Leslie Libutti, LCSW

California · 20 years in practice

Leslie Libutti is a licensed clinical social worker in California with 20 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, and depression.

License and registration

LCSW, California: LCSW22713 · expires June 2026
NPI: 1922126903 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 20
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 Leslie

Leslie Libutti is a licensed clinical social worker in California with 20 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, and depression. She focuses on practical support for coping with major life changes and on rebuilding confidence when motivation feels low. Her approach is grounded in listening first and helping clients identify clear, achievable goals.

Leslie works collaboratively to name strengths and uncover the habits that get in the way.

Background and approach

She guides people through hard choices and painful emotions while also inviting moments of humor and relief. Sessions aim to be direct and honest, with space for real feeling. Her work draws on Existential therapy ideas that consider meaning, choice, and responsibility.

She also uses Client-Centered techniques that prioritize the client's perspective, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Poetry is sometimes brought into sessions to deepen emotional understanding. Leslie is comfortable addressing issues related to aging and geriatric concerns, caregiver stress, body image, and hospice and end-of-life topics.

She also helps with codependency, communication struggles, guilt and shame, and finding life purpose. The goal is to build clearer coping skills and a stronger sense of self. Her style is straightforward and compassionate.

She expects effort and honesty, and she supports people through frustration as well as progress. For many clients the work becomes both challenging and unexpectedly hopeful.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Leslie lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Approaches Leslie names

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

How Leslie brings therapeutic approaches online

Leslie draws on Existential therapy to help people examine meaning, choice, and what matters most to them. That approach supports work on life purpose, coping with loss, and questions about direction. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes listening and responding to the client's own perspective to build trust and clarity.

She pairs those perspectives with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to target thinking and behavior patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression. CBT provides concrete strategies for changing unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors between sessions. Together these approaches give both reflective space and practical tools to address stress, grief, or low self-esteem.

Finding the right mix of methods is part of the process. Leslie works collaboratively with each person to decide which approaches fit their goals and preferences. She will check in regularly and adjust the plan based on how therapy is going.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make scheduling easier. Video is useful for deeper conversations and nonverbal cues; phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Chat and messaging can be used for brief updates, homework, or ongoing support between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and keep continuity when travel or time constraints arise.

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Questions people ask

What concerns does she help with?

Leslie assists people dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and coping with major life changes. She also addresses caregiver stress, body image, guilt and shame, and end-of-life concerns.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

She uses a direct but compassionate approach that focuses on listening, naming strengths, and setting clear goals. Sessions blend honest conversation, practical work, and room for emotion and humor.

What is her professional background?

She has 20 years of professional experience working in mental health and related areas. Her work has included grief, depression, anxiety, and concerns tied to aging and caregiving.

What credentials and location apply to her practice?

She holds a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential (LCSW) and practices in California.

Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How are costs and billing handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

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