Donald Bliss

Donald Bliss, LCSW, brings more than 40 years of mental health and addictions experience to his work in California. He speaks English and Portuguese and enjoys learning people’s stories. Don aims to help individuals reduce stress, manage anxiety, and reconnect with what brings them joy. He also supports people facing grief, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, addiction concerns, and major life changes.

He draws on a range of clinical methods with a practical focus. Sessions often center on mindful awareness, exploring personal narratives, and using client-centered conversations to identify steps that feel doable. Cognitive behavioral ideas and motivational interviewing show up when helpful to address patterns and ambivalence about change.

Don’s background spans public-benefit organizations, government agencies, hospitals, residential programs, outpatient treatment, and employee assistance programs. He earned a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Welfare and a master’s degree in Social Work with concentrations in Employee Assistance Programs and Addictions. He also completed a Certificate in International/Intercultural Studies and has lived and worked in several countries.

His long career includes direct clinical services, case management, program design, and program evaluation. He has experience offering individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy and has written relationship advice columns and helped lead personal growth intensives.

In sessions, Don aims to support, encourage, and sometimes challenge clients to find clearer direction. He focuses on helping people notice what’s working, try different ways of thinking and acting, and take practical steps toward their goals.

Approaches that inform online sessions

Mindfulness Therapy focuses on building present-moment awareness and noticing thoughts and feelings without judgment. It can help reduce reactivity to stress and support clearer choices around relationships, addiction, and mood. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's experience by listening closely and following the client's priorities. This approach helps people feel heard and explore personal values and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, when used, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and provides concrete strategies to change unhelpful patterns, often useful for anxiety, depression, and problem behaviors.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to identify methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean leaning more on mindfulness and narrative work for some people, or adding CBT techniques or motivational interviewing when action-oriented steps are needed.

Confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten check-ins when time is tight, or allow conversations that don’t require travel. Many people find that remote sessions help them maintain continuity of care while juggling work, family, or relocation, and a therapist can discuss what will work best for scheduling and session length.