- Calm practical guidance
- Focus on self esteem
- Life transition support
About Connie
Connie St. James is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, low self esteem, and life transitions. She listens carefully and works with clients to clarify what isn’t working. Sessions focus on practical steps to build confidence, cope with grief or anger, and manage career or caregiving pressures.
Connie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge and a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy from California Family Study Center in 1989. She completed a 3,000-hour internship and received her California LMFT in 1992. Early work included hospital, substance-use, and child-abuse settings, and she later ran a independent practice and led groups addressing major depression.
After years away from clinical work while living and working in other fields, she returned to counseling with a focus on using life experience alongside clinical training. Her perspective draws on long personal and professional experience with aging, caregiving, and relational challenges. She describes herself as patient, empathic, and non-judgmental.
In sessions she focuses on the story a person brings: what brings joy, sadness, anger, and fear. She pays attention to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to spot patterns that keep people stuck. Work together includes clarifying goals, identifying unhelpful thoughts or behaviors, and practicing alternatives to build self-esteem and motivation.
She respects each person’s pace and helps decide when therapy goals have been met. Clients take an active role in shaping the work and determining when it is time to end therapy.
Connie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge and a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy from California Family Study Center in 1989. She completed a 3,000-hour internship and received her California LMFT in 1992. Early work included hospital, substance-use, and child-abuse settings, and she later ran a independent practice and led groups addressing major depression.
After years away from clinical work while living and working in other fields, she returned to counseling with a focus on using life experience alongside clinical training. Her perspective draws on long personal and professional experience with aging, caregiving, and relational challenges. She describes herself as patient, empathic, and non-judgmental.
In sessions she focuses on the story a person brings: what brings joy, sadness, anger, and fear. She pays attention to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to spot patterns that keep people stuck. Work together includes clarifying goals, identifying unhelpful thoughts or behaviors, and practicing alternatives to build self-esteem and motivation.
She respects each person’s pace and helps decide when therapy goals have been met. Clients take an active role in shaping the work and determining when it is time to end therapy.