CBTTherapistsUSA

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

VB Portrait of Virginia Ballantyne

Virginia Ballantyne

CBT-informed LCSW focused on practical change

LCSW California

Experience
12 years in practice
Focus areas
Relationship, Trauma and abuse, Career
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Virginia

About Virginia

Virginia Ballantyne brings a cognitive behavioral framework to her practice while blending client-centered and other therapeutic perspectives to meet each person's needs. She is Virginia A.

Background and approach

Ballantyne, LCSW, and over 12 years she has worked in nonprofit and county settings, emphasizing strengths-based care that helps clients identify practical skills and shift unhelpful patterns. Her approach is humanistic and eclectic, tailored to individual histories and presenting concerns.

Virginia focuses on a broad range of life challenges including relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, and addiction. She creates a sex-positive, LGBTQ+ affirming space in which topics such as sexual identity, intimacy, and gender-related issues can be explored openly.

Additional areas she addresses include family-of-origin dynamics, blended family and adoption concerns, caregiver stress, codependency, and matters related to HIV/AIDS and gender dysphoria. Working from an empowering, nonjudgmental stance, she uses techniques from CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, narrative, and client-centered therapies to help clients build coping strategies and clarify goals.

Virginia offers phone, video, and live chat sessions for residents of California and aims to collaborate with each client to develop meaningful, practical steps toward improved well-being.

Online approaches that combine skill building and client-centered care

Virginia frequently integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy in online work. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression and to support coping with life transitions. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist listens deeply and helps clients access their own strengths and values.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy when emotion regulation, distress tolerance, or interpersonal effectiveness skills are needed; DBT teaches concrete strategies for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. Together these methods offer both practical skills and a collaborative, empathetic stance to support different kinds of concerns.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist works collaboratively with each client to tailor methods to their goals, preferences, and needs. Online formats make it easier to try strategies and practice skills between sessions. Video, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging provide flexibility for scheduling, allow continued work through busy or changing circumstances, and help maintain continuity of care when in-person visits are impractical.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Virginia commonly address?
She works with a wide range of issues including relationship problems, trauma and abuse, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and stress related to life changes.
What is her therapeutic style and approach?
The practice blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral techniques and other modalities to help clients develop skills and explore personal meaning.
How long has she been practicing?
Virginia has 12 years of experience working in nonprofit and county settings and brings that background into her current therapeutic work.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with CA LCSW 98267 and currently sees clients who reside in California.
Which languages does she use in sessions and does she accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available with this clinician?
Clients can connect through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and availability.
How are therapy costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesTrauma and abuseCareer difficultiesDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsGriefParenting issuesAnger management

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesGender dysphoriaHIV / AIDSJealousyMoney and financial issuesMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Sexual assault and abuseSexualityWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Motivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

12+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English