Brian Olden, LCSW

Licensed in California · 45 years in practice

Brian Olden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California with 45 years of experience.

License and registration

LCSW, California: 10507 · expires June 2027
NPI: 1790762797 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 45
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Brian

Brian Olden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California with 45 years of experience. He brings a steady, straightforward style to sessions and focuses on practical steps people can use right away. He speaks English and draws on a long career supporting a wide range of challenges.

Brian works with concerns such as relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, stress, and difficulties with parenting or family roles. He also helps people facing grief, career decisions, chronic illness or pain, sleep problems, and issues with self-esteem or anger.

Background and approach

He incorporates coaching elements when clients want clear goals and action plans. His approach is collaborative. He helps clients set goals together and chooses methods that fit each person’s needs.

Sessions tend to be direct and focused, with an emphasis on finding what helps in everyday life. Brian uses several therapeutic methods including client-centered work, cognitive behavioral ideas, emotionally-focused tools, EMDR, and narrative strategies. He adapts these methods to the problem at hand rather than relying on a single technique.

People who prefer clear, goal-oriented conversations may find his style useful. He aims to help clients recognize strengths and build strategies to reach their goals. The work is practical, steady, and guided by the client’s priorities.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Brian lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Depression
Coping with life changes
Coaching
Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Sleeping disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
Adoption and foster care
Aging and geriatric issues
Blended family issues
Caregiver issues and stress
Chronic pain, illness, and disability
Communication problems
Divorce and separation
Family problems
Fatherhood issues
First responder issues
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Impulsivity
Infidelity
Intellectual disability
Men's issues
Midlife crisis
Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Post-traumatic stress
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Sexual dysfunction
Social anxiety and phobia
Traumatic brain injury
Workplace issues

Approaches Brian names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Approaches that translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person’s perspective. It emphasizes building trust, reflecting what matters to the client, and helping people make choices aligned with their values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and offers practical exercises to shift unhelpful patterns. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and day-to-day coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will work with the client to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That means trying approaches, checking what helps, and adjusting as progress is made in a collaborative way.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people work face to face when that is helpful. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging can support shorter check-ins, quick coaching, or ongoing reflection between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family, or caregiving schedules and to keep momentum between appointments.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does Brian address?

He works with relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, stress, grief, parenting and family issues, sleep problems, anger, self-esteem, career questions, bipolar concerns, ADHD, and related topics.

What is his therapeutic style like?

His style is collaborative and goal oriented. Sessions focus on practical steps, recognizing strengths, and choosing approaches that fit each person.

How long has he been practicing?

He has 45 years of experience working with a wide range of concerns across many settings.

Where is he licensed and based?

He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - in California and works with people in that state.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.

How does payment and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working together?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

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