Leonard Burns, LMFT
Compassionate therapist who values story and change
Details
| Name | Leonard Burns |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMFT |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 35 |
About Leonard
Leonard Burns is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 35 years of practice in California. He helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and relationship or intimacy concerns. He also supports people facing parenting strain, sleep problems, ADHD, and challenges related to identity and LGBT issues.
He uses a narrative-informed style that invites clients to tell their story and notice the patterns that shape their life. Sessions focus on clear, practical steps alongside deeper reflection.
Background and approach
Leonard draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centered work, and cognitive behavioral techniques to tailor support to each person. His background includes long experience with trauma and abuse, complex post-traumatic stress, and cancer survivorship. He has worked with people who struggle with abandonment, codependency, chronic illness, caregiving stress, and dissociation.
That experience informs a steady, patient approach to healing. In the room, Leonard aims for straightforward conversation and honest feedback. He prioritizes building a strong working relationship first, then addressing the concrete problems that brought someone to therapy.
He acknowledges that change can feel frightening and stays alongside clients through the difficult moments. Sessions may involve learning new skills, trying different perspectives, and practicing small behavioral changes between meetings. Leonard helps people set realistic goals and checks progress over time, adjusting the work to fit what is most useful.
What this therapist works with
His listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Family conflicts among the things Leonard works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visually impaired
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in his listing among his approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Jungian Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Leonard among the ways he works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Leonard directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how he works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Leonard directly how he uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and practical approaches work online
Leonard combines narrative-informed work with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-focused ideas to help people reshape troubling patterns. Narrative work invites clients to tell and retell their story, helping them notice unhelpful themes and imagine different possibilities. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes values-based action and learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings while still moving toward chosen goals. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship experiences shape current connections and helps people build safer, more effective ways of relating.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Leonard will work with each person to figure out which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they set aims, try techniques, and adjust course based on what is most helpful in session and between meetings.
Online therapy offers practical benefits for ongoing work. Video calls let conversations feel close to an in-person meeting. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to stay connected between sessions or to share short updates and reflections. These options increase flexibility and make it simpler to keep therapy part of a busy life.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does this therapist address?
He supports stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, addictions, sleep problems, parenting strain, ADHD, and LGBT concerns, among other related areas.
What is his therapeutic style like?
He works in a narrative-informed, client-centered way that combines practical techniques with story-focused reflection. Sessions mix skill-building with deeper conversations about life patterns.
How much experience does he have?
He brings 35 years of clinical experience, including long-term work with trauma, complex PTSD, cancer survivorship, and identity-related challenges.
Where is he licensed and based?
Leonard is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as possible formats for ongoing work.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Leonard are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Leonard where he has space. Ask about fees, and whether he holds a licence or registration where you live.
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