Profile / United States
Jamie Lavender, LMFT
California
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - Addictions and Relationships
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Harm reduction approach
- Attachment-focused work
About Jamie
Jamie Lavender is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 21 years of experience. He helps people who are carrying heavy concerns like anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship problems, and struggles with substances or impulses. He often works with clients dealing with issues around identity, intimacy, parenting, and career stress.
Jamie uses a direct, practical style. He listens for what keeps a problem repeating and then looks for small, doable changes. He describes his work as client-centered and harm reduction oriented when substance use or impulsive behaviors are involved. That means he meets people where they are and focuses on reducing harm and creating manageable steps forward.
His background includes approaches that emphasize thoughts, emotions, and attachment patterns. He draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice unhelpful thought patterns and test different responses. He also uses attachment-based and emotion-focused ideas to look at how relationships shape feelings and behavior.
Sessions are conversational and task-focused. Expect to talk through recent situations, identify unhelpful patterns, and try experiments between sessions. For people struggling with substance use, work can include strategies for moderation, abstinence, or reducing harm while exploring underlying issues.
Jamie also addresses niche concerns such as kink and alternative sexual cultures, blended family challenges, body image, caregiver stress, and forgiveness. He works in English and practices in California. To begin, clients follow the site process to match and schedule an initial meeting.
How Jamie uses CBT and attachment ideas in online work
Jamie draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients notice patterns in thinking and behavior. CBT involves spotting automatic thoughts, testing whether they are accurate, and practicing different responses to see what changes. This approach is useful for anxiety, depression, and repetitive unhelpful behaviors.He also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early and current relationships shape expectations and reactions. That work focuses on communication patterns, safety in connection, and how those patterns affect intimacy and caregiving roles. Client-centered methods guide sessions so the client’s concerns and goals shape the plan rather than a fixed protocol.
Finding the right approach is collaborative. Jamie will discuss goals and preferences and suggest methods that match a person’s situation. Together they decide whether to emphasize CBT exercises, attachment work, emotional processing, or a mix of approaches.
The therapist’s session formats are not listed here, so confirm current online session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - sessions can be scheduled around work, reduce commute time, or allow shorter check-ins when needed. Different formats also let people choose less camera use or an audio-only check-in when that helps with concentration or bandwidth.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does he address most often?
He works with addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, anxiety, and stress among other concerns.
How does he use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
He uses CBT to identify unhelpful thoughts and habits and to try concrete behavioral experiments between sessions.
What is his clinical background?
He has 21 years of experience as a clinician and practices using a mix of CBT, attachment-based, client-centered, DBT, and EFT approaches.
What are his credentials and where does he practice?
He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in California and sees clients based in that state.
Which languages does he use in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does he work with international clients?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and paid for?
Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time and costs vary with location.
How do I start therapy with him?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.