Dr. James Wood, LMFT
California · 34 years in practice
Dr. James Wood is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California.
License and registration
- LMFT, California
- 28825 · expires June 2027
- NPI
- 1760658017 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 34
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.
About James
Dr. James Wood is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California. He brings 34 years of clinical experience and a calm, straightforward style.
He focuses on stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, and coaching. He aims to make reaching out feel doable and respectful of how hard change can be. Dr.
Wood builds a space where people can share thoughts and feelings without judgment. He listens for patterns that keep someone stuck and helps identify small, practical steps forward.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on what matters most right now, and on skills people can try between meetings. His work draws on approaches that center relationships and emotion, including Emotionally-Focused Therapy and attachment-based ideas. He also uses practical techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and cognitive behavioral work to address anxious thoughts and habits.
Client-centered principles guide how he shapes each session to the person in front of him. Dr. Wood has a long history of supporting people through addiction and recovery, grief, family of origin concerns, and tough life transitions like divorce or relocation.
He also helps with eating-related issues, loneliness, and the emotional impacts of illness and trauma. His perspective is informed by decades of practice and personal recovery work. Outside of clinical work he has written about his life and recovery in a forthcoming memoir titled Different Drummer.
He encourages anyone feeling overwhelmed or stuck to take a first step toward clearer coping and greater emotional balance.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything James lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Coaching
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family of origin issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches James names
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Gottman Method
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
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
Emotion and Behavior Work Delivered Online
Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on identifying and working with core feelings that shape relationships and personal patterns; it helps people notice emotions, name them, and change how they respond. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy uses mindful noticing and values-based actions to reduce the control of painful thoughts and to build a life that matters to the client. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships influence current trust and closeness, helping people shift patterns that cause repeated hurt or withdrawal.Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences, and together they will decide which strategies to use. That collaborative planning helps keep sessions practical and personally relevant.
Online sessions include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to match different needs. Video lets for face-to-face conversation, phone can work when bandwidth is limited or when being off camera feels easier, live chat and messaging allow shorter check-ins or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, and travel schedules while using the emotion-focused and behavioral tools described above.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does he help with?
He helps with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, and coaching, plus related issues like attachment problems, codependency, and isolation.
What is his general therapy style?
He creates a nonjudgmental space and focuses on emotions and relationships while adding practical skills for everyday coping.
How many years has he practiced?
He has 34 years of professional experience working with people across many life challenges.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is a licensed marriage and family therapist - LMFT - licensed in California.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with him?
He does not accept international clients and works with people located in California.
What session formats are available?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How do I begin therapy with him?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
More therapists in California
See allNancy Montes
LCSW
Compassionate, culturally aware LCSW for life transitions
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Depression
Alejandro Holguin
LCSW
Practical, collaborative therapy for emotional healing
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship
- Anger
Dr. Cheryl Mims
LCSW
Compassionate clinician helping rebuild emotional balance
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Bipolar
Chauncey Chatman
LMFT
Practical, emotion-focused therapy for adults
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
Is this your profile?
Ask us to correct details or take the page down.
Contact us