- Addiction support
- Relationship help
- Codependency focus
About Jillian
Dr. Jillian Barna is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with 19 years of clinical experience. She has spent much of her career helping people facing addiction, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and LGBT-related issues. Her work centers on steady, practical support that meets people where they are.
She believes people know their own stories, and she focuses on listening first. Sessions are intended to help clients name what matters, spot small but useful changes, and build forward momentum. Dr. Barna aims to offer respect and gentle challenge rather than quick fixes.
A common focus is addiction and recovery, including drug and alcohol concerns. She also addresses codependency, attachment issues, and family of origin problems that can keep patterns repeating. Communication problems and workplace stress are other frequent topics in her practice.
Her approach draws on client-centered work and evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Motivational interviewing and narrative therapy also shape how she helps people clarify goals and rewrite difficult patterns.
People often come to her wanting practical tools for mood and panic symptoms, or support around pregnancy, postpartum, and women's health concerns. She also works with sexual and relationship questions, and with self-harm and personality disorder issues when they arise.
Dr. Barna provides therapy in English from her California practice. She encourages prospective clients to begin by thinking about what they want from therapy and then try a few steps to see if the fit feels right.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's unique story. It emphasizes empathy and the client's own goals, which can help when people feel unsure how to start making changes.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It offers concrete skills for anxiety, mood shifts, panic, and some addiction-related patterns.
Dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, adds skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It can be useful for mood instability, panic, and self-harm urges when those are part of someone's experience.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dr. Barna will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels doable. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust as progress unfolds.
Confirm what session formats are currently offered before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets a licensed professional provide continuity of care when in-person visits are difficult to arrange.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
19+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Dr. Barna commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, relationship issues, and LGBT-related concerns. Additional focus areas include codependency, attachment and family of origin problems.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and listening-based. She combines a client-centered stance with practical tools to help clients move forward a step at a time.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 19 years of experience working in mental health settings and with people facing addiction and mood concerns.
Where is Dr. Barna licensed and practicing?
She holds a California LMFT license and practices in California.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions billed and what about cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.