Profile / United States
Leslie Patricia Acoca, LMFT
California
LMFT - Relationship and anxiety focus
See online therapy options- CBT interventions
- Attachment work
- Gottman skills
About Leslie
Leslie Patricia Acoca is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 20 years of clinical experience. She helps people address stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, intimacy-related concerns, parenting challenges, and addiction issues.
Leslie works with individuals and couples to identify unhelpful thoughts and habits. She uses clear, practical steps so people can try different ways of responding to problems. Sessions are straightforward and focused on skills people can use between meetings.
Her background includes long experience supporting people affected by suicide loss and those coping with end-of-life matters. She also addresses relationship problems such as infidelity and jealousy, and assists people dealing with vocational stress and compassion fatigue.
Leslie draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice thinking patterns and change behaviors. She also uses attachment-based ideas to look at relationship dynamics and client-centered methods that prioritize the client’s perspective. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and the Gottman Method inform her work with emotion regulation and relationship communication.
People who work with her can expect structured sessions that balance problem-focused techniques with time to reflect on feelings. She pays attention to cultural and military-family context when relevant. Language of services is English, and she accepts international clients. If someone is ready to begin, they complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first appointment.
How Leslie blends CBT and relational approaches online
Leslie uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot thinking patterns and change unhelpful behaviors. CBT sessions focus on clear steps, behavioral experiments, and homework that can be done between meetings to test what works. Attachment-Based Therapy is used to look at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and to practice new ways of relating. Client-Centered Therapy places the person’s perspective at the center so goals and pacing reflect their priorities.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Leslie will discuss options with each person and decide together which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That collaborative process may include trying CBT exercises for a time or combining approaches when relationship issues and emotion regulation both matter.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking, as options are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a weekday or work break, reduce travel time, and allow short check-ins when a quick progress review is useful. Talk with Leslie about practical scheduling needs and whether a particular session length or rhythm will work for daily life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she address most often?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, intimacy concerns, parenting, addictions, self esteem, career changes, and compassion fatigue.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in sessions?
She uses CBT to help clients notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. Sessions include concrete exercises and practice between meetings.
What is her professional background?
She is a California LMFT with 20 years of experience working with individuals and couples, including people affected by suicide loss and end-of-life concerns.
Where is she licensed to practice?
She holds a California Marriage and Family Therapist credential listed as CA LMFT and practices from California.
Do sessions happen in English or other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She accepts international clients; confirm any regional limitations during intake.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to start therapy?
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.