family therapist who brings 14 years of clinical experience to her work. She holds a Doctor of Psychology and practices as an LMFT in California.

She speaks English and Russian and works with people facing a wide range of stresses and life changes. Her day-to-day focus is practical and direct. She helps people manage anxiety, depression, grief, and problems with self-esteem.

She also addresses relationship concerns, addictions, and questions related to LGBT issues and gender dysphoria.

Background and approach

Sessions aim to identify small, usable steps that make daily life easier. Julia uses a mix of approaches when needed. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to change unhelpful thinking patterns and on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for coping skills.

Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are part of her toolkit when clients want to build present-moment awareness and clarify personal values. Clients can expect a collaborative tone in sessions. She listens first, then helps set goals and tries out techniques together.

The work is paced to what each person can handle, with attention to practical problem solving and emotional processing. She also brings experience with more specific concerns such as postpartum depression, first responder issues, hoarding, immigration-related stress, and aging and geriatric issues. Her aim is to help people find clearer direction and steadier routines as they move through change.

For those new to therapy, she encourages taking one small step at a time and building skills that fit daily life.

Therapeutic approaches applied to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice what matters most to them and take actions that match those values even when feelings are hard. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and when life changes make daily choices feel confusing.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with small behavioral changes. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress to build more effective habits and clearer thinking.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist listens to what matters to the client, discusses possible methods, and tries approaches collaboratively to see what fits best for goals and preferences.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions around work, caregiving, and other obligations, and to use shorter or more frequent check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and CBT tools to each format, using skills practice, brief exercises, and real-time problem solving in ways that match each person's routine.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

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 kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, addictions, parenting, relationship issues, LGBT concerns, trauma and many life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Expect a collaborative and practical style that combines talking through problems with hands-on skills practice and goal setting.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 14 years of professional work experience helping people with a broad range of concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is an LMFT licensed in California with license number CA LMFT 93579.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Russian.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
14 years
Licensed
California
Languages
English, Russian

Next step

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