- Thoughts and habits
- Goal setting
- Family patterns
About Andrea
Andrea McLellan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 14 years of clinical experience. She focuses on practical, goal-driven therapy and helps people notice the thoughts and everyday habits that maintain stress and anxiety. Andrea combines straightforward goal setting with attention to patterns that come from early family life.
She brings particular experience working with people harmed within family systems, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child maltreatment. Andrea also does forensic psychology consultation for court-related cases involving minors and teaches psychology as an adjunct at a university. These roles inform her careful attention to how family history shapes current struggles.
Andrea often uses solution-focused work and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to set clear, realistic goals and reduce negative symptoms during treatment. She also draws on narrative and psychodynamic ideas when it helps to understand deeper patterns. Motivational Interviewing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools are part of her practical toolbox for building skills and motivation.
She is experienced supporting people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strains, addictions, eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career issues, and mood conditions such as bipolar. Additional focus areas include attachment and abandonment issues, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and body image concerns.
Outside of work Andrea enjoys hiking, bird-watching, camping, and time at the beach. She emphasizes awareness, responsibility, courage, and forgiveness as steps toward lasting change.
She brings particular experience working with people harmed within family systems, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child maltreatment. Andrea also does forensic psychology consultation for court-related cases involving minors and teaches psychology as an adjunct at a university. These roles inform her careful attention to how family history shapes current struggles.
Andrea often uses solution-focused work and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to set clear, realistic goals and reduce negative symptoms during treatment. She also draws on narrative and psychodynamic ideas when it helps to understand deeper patterns. Motivational Interviewing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools are part of her practical toolbox for building skills and motivation.
She is experienced supporting people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strains, addictions, eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career issues, and mood conditions such as bipolar. Additional focus areas include attachment and abandonment issues, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and body image concerns.
Outside of work Andrea enjoys hiking, bird-watching, camping, and time at the beach. She emphasizes awareness, responsibility, courage, and forgiveness as steps toward lasting change.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorder
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Motivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused Therapy
Experience
14+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Andrea commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused methods in her work. CBT helps identify unhelpful thoughts and habits and teaches practical skills to change them, which can reduce anxiety and improve daily functioning. Solution-Focused work concentrates on small, achievable goals and what a person wants to see change quickly, making sessions action-oriented and concrete.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss your needs, goals, and preferences and then adapt methods to fit what you want to accomplish. Together you can try different strategies and decide which feel most helpful over time.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten travel time, and allow different ways to check in between meetings. It also lets therapists use worksheets, behavior experiments, and goal tracking in ways that fit your routine. Licensed professionals can help tailor session pacing and tools so therapy fits the practical constraints of daily life.
Frequently asked questions
What issues does this therapist work with?
Andrea provides therapy for stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strains, addictions, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, and bipolar disorder, among other areas.
What is the therapy style like in sessions?
Sessions are practical and goal-driven, emphasizing clear, realistic goals and strategies. Andrea uses thought-focused work and everyday habit changes alongside broader narrative and psychodynamic perspectives when useful.
How much clinical experience does the therapist have?
The therapist has 14 years of clinical experience, including university teaching and forensic consultation work related to sexual assault and child abuse.
What credentials and location should I know about?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT - licensed in California and practices there.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with this therapist?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to start therapy?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.