Lesley Schwam

Lesley Schwam is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California who uses practical, goal-focused methods to help people manage stress, anger, and life transitions. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy to help clients identify small, concrete changes that make daily life easier and more manageable.

She has 12 years of clinical experience, including work with depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, panic attacks, and grief. Lesley also supports people facing career changes, retirement, and other major life shifts. Her approach emphasizes learning coping skills, self-care routines, and ways to reduce overwhelming emotions.

In early sessions she helps people set short-term and long-term goals. She introduces boundary-setting and communication strategies that can be practiced between meetings. Sessions also focus on building routines and behavioral changes that support those goals.

Lesley works with people dealing with addiction, ADHD-related challenges, intimacy and relationship concerns, and family-of-origin issues. She often addresses control issues, guilt, shame, and forgiveness alongside more practical problems like caregiver stress or managing chronic illness.

The therapy relationship is collaborative and action-oriented. Lesley checks in on progress and adjusts goals as needed. For those coping with anger, she helps translate strong feelings into clear next steps and healthier ways to respond.

How Lesley’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Lesley uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT focuses on practical steps such as testing beliefs, practicing new behaviors, and building routines that reduce anxiety or anger. Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes what a person wants to see change and maps small, immediate steps to get there, which can feel useful when life feels stuck.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist and client review goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what helps most. Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs, and Lesley checks progress regularly to make sure the plan stays useful.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can help fit work on emotional goals into a busy life by making sessions easier to attend, allowing focused skill practice between meetings, and shortening check-ins when needed. These practical benefits help people keep momentum toward their goals without rearranging their whole schedule.