Sheila Brittain, LMFT - Therapist in California

About Sheila

Sheila Brittain is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who uses relationship-focused work to guide people through stressful and painful life moments. She draws on six years of clinical practice and decades of social services experience to help clients sort through anxiety, depression, grief, and issues connected to family and caregiving.

Her style is straightforward and calm, aimed at helping people make small, practical changes that feel doable at home.

Background and approach

Sheila keeps sessions grounded in the day-to-day. She listens for how beliefs, perceptions, and past family experiences shape reactions now. Then she helps clients try new ways of relating, thinking, and coping.

Her approach emphasizes collaboration and respect for each person’s pace. Early in a relationship with a client she focuses on building trust and understanding what matters most to them. She may use evidence-based tools to shift unhelpful thoughts and habits, and she often includes mindfulness practices to manage stress and improve sleep.

Motivational interviewing can help clients find the energy to change when they feel stuck. Sheila also brings experience with caregiver stress, aging and end-of-life concerns, and challenges like codependency or family of origin problems. She helps people make clearer decisions and communicate more effectively during difficult times.

Practical problem solving and emotional validation are common parts of the work. Sessions typically aim to reduce overwhelm and increase everyday functioning. Sheila encourages clients to test small changes between meetings and reflect on what works.

Her goal is to help people build more satisfying routines and relationships over time.

Therapeutic approaches and how they fit online

Sheila commonly blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral techniques to address thinking patterns and day-to-day habits. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space so people can say what matters to them. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at specific thoughts and behaviors and offers practical exercises to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and change unhelpful responses.

She also uses attachment-based ideas to notice how past relationships affect current interactions, and motivational interviewing to help people find their own reasons to change. Choosing the right mix is a collaborative process. The therapist and client check goals together, try approaches, and adjust what’s used based on progress and preference.

Online therapy offers flexibility for this work. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for skills practice and emotional support. Phone sessions can be simpler on busy days, and live chat or text messaging make it easy to touch base between sessions or get brief coaching. These options help people fit therapy into caregiving schedules, work, and other obligations while still working toward clearer communication and better coping.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Looks at how early bonds shaped what you expect from closeness, and how that plays out now with a partner, a parent, or your own children.

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.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?

Sheila works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, and issues tied to family and caregiving. She also supports people facing intimacy, sleep, anger, career, and compassion fatigue challenges.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. Sessions mix listening, practical problem solving, and tools like mindfulness or cognitive techniques to change unhelpful patterns.

What is her background and experience?

Sheila has six years of clinical experience as a licensed therapist and more than 30 years in social services and related roles that inform her work.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with license CA LMFT 112877 based in California.

Which languages are supported and can she see international clients?

Sessions are offered in English. She is not currently working with international clients.

What session formats are available?

Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How are costs and payment handled?

Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What do I do to begin therapy?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Self esteem

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 6 years
Licensed: California
Languages: English

Next step

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