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MA Portrait of Margarita Araiza-Johnston

Margarita Araiza-Johnston

Compassionate LCSW blending CBT and family work

LCSW New Mexico

Experience
10 years in practice
Focus areas
Family, Parenting, Depression
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages
English, Spanish
Continue with Margarita

About Margarita

Margarita Araiza-Johnston brings a practical, evidence-informed approach rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy while drawing on attachment and emotionally focused perspectives to guide clients through change.

Background and approach

She combines ten years of clinical experience with training in family mediation and social work to help people manage stress, grief, relationship challenges, and shifts in life roles. As an LCSW she pairs assessment skills developed in hospice and crisis counseling with a calm, problem-solving orientation.

Her background includes work with children and families across multiple states and direct experience in suicide prevention, domestic violence response, and bilingual therapy. Margarita is comfortable addressing a wide range of concerns from parenting and family dynamics to depression, anxiety, ADHD, intimacy-related issues, and compassion fatigue.

Fluent in English and Spanish, she practices from New Mexico and integrates narrative and motivational techniques when clients want to reframe experiences or build motivation for change.

Applying Therapeutic Approaches to Online Care

Many clients find Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helpful for identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and developing practical strategies to reduce anxiety, manage depression, and improve coping skills. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current connection patterns and can be useful for those seeking to improve trust, safety, and emotional availability in relationships. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people notice and name core emotions and reshapes interaction patterns between partners or family members to foster greater emotional responsiveness.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each client to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and then recommend or blend approaches that fit. That collaborative stance allows strategies to be adjusted over time based on what helps the client make progress.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which supports flexible scheduling and access from different locations. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care around work, family, or mobility constraints while still engaging in structured therapeutic work with a licensed professional.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
She works with a broad range of concerns including family and parenting issues, depression, anxiety, grief, relationship and intimacy-related difficulties, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.
What is her therapeutic style and approach?
Her practice is CBT-informed and also integrates attachment-based and emotionally focused elements along with narrative and motivational techniques to suit each client's needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of clinical experience, including roles in hospice care, suicide and crisis counseling, and family services across several states.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is an LCSW with licensure details HI LCSW LCSW-4991 and CA LCSW 121394, and she practices from New Mexico.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish to accommodate bilingual clients.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to allow flexibility in how clients connect.
How are sessions priced and billed?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Family conflictsParenting issuesDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyLGBTRelationship issuesGriefIntimacy-related issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily problemsFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Motivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

10+ years

Licensed

New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, California

Languages

English, Spanish