Brett McGillivray

Brett McGillivray is a California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 18 years of professional experience. He works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, LGBT matters, and questions about life purpose. He also helps people who want to boost self-esteem, improve communication, and manage workplace strain.

Brett adapts conversations and plans to each person's situation. Sessions focus on clear goals and practical steps. He draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques and straightforward discussion to address mood, motivation, guilt, shame, and sexuality concerns. Brett also offers support around addiction recovery, informed by his long-term sobriety.

In sessions he listens for patterns that keep people stuck and then tests small changes that can make daily life steadier. He pays attention to how relationships, work, and identity affect mood and self-worth. That can look like setting communication experiments, developing coping routines for anxiety, or mapping options when someone feels adrift in their career or purpose.

People who come because they feel stuck often want concrete next steps. Brett focuses on practical strategies and regular check-ins to see what helps. He explains options plainly and adjusts plans when something isn’t working.

Sessions are conducted in English and run from his California practice. Before scheduling, readers should confirm current session formats and scheduling details so they know what to expect.

How evidence-based techniques translate to online sessions

Two common evidence-based approaches Brett uses are cognitive-behavioral techniques and behavioral activation. Cognitive-behavioral techniques focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of thinking to reduce anxiety and low mood. Behavioral activation emphasizes small, manageable activities to lift motivation and break cycles of avoidance that deepen depression.

He also draws on structured problem-solving methods to tackle workplace stress and communication problems. These methods involve breaking issues into steps, setting realistic experiments, and reviewing results together to see what works best for each person.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Brett collaborates with clients to match methods to their concerns, goals, and preferences. He adjusts plans over time and checks in regularly to see whether techniques are helping or need to change.

Specific session formats are not listed in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They can also let people use phone sessions when bandwidth is limited or keep to audio only for a quicker appointment. Confirm session types and scheduling details before arranging the first meeting.