Joni De Groot

Joni De Groot is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 35 years of clinical experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, parenting challenges, and life-purpose questions. Sessions are described as collaborative and practical, with attention to patterns that shape how clients relate to themselves and others.

Her style blends client-centered work and cognitive behavioral techniques. She also draws on ideas from Jungian therapy, family systems thinking, dialectical behavior strategies, and mindfulness to help clients notice repeated themes and try different responses. Conversations focus on concrete skills and changes rather than abstract theory.

De Groot's background includes roles as an intake coordinator and case manager, plus therapy work across outpatient, school, residential, and sub-acute care settings. She has worked alongside psychiatrists, social service agencies, juvenile justice, and educational teams. That history informs a practical approach to coordinating care and addressing everyday stressors.

In sessions she aims to strengthen coping skills for anxiety and stress, improve communication and relationship patterns, and support parenting concerns related to home and school. She offers a wide-angle view that links personal struggles to broader influences, while still addressing immediate problems such as conflict, caregiving stress, body image, and separation issues.

Clients can expect a collaborative process that prioritizes measurable steps. The work often involves skill practice, mindfulness techniques, and examining attachment or commitment patterns to reduce reactivity and increase options for action.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a collaborative conversation. It helps when someone needs space to name what matters and decide on next steps, and it supports exploration of life-purpose concerns in a practical way.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often used for stress, anxiety, and relationship behaviors where skill practice and short exercises can make a difference.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) contributes clear strategies for managing strong emotions and improving communication. DBT skills such as distress tolerance and emotion regulation can be useful when stress or conflict feels overwhelming.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to test methods and adjust based on needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process helps decide whether more CBT-style skill work, DBT strategies, or client-centered exploration fits best.

Confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking, as the biography does not specify format details. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, they may reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins during a work break, or remove the need to be on camera for every session. These practical benefits can help make sessions more consistent and easier to attend.