Olivia Sessanna
My clinical foundation encompasses a wide spectrum of care, which allows me to meet clients exactly where they are in their unique healing journey. Beyond my formal clinical training, my diverse personal and professional experiences provide a grounded, real-world perspective. Whether you are navigating an immediate life transition, seeking short-term guidance, or requiring comprehensive support for deeper, complex struggles, I have the clinical experience to help you navigate it safely and effectively.
Whether you are navigating an immediate life transition, seeking short-term guidance, or requiring comprehensive support for deeper, complex struggles, I have the clinical experience to help you navigate it safely and effectively.
First session
I start by assessing and gaining understanding what led you to reach out for support, what your specific goals are, and what your past experiences have been. By exploring these core areas together, we can begin to develop a clearer understanding of your needs and create a personalized roadmap to help you achieve what you are seeking in therapy.
Strengths
As a provider, my foundational approach is to meet clients exactly where they are. While I can be straightforward and direct, I can also hold a gentle, supportive space to help you find your own footing. Together, we will collaboratively decide on the specific style and tone of communication that best supports your unique healing journey and goals. Once we've clarified your goals and understand the barriers you may struggle with we can develop a plan together of what the steps would look like to reach those goals. We assess at each step what is working what is not and adjust as we need. Examples: mindfulness, coping strategies, reframing, wellness approaches, activity/tasks breakdown.
Ideal clients
First and foremost an ideal client is one that is seeking help/ collaboration/ support and has a willingness to engage in the work together in supporting their goals. Whether you are navigating an immediate life transition, seeking short-term guidance, or requiring comprehensive support for deeper, complex struggles, I have the clinical experience to help you navigate it safely and effectively.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a very practice approach to practice new skills to build long term resilience. Examples of skill building: Cognitive Restructuring/Challenging Thoughts - reframing of automatic thoughts or internarrative. Behavioral Activation - small, manageable activities toward changing behaviors or habits. Gradual Exposure - starting a behavioral change with the least anxiety provoking step to start to retraining brain's threat response. Thought Records - Homework asking client to keep a daily log of distressing/triggering events Problem Solving Frameworks - Structed approach to problem solving: defining exact problem, discussing possible solutions, reviewing what is most realistic, role pay
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
SFBT focuses less of root causes and history of a problem and instead focuses on actionable solutions in short term treatment. The intervention uses questioning techniques to help clients find their inner strengths and visualize positive outcomes. Examples of some of these types of techniques: amplifying success (compliments), problem-free talk (focus on positive things and strengths client is experiencing), coping questions (reframing and finding examples of resilience client has shown)
Compassion-Focused
CFT was developed specifically individuals that struggle with high levels of shame, self criticism and trauma. Therapists use specific exercises to help clients physically and mentally cultivate self-soothing. Examples of the treatment: Compassionate reframing of coping strategies (reframing for example substance use or emotional eating to cope with emotional pain not because of a moral failing), breathing techniques, psychoeducation (educating client about brain function causing us to focus on negativity or how anxiety due to feeling of a threat).
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 139428