Dr. Julia Kaluga, LMFT

Dr. Julia Kaluga is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California with 14 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and challenges around relationships and self-esteem. Dr. Kaluga also addresses addiction concerns, trauma and abuse, and LGBTQ-related issues.

Her work tends to be practical and goal-oriented. She uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other approaches to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. Sessions often focus on small, doable steps clients can practice between meetings.

Dr. Kaluga pays attention to life transitions and complicated losses. She helps people who are coping with parenting strain, postpartum depression, career changes, or aging-related concerns. First responder issues, immigration stress, and complications like hoarding or compulsive behaviors are also within her focus.

She brings therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy into conversations when they fit the person's needs. Mindfulness and existential perspectives are added when someone wants a deeper look at values, meaning, and daily habits that support well-being.

Sessions are conducted in English and Russian. Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging so people can pick what works for their schedule. Getting started involves a short questionnaire and scheduling a time to meet.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to change how someone feels and functions. It works well for anxiety, depression, stress, and many day-to-day problems by breaking issues into manageable steps.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify their values and take committed action toward them while learning to live with difficult emotions. This approach can help with grief, life transitions, and persistent worries when someone wants to build a meaningful life rather than only reduce symptoms.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. It is useful for intense emotions, relationship conflict, and situations where stronger coping skills are needed.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk through goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they decide which methods to prioritize and adjust them as progress unfolds.

Online therapy formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be shorter check-ins or an easier option when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging let people check in between sessions or use written tools for coaching and reflection. These options offer flexibility to fit therapy into a busy life.