Profile / United States
Jilla Lavian, LCSW
California
LCSW - stress and relationship concerns
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness practice
- Motivational interviewing
About Jilla
Jilla Lavian is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 20 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting concerns, and career or life transitions. Sessions are offered in English and Persian.
She focuses on noticing unhelpful thoughts and habits, and on practical steps people can take day to day. Jilla blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with mindfulness and psychodynamic ideas to help people understand patterns that repeat in relationships and life choices. She also uses motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques when a clearer plan or decision-making is needed.
Her background includes a dual master’s from the University of Southern California in Social Work and Jewish Communal Service. Over two decades she has worked with diverse communities and with issues such as caregiver stress, immigration-related concerns, codependency, abandonment and attachment issues. She also brings life coaching skills to sessions for clients who want goal-oriented work.
In practice she pays attention to both thoughts and feelings. Sessions typically involve noticing specific thoughts, testing them against reality, and trying small behavioral experiments. Mindfulness exercises are used to build moment-to-moment awareness and reduce reactivity.
People looking for clearer decision-making, better sleep routines, or ways to manage anger and guilt will find concrete tools and short-term strategies here. Jilla encourages setting achievable steps and reviewing progress in regular sessions.
How therapeutic approaches work in online sessions
Jilla commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot and test automatic thoughts, and to set small behavioral experiments that change daily habits and reactions. CBT is practical and structured, and it is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems and anger management.She also uses Mindfulness Therapy to teach simple attention practices that reduce reactivity and help people notice bodily cues and mood shifts. Motivational Interviewing is used when people want help clarifying goals and building motivation for change. Each approach explains what to try between sessions and focuses on concrete steps rather than abstract ideas.
Choosing the best approach is part of the work. Jilla will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try first. This is a collaborative process and approaches can be adjusted as progress is reviewed.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so please confirm current online session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so sessions fit around work or caregiving schedules.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Persian
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address most often?
Common concerns include stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting issues, grief, sleep problems, career questions and coping with life changes.
How does she typically use CBT in sessions?
She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and habits, test them against real situations, and try small behavioral experiments to change patterns.
What is her professional background?
She has 20 years of experience and completed dual master’s degrees at the University of Southern California in Social Work and Jewish Communal Service.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in California and practices from that state.
Which languages does she use in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Persian.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what formats are used?
Please confirm current session options before booking by using the platform's scheduling tools and questionnaire.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
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.