- Client-centered approach
- Cognitive behavioral tools
- Speaks English and Portuguese
About Donald
Donald Bliss is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with forty years of experience. He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family concerns, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy issues, parenting, self-esteem, career questions, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes. He also focuses on abandonment, attachment and blended family issues, codependency, communication and commitment problems, chronic illness and pain, and related concerns. He speaks English and Portuguese.
Don writes plainly and listens for the story behind what brings someone in. He uses straightforward conversation to uncover patterns and to name the thoughts and behaviors that keep people stuck. He draws on client-centered work to follow each person's priorities, and on cognitive behavioral tools to test unhelpful thinking and shift behaviors.
His background includes roles in outpatient, inpatient, residential, community agency, and employee assistance program settings. He has done direct services, case management, program design and program evaluation. That variety means he brings many practical ways to handle problems, not only talk about them.
He has lived and worked in multiple regions of the United States and abroad. That international experience informs his approach to cultural and intercultural issues, and it shapes how he talks about identity, sexuality, and LGBTQ concerns. He is comfortable discussing the effects of adoption, foster care, and complex family histories.
In sessions he mixes narrative work to reframe personal stories, motivational interviewing to build readiness for change, and mindfulness practices to reduce reactivity. He aims to help people identify concrete next steps they can try between appointments. The subscription for sessions can be canceled at any time.
How his approaches work in online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the client's priorities. It looks to understand what matters most to the person and uses that as the starting point for change. This approach helps when someone feels overwhelmed or uncertain about what to address.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify thoughts and behaviors that contribute to distress. It uses simple experiments and exercises to test unhelpful beliefs and to build different habits, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and shame-related thinking.
Mindfulness Therapy introduces short practices for noticing thoughts and bodily reactions without immediately acting on them. These practices can help reduce reactivity and create space to choose different responses to shame or guilt.
Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that seem likely to help, and adjust the plan based on what works or doesn't. The client helps shape the focus and pace of the work.
If you are considering online sessions, please confirm the current session formats before booking. Many people find remote work fits around busy schedules, allows shorter check-ins, and removes travel time. Online sessions can make it easier to maintain continuity during life changes, and the therapist will discuss which practical arrangements best fit the client's needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
40+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Portuguese
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does he address?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family issues, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy concerns, parenting, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
How does he approach guilt or shame?
He combines client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral techniques and narrative work to name shame or guilt patterns and to try different ways of thinking and acting.
How much experience does he have?
He brings forty years of work in mental health and addictions across outpatient, inpatient, residential, community agency, and employee assistance program settings.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in California and practices from that state.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English and Portuguese.
Does he work with international clients?
Yes, he accepts international clients.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with him?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.