Daniel Patten

Daniel Patten is a California-based licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience. He helps people facing relationship strain, grief, depression, and major life changes. He encourages clients to build on their own strengths and to take small, steady steps forward.

He practices Dzogchen meditation personally and suggests clients try at least 15 minutes of meditation each morning as a simple habit to support emotional balance. Sessions focus on practical tools and clear goals rather than long lectures. Daniel often uses mindfulness-based ideas alongside behavioral work to help people notice what matters and act in line with their values.

Over two and a half decades he has worked with concerns like caregiving stress, attachment issues, codependency, and midlife transitions. He also supports people dealing with end-of-life matters, hospice-related grief, and guilt or shame. His background includes work with depression, self-harm concerns, and communication problems that affect close relationships.

Therapy with him blends evidence-informed approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy with mindfulness and existential perspectives. The focus is on clear skills, steadier emotional regulation, and choices that fit each person’s life. Daniel invites people to begin where they are and build forward from there.

To start, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions based on availability. He offers services in English and accepts international clients.

How mindfulness and skills-focused therapy work online

Daniel integrates Mindfulness Therapy with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people notice what matters, clarify values, and take small consistent steps toward those values. Mindfulness practices are presented simply - short daily exercises to increase awareness and calm. ACT work focuses on committed actions that match a person’s goals rather than getting stuck on unwanted thoughts.

He also uses elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and test new behaviors. CBT gives straightforward tools for managing mood, improving communication, and reducing avoidance. These approaches are practical and can be used together depending on what a person needs.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will help you identify which methods feel most useful and adjust strategies as work progresses. Sessions are meant to reflect each person’s goals, pace, and preferences.

Specific session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow a shorter check-in when time is tight, or let people use audio-only when bandwidth is limited. Licensed professionals can adapt mindfulness exercises and CBT or ACT worksheets to remote work so you can practice skills between sessions.