Richard Henegar, LMFT

Richard Henegar is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with 40 years of experience helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and low self-esteem. He focuses on clear, practical steps to reduce overwhelm and improve daily functioning. He speaks English and works with a broad range of concerns related to family life and emotional health.

His style is straightforward and respectful. Sessions emphasize plain language, concrete strategies, and collaborative goal-setting rather than technical jargon. He adapts conversations and plans to fit each person’s situation and priorities.

Richard uses approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people change unhelpful thinking and cope with strong emotions. He also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy ideas when relationship patterns and emotional bonds are central to the problem.

Over a long career he has worked with issues that include blended family challenges, communication problems, codependency, divorce and separation, guilt and shame, and forgiveness. He also has experience with trauma-related concerns such as post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, dissociation, and veteran and armed forces issues.

People sometimes come for help with panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, impulsivity, or self-harm thoughts. Sessions may include skills practice, behavior experiments, and step-by-step plans to manage symptoms and rebuild routines. The focus is on measurable changes people can notice in daily life.

Approaches for change and how they work online

Richard commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in online work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through concrete exercises and behavior experiments, which can reduce symptoms like anxiety, panic, or depression. Dialectical Behavior Therapy teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills to manage intense feelings and improve communication in day-to-day life.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide which methods match the person’s needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean starting with skills-based CBT tools, adding DBT strategies for emotion management, or shifting focus if relationship patterns become central.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy flexible and accessible. Video lets people practice new skills in real time, phone can work when bandwidth is limited, live chat and messaging allow shorter check-ins and written reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to keep progress moving forward.