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JZ Portrait of Javier Zuniga

Javier Zuniga

Supportive therapist blending empathy and skill

LCSW California

Experience
26 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Parenting
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages
English, Spanish

About Javier

Javier Zuniga brings 26 years of clinical social work experience to clients in California, working with concerns such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, anger management, ADHD, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, eating and self-esteem difficulties, bipolar disorder, depression, and compassion fatigue.

Background and approach

He also addresses LGBT concerns, multicultural issues, first responder stress, infidelity, intellectual disability, and jealousy. Javier is bilingual in English and Spanish and holds an LCSW license (CA LCSW 22661).

He approaches care from a collaborative, client-centered stance that emphasizes the individual’s strengths and lived experience. Javier encourages clients to view themselves as the expert on their own story while he offers guidance and evidence-informed tools.

His practice draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy among other modalities to help clients develop practical skills for managing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Javier aims to meet people where they are and support their efforts to build more fulfilling lives.

He recognizes the courage it takes to seek help and combines empathy with structured strategies to navigate life’s challenges. Clients can expect a respectful, strengths-based partnership focused on achievable change.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors; it is practical and skills-oriented, often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and behavioral challenges. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationship patterns shape current emotional responses and helps people build more stable connections and healthier interpersonal strategies. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on recognizing and reshaping emotional responses in relationships, which can be useful for improving intimacy and resolving persistent conflicts.

Choosing the right approach often unfolds over the first few sessions. The therapist will work collaboratively to assess needs, goals, and preferences and may blend elements from different models to fit each person's situation rather than applying one fixed method.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage with these approaches through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, provide options for varying comfort levels with communication, and allow continuation of therapy when in-person meetings are impractical. Licensed professionals can adapt evidenced-based exercises, behavioral experiments, and emotionally focused interventions to work effectively through these remote formats, supporting progress while accommodating individual logistics.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does he address?
He works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting, anger, ADHD, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, eating and self-esteem problems, bipolar disorder, depression, compassion fatigue, and related concerns listed in his specialties.
How would you describe his therapeutic approach?
The practice emphasizes a collaborative, client-centered style that draws on evidence-informed methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with attachment and emotion-focused ideas to help clients develop coping strategies and emotional insight.
What is his professional background and experience level?
He is a licensed clinical social worker with 26 years of professional experience working across many settings to help people navigate difficult life challenges and transitions.
Where is he licensed and practicing?
He holds an LCSW license in California listed as CA LCSW 22661 and practices with clients in that state.
Does he work in other languages or with international clients?
He is fluent in English and Spanish and accepts international clients, offering services in either language as appropriate.
What session formats are available with this therapist?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time, and pricing adjusts based on those factors.
What is the first step to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseParenting issuesAnger managementADHD

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSelf esteemBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

First responder issuesInfidelityIntellectual disabilityJealousyMulticultural concerns

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Internal Family Systems

Experience

26+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English, Spanish