Virginia Ballantyne, LCSW

Licensed in California · 12 years in practice

Virginia Ballantyne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who takes a practical, person-focused approach to therapy.

License and registration

LCSW, California: 98267 · expires November 2026
NPI: 1932509064 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 12
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Virginia

Virginia Ballantyne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who takes a practical, person-focused approach to therapy. She uses simple, direct conversation to help people handle stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions. Her style is warm and nonjudgmental, and she aims to help people find what works for them in everyday life.

She often combines client-centered listening with evidence-based tools from cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapies. That means sessions can include straightforward skill-building for managing strong emotions, changing unhelpful thinking patterns, and coping with crisis moments.

Background and approach

Motivational interviewing and narrative techniques are used when people want help making lasting changes or rethinking difficult life stories. Virginia has 12 years of experience in community and county settings in California. She has worked with people affected by trauma, intimate partner violence, substance use in the family, and the stresses that come with caregiving and change.

She also supports those navigating sexual identity, gender questions, and issues tied to kink, alternative sexual culture, adoption, and blended families. In sessions she focuses on strengths and practical steps. Conversations aim to uncover personal resources and build skills for communication, boundaries, and emotion regulation.

She works with people on relationships, career concerns, addiction, and complications from family of origin problems. People meet with her by phone, video, live chat, or text-based messaging. She practices from a humanistic, eclectic stance that adapts to each person’s needs and values their right to self-determination.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Virginia lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Career difficulties
Depression
Coping with life changes
Stress, Anxiety
Addictions
LGBT
Family conflicts
Grief
Parenting issues
Anger management
Adoption and foster care
BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
Blended family issues
Caregiver issues and stress
Codependency
Communication problems
Control issues
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Drug and alcohol addiction
Family of origin issues
Family problems
First responder issues
Gender dysphoria
HIV / AIDS
Jealousy
Money and financial issues
Mood disorders
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Paranoia
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Postpartum depression
Post-traumatic stress
Pregnancy and childbirth
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Sexual assault and abuse
Sexuality
Women's issues
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Virginia names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Practical approaches for online therapy

Virginia combines client-centered work with cognitive behavioral therapy to keep sessions focused and useful. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's experience and priorities, using listening and questions to help people identify their own solutions and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions link together and teaches concrete techniques to change unhelpful patterns and reduce symptoms like anxiety or depression.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy when emotion regulation and distress tolerance are needed. DBT offers practical skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and coping in crisis moments. Choosing which approach to use is a collaborative process: the therapist will review goals, try approaches that fit a person’s situation, and adjust plans as progress or needs change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for richer conversation and skill coaching, phone can be a lower-bandwidth option, live chat works well for check-ins or shorter conversations, and messaging supports ongoing prompts, homework, or brief reflections. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, caregiving, or travel while keeping therapy consistent and flexible.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does Virginia address?

She helps people with relationship issues, trauma and abuse, career stress, depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, parenting strain, and anger. Additional focuses include adoption and foster care, blended family issues, and first responder stress.

What is her therapy style like?

Her style is client-centered and nonjudgmental, mixing listening with skill teaching. Sessions often include practical strategies from cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches.

How much experience does she have?

She has 12 years of experience working in non-profit and county settings in California, supporting people with trauma, substance-related family impacts, and other complex life challenges.

What credentials and location are listed?

She holds a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential (LCSW) and practices in California.

Which languages are offered and can she see international clients?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

Therapy is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How are costs handled?

Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

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