About Jillian
Dr. Jillian Barna is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California with 19 years of experience.
Background and approach
She focuses on helping people who are coping with addiction, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and LGBTQ concerns. Her approach starts with listening and understanding each person’s story before planning next steps.
She believes people already carry important strengths and that small changes add up. Sessions tend to be practical and goal oriented while keeping space for emotion and meaning.
Jillian aims to reduce overwhelm and help people build everyday skills that make life feel more manageable. Her background includes long-term work with substance use and behavioral addictions alongside mood and anxiety conditions.
She also addresses issues tied to attachment, codependency, communication problems, and family of origin concerns. This experience informs how she helps clients sort patterns and try new ways of relating.
In sessions she draws on several methods to fit the person in front of her. That may include steady problem-solving, skill building for managing intense feelings, or exploring personal stories that shape current choices.
She uses straightforward language and practical exercises so clients can use what they learn between meetings. Jillian offers care suited to everyday life challenges like workplace stress, pregnancy and postpartum mood changes, and sexuality questions.
Her style is collaborative and measured, aiming to help people move forward with realistic steps and growing confidence.
Online approaches that fit daily life
Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and responding to each person without judgment; it helps people feel heard and decide their own next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and panic. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for managing strong emotions and improving communication in stressful moments.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before, then try methods that seem most likely to help. Adjustments are made over time based on what the person reports and how they respond to exercises and strategies.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people use visual cues and longer sit-down sessions. Phone sessions work well when video is difficult or bandwidth is low. Live chat and messaging are useful for short check-ins, brief coaching, or when someone prefers writing to speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family, and daily routines.
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Attachment issues
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self-harm
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 19 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English