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LCSW

Sheila Owens, LCSW

  • Experience8 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Self esteem
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Sheila

Sheila Owens is a California licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with eight years of formal clinical experience and three decades of earlier service in mental health as a case manager and coordinator.

Background and approach

She has worked broadly with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar concerns, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship challenges, self-esteem and identity questions, parenting and career transitions. Her background also includes supporting clients through issues such as abandonment, communication problems, codependency, infidelity, and family of origin difficulties.

Her approach blends empathy and practical strategies, tailoring conversations and treatment plans to each person’s needs. Sheila draws on Internal Family Systems alongside client-centered techniques, CBT, DBT skills, and EMDR-informed methods to address emotional regulation, patterns of behavior, and processing painful memories.

She values respect, sensitivity, and empowerment, and combines clinical training with community advocacy to reduce stigma around mental health. Clients can expect collaborative goal-setting and a focus on strengthening coping skills while exploring underlying dynamics that shape feelings and relationships.

Sheila frames the therapeutic journey as a partnership aimed at fostering greater resilience, clearer communication, and more satisfying day-to-day functioning.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) views the mind as made up of different parts and helps clients compassionately explore inner conflicts and protective patterns; it can be useful for understanding recurring emotional reactions and identity-related struggles. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a nonjudgmental, empathetic stance where the therapist follows the client's lead to build insight and self-directed growth, supporting confidence and motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, offering concrete strategies for managing anxiety, depression, and stress.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Sheila will work with each person to consider goals, preferences, and the nature of their concerns, drawing from multiple methods to create a tailored plan rather than relying on a single technique. This flexibility allows the therapy to evolve as needs change.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase accessibility and convenience. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, maintain continuity during transitions, and use different communication modes for skill practice, check-ins, or more in-depth work. Licensed professionals can adapt these methods effectively to support emotional regulation, processing, and everyday coping across a variety of concerns.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
Sheila works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, relationship and family problems, grief, trauma and abuse, self-esteem and LGBT issues, along with parenting, career, anger, and coping with life changes.
What is Sheila's therapeutic style and approach?
Her style is collaborative and tailored, combining client-centered care with skills-based and trauma-informed approaches such as CBT, DBT, EMDR techniques, and Internal Family Systems to address symptoms and patterns.
How much professional experience does she bring?
She has eight years of licensed clinical experience plus about thirty years of prior work in the mental health field as a case manager and coordinator.
What credentials and where is she licensed?
She holds the LCSW credential and is licensed in California under CA LCSW 115925.
Which languages are available and can she see international clients?
Services are offered in English. She is not currently accepting international clients.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different scheduling and communication preferences.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps should someone take to begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemBipolar disorderDepression

Also works with

LGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAvoidant personalityBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMulticultural concernsPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-love

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

8+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English