IFSTherapists

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LMFT

Brandi Ellis, LMFT

  • Experience12 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Addictions, and LGBT
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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About Brandi

Brandi Ellis is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California who centers care on people seeking relief from stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strains, and a broad range of life challenges.

Background and approach

She invites clients who are ready to engage with their own strengths and values, and she frames therapy as a collaborative process that builds on each person’s experience and resilience. With 12 years of clinical experience, Brandi blends evidence-based strategies to address concerns such as addiction, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, and attention-related challenges among many others.

Her practice integrates Internal Family Systems concepts alongside acceptance-oriented and attachment-focused work to help clients explore internal parts, clarify values, and strengthen emotional connections. She emphasizes a client-centered stance that respects individual stories and pacing, offering practical tools from cognitive behavioral and acceptance-based therapies when helpful.

Brandi supports people navigating major life transitions, caregiving stress, codependency, sexual diversity and kink-related concerns, and a wide array of relational and emotional difficulties. Her approach aims to make therapy approachable, strengths-focused, and grounded in real-world coping skills.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Internal Family Systems (IFS) invites clients to explore different internal parts and their relationships, helping people understand self-protective patterns and build more compassionate inner leadership. This approach can be useful for issues like trauma responses, intense emotions, and persistent self-criticism.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and learning skills to accept uncomfortable thoughts and feelings while committing to meaningful action. It often helps with anxiety, depression, and navigating life transitions by emphasizing values-based living.

Attachment-Based Therapy concentrates on how early and current relational patterns shape emotional responses and connection, offering a path to improving relationship dynamics and emotional regulation.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process and will be determined collaboratively. The therapist will work with each client to identify which methods fit their goals, preferences, and the issues they bring, adjusting techniques as progress unfolds.

Online formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care while fitting therapy into busy lives. Video calls let clients work face-to-face from home, phone sessions offer audio-only flexibility, and live chat or text-based messaging provide a way to connect between scheduled sessions or for those who prefer written communication. These options support accessibility and consistent engagement with therapeutic work.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does this therapy address?
Brandi works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, and many related topics such as codependency and caregiver stress.
What is the therapist's general approach or style?
The practice emphasizes a collaborative, client-centered stance that combines Internal Family Systems concepts, acceptance-based methods, and practical cognitive strategies tailored to each person's needs.
How much clinical experience does the therapist have?
The therapist has 12 years of professional experience working with diverse emotional, relational, and behavioral concerns.
What credentials and where is the therapist licensed?
Brandi is an LMFT licensed in California with the license number CA LMFT 53223 and maintains a clinical practice in that state.
Which languages are available for sessions and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
In what formats are sessions offered?
The therapist provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are fees and payment structured?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesDepression

Also works with

Family conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

12+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English