Dr. Julia Kaluga

LMFT

California

Change-focused therapist with practical tools

Continue with Julia

At a glance

Credentials

LMFT

License

LMFT, California / 93579

NPI

1700290012

Experience

14 years

Languages

English, Russian

Location

California

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.

1. • Motivational interviewing
   • Problem-focused
   • English and Russian

   About Julia

   Dr. Julia Kaluga is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California. She has 14 years of experience and holds a Doctor of Psychology degree. Julia helps people facing common life stresses like anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. She also supports those coping with grief, substance use concerns, trauma, and low self-esteem.

   Her work is straightforward and practical. Sessions often focus on clear goals and small, concrete steps. She uses Motivational Interviewing to help people find their own reasons to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are also part of her approach when useful.

   Clients can expect a calm, direct style that balances problem-solving with emotional support. Julia pays attention to identity-related concerns, including LGBTQ issues and gender dysphoria, and to challenges like parenting stress and caregiving for older adults.

   She also addresses specialty topics such as compassion fatigue, first responder issues, hoarding, immigration stress, and postpartum depression. Career strain, anger, infidelity, jealousy, and non-monogamous relationship questions are within her scope of practice.

   Julia provides sessions in English and Russian. For people new to therapy, she frames the process as a collaborative effort where the client sets priorities and she offers tools and feedback to help reach them.

2. How her approaches translate to online sessions

   Motivational Interviewing focuses on helping people find their own reasons to change by listening and asking gentle, open questions. It can be helpful when someone feels stuck or uncertain about making a change. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, teaches people to notice difficult thoughts and feelings and to commit to actions that match their values; it often helps with anxiety, depression, and major life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks problems into patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to shift those patterns, which is useful for mood and anxiety concerns.
   
   Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences. Then she will suggest techniques from these approaches and adjust them as the client’s needs become clearer. The process is collaborative rather than prescriptive.
   
   If you plan to try online therapy, confirm available session formats before booking since specific formats are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy day, reduce travel, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people connect from different locations within California while keeping therapy practical and goal-focused.

4. Areas of expertise

   Primary focus

   Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGriefSelf esteemDepression

   Also works with

   AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

   Additional focus areas

   Aging and geriatric issuesFirst responder issuesGender dysphoriaHoardingImmigration issuesInfidelityJealousyPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depression

   Therapeutic approaches

   Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

   Experience

   14+ years

   Listed in

   California

   Languages

   English, Russian

5. Frequently asked questions

   What kinds of problems does she help with?

   She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief, low self-esteem, substance use, trauma and abuse, ADHD, and related challenges.

   What is her therapeutic style like?

   Her style is direct and goal-oriented with emotional support. She helps people set small steps and uses questions to draw out motivation for change.

   How much clinical experience does she have?

   She has 14 years of professional experience and holds a Doctor of Psychology degree in addition to her LMFT credential.

   Where is she licensed and based?

   She is a California licensed marriage and family therapist, listed as CA LMFT, and practices in California.

   Which languages are supported for sessions?

   Sessions are offered in English and Russian.

   Can international clients work with her?

   International clients are not currently accepted.

   How does billing and cost work?

   Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

   How do I begin sessions?

   Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

6. Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers

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