Janet Giles, LMFT

Janet Giles is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California. She brings 21 years of clinical experience and a calm, practical approach to sessions. People often reach out for help with stress, caregiving strain, anxiety, parenting challenges, or relationship and communication problems. She aims to make the first conversation straightforward and manageable for someone who feels overwhelmed.

Janet adjusts her approach to the issue at hand rather than using one fixed method. She commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client- and strength-based techniques, and mindfulness strategies to help people notice patterns, test new ways of responding, and build small sustainable habits. She may add other methods when they suit a person’s goals.

Her background includes work across community and clinical settings and teaching psychology courses at the college level, including lifespan development and theories of personality. This mix of practice and teaching informs a clear, educational style in sessions that breaks complex issues into usable steps. She also brings creative ideas into therapy, influenced by her interests in art, sewing, knitting, and chess.

People contact Janet for a range of concerns from grief and trauma to compassion fatigue and low self-esteem. Caregiver issues and codependency are listed areas of focus, and she often helps people develop better communication and boundaries. She aims to support practical problem solving alongside emotional processing.

Janet emphasizes the working relationship as central to progress. She invites prospective clients to start with a short matching process and then schedule sessions that fit their needs and rhythm.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Janet commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral approaches, which help people spot unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and try small experiments to change them. This approach is often useful for anxiety, stress, and mood concerns because it focuses on concrete steps and measurable changes.

She also uses client- and strength-based techniques that emphasize a person’s existing resources and goals. These methods help people build on what already works and set practical, achievable goals for day-to-day life. Mindfulness interventions are another tool she offers to help people manage strong emotions and return attention to the present moment.

Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to identify priorities, try methods that fit their style, and adjust over time based on what helps. That way the work stays practical and responsive to real-life needs.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. Many people find remote sessions helpful for keeping consistent progress while juggling caregiving, work, and other responsibilities.