- LMFT with 35 years
- Sleep and rest concerns
- Practical coping tools
About Leonard
Leonard Burns is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with decades of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, sleep problems, grief, and substance concerns. He works with clients on relationship and intimacy issues, coping with life changes, ADHD, and situations that follow trauma or abuse. He also supports people facing caregiver strain, chronic illness, and questions about identity.
He keeps therapy straightforward and relational. Leonard emphasizes an honest, steady working relationship as the starting point for change. Sessions focus on clear goals and practical steps. He treats the person, not just the problem, and invites open conversation about what is getting in the way of rest and daily functioning.
Over 35 years he has blended family-systems thinking with psychodynamic ideas and a range of therapeutic approaches. This background informs how he looks at repetitive patterns, attachment hurts, and difficult emotions that disrupt sleep and relationships. He draws on cognitive tools to address thoughts that fuel anxiety and on acceptance strategies to reduce struggle with distressing feelings.
Leonard aims to make therapy a place where people can try new ways of coping without judgment. He supports clients who are recovering from complex trauma, managing depression, or adjusting to health challenges. He encourages small, manageable changes that add up over time.
He practices in California and brings many years of experience working with people from diverse backgrounds. Leonard’s style is steady, compassionate, and goal-oriented, with attention to how sleep and rest fit into overall wellbeing.
How therapeutic approaches shape online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people notice their thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It encourages choosing actions that reflect personal values, which can ease avoidance and improve daily routines like sleep. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings and offers concrete strategies to change unhelpful patterns that fuel anxiety and insomnia. Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early and current relationship patterns affect trust, closeness, and emotional safety, which often shows up as sleep problems or difficulty resting.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they will try methods that match those goals and adjust the plan as needed based on what helps most.
If you are considering online therapy, check the available session options before booking to confirm current formats. Online work can make scheduling easier, help fit sessions around work or caregiving, and reduce travel time. It can also allow for shorter check-ins when needed or work through sleep and anxiety strategies from home using tools like breathing exercises and behavioral experiments. Confirm the exact session format when you set up the first appointment.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Leonard help with?
He supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, ADHD, and related challenges like caregiver stress and chronic illness.
How would you describe his therapy style?
He uses a steady, relational approach that focuses on the therapeutic relationship, clear goals, and practical steps people can try between sessions.
What is his experience working with these issues?
He has 35 years of clinical experience and has worked with people recovering from complex PTSD, depression, and medical or identity-related life challenges.
What credentials and region apply to this therapist?
He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, practicing in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does he work with clients outside the United States?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs billed and arranged?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.