About Caitlin R. Burgess, JD, MA, LMFT

I am both a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California, Washington, and Texas and an attorney licensed to practice in California and Washington. I maintain a private practice in counseling psychology, law, and forensics, with offices in Los Gatos and Los Altos, California, and in Seattle, Washington, and specialize in Court-involved therapy, child custody evaluations, expert witness services, and mediation.

Prior to starting my private practice, I worked exclusively as a lawyer for 18 years representing clients in family and business law throughout Silicon Valley, including high-technology start-ups in transactional law and litigation. My current practice is interdisciplinary, drawing from my training in law and counseling psychology, utilizing an evidence-based approach. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Family Systems Therapy to address issues such as substance abuse, anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors in children, parenting concerns, low self-esteem, separation/divorce, domestic violence, life transitions, and reconnection therapy in family law matters where a child is resisting or refusing contact with a parent or caregiver.

I am passionate about working with children, adolescents, adults, co-parents, and families. I provide play therapy for children, as well as co-parenting and parallel parenting education, and counseling for teens, adults, families, and couples. I treat many families and children touched by trauma, abuse, and neglect, including working extensively with children in the foster care system, the Santa Clara and San Mateo County Family Courts, and Juvenile Dependency Courts throughout California. I have worked with emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and adolescents in prison, schools, residential treatment facilities, and their own homes. I also provide counseling services to individuals referred by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Victim of Crimes program.

I have helped teens form positive peer relations, deal with school pressures, blended families, and body image. I have worked with women who have been victims of intimate partner violence, helping them break free from the abuse cycle to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives.

A strong therapeutic alliance between the therapist and the client is critical to effective treatment, and central to building and maintaining that alliance is trust. Paramount to my practice is creating a space where clients can feel safe.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Education:

• University of San Francisco, Graduate School of Education
  Masters in Counseling Psychology
  with a concentration in Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT)
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD) degree, Law
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
  Bachelor of Science, Journalism, magna cum laude

Professional Licenses:

• California Marriage & Family Therapy License, MFT #94485
• California State Bar #187515
• Washington Marriage & Family Therapy License, LF #61090853
• Texas Marriage & Family Therapy License, MFT #205147

California Professional Activities and Memberships:

• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) National Chapter
• AFCC – California Chapter
• AFCC – Board of Directors, Washington Chapter
• Bay Area Psychological Association (BAPA)
• California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT)
• CAMFT Certified Supervisor (2/16/22 – present): Recognized by CAMFT for going above and beyond the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) Requirements for Supervision for voluntary participation in this program which includes advanced training, coursework, and supervision consultation
• Ethics Committee Co-Chair (2019 – 2021) – San Mateo County Psychological Association
• Interim Secretary/Board Member (2021) – San Mateo County Psychological Association

Washington Professional Activities and Memberships:

• AFCC – Washington Chapter
• Board of Directors AFCC (2023 – present) – Washington Chapter
• King County Bar Association (KCBA) – Family Law Section

Texas Professional Activities and Memberships:

• AFCC – Texas Chapter