About Donald
Donald Bliss is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 40 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, relationship problems, depression, grief, and parenting challenges. He speaks English and Portuguese and aims to help clients rediscover satisfaction and joy in life.
He brings decades of work across outpatient clinics, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, community agencies, employee assistance programs, and nonprofit and government roles. That background means he is familiar with many kinds of problems and practical services related to mental health and addiction.
How Donald works
In sessions he takes a straightforward, curious stance. He listens to each person’s story and helps them name what matters. He encourages small, doable steps and supports clients as they try new ways of thinking and acting.
He views therapy as a collaborative effort rather than a one-size-fits-all prescription. Donald uses tools from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and narrative therapy. He draws on clinical training in child and adolescent welfare, employee assistance programs, and addictions, plus many years of continuing education and program work.
His life experience living in multiple regions and countries informs his work with cultural and identity issues. He helps people with intimacy, communication, attachment, blended family concerns, chronic illness and pain, codependency, and career or life transitions. He aims to help each person find clearer direction and more satisfying ways of living.
Donald lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
What Donald works with
The areas below are the ones Donald selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 40 |
| Languages | English, Portuguese |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches for online support
Donald combines client-centered work with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques to address everyday struggles. Client-centered therapy means the therapist follows the client’s lead, listens closely, and helps the client clarify goals and values. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple awareness and breathing practices that can help with stress, anxiety, and staying grounded in difficult moments.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. He will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they shape a plan that blends methods that fit the client’s needs rather than sticking to one rigid model.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer practical flexibility. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or camera use is a concern. Live chat or text messaging works well for shorter check-ins, coaching-style guidance, or quick tools between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different life situations.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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