Sara Contreras

Supportive CBT-informed therapy for life transitions

LMFT California

Experience: 5 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Depression
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages: English

About Sara

Sara Contreras is a licensed marriage and family therapist who integrates cognitive behavioral techniques with relational and client-centered perspectives to help people navigate emotional challenges.

Background and approach

With five years of clinical practice in California, she supports those managing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, and major life transitions by helping clients identify patterns in thoughts and behaviors and develop practical coping skills.

Her work also addresses a broad range of concerns including ADHD, intimacy and relationship issues, grief, parenting struggles, sleep difficulties, body image, chronic illness and pain, and compassion fatigue. She emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental space where clients can explore feelings and try new approaches to difficult situations.

Sara collaborates with clients to tailor strategies - sometimes drawing on attachment-focused or EMDR-informed ideas when appropriate - to match each person’s needs and goals. Availability includes several evenings and some morning appointments that can be coordinated by request.

Sara encourages taking the first step toward change and offers guidance and support throughout the therapeutic journey.

Applying Evidence-Based Approaches to Online Care

Many clients find cognitive behavioral therapy helpful for identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and developing concrete strategies for reducing anxiety, improving mood, and managing stress. Attachment-based therapy focuses on how early and current relationship dynamics shape emotions and behaviors, which can be useful for intimacy concerns, abandonment fears, and communication problems. When trauma is a central issue, techniques informed by EMDR principles may be introduced to support processing distressing memories in a paced way.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist works together with each client to consider goals, preferences, and the nature of presenting concerns, and then tailors interventions as the work progresses. That shared decision-making helps ensure the methods used fit the client’s needs and comfort level.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for varied schedules and lifestyles. These options make it easier to access consistent care from home or while traveling, accommodate evening and morning availability, and let clients pick the format that feels most manageable for them.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?

Sara works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, coping with life changes, ADHD, relationship and intimacy-related issues, grief, sleep problems, and career concerns among others.

What is her therapeutic style and approach?

She blends cognitive behavioral techniques with attachment-informed and client-centered methods, aiming to help clients notice thought and behavior patterns while fostering a collaborative, empathetic relationship.

How much clinical experience does she have?

Sara has five years of professional experience practicing as a licensed clinician in California.

What are her credentials and where is she located?

She holds the credential CA LMFT 139564 and practices in California.

Does she provide services in other languages or accept international clients?

Sessions are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.

Which session formats are available?

Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on scheduling and preferences.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Pricing varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a brief matching questionnaire, then schedule a session according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Trauma and abuse Depression Coping with life changes ADHD

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shame ImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacks PhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

5+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English