- Attachment based
- CBT strategies
- EMDR informed
About Sara
Sara Contreras is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with five years of clinical experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, and life transitions. Sara also lists anger, ADHD, relationship and intimacy-related concerns among her focus areas.
Sara’s way of working is straightforward. She invites clients to talk about what’s happening and to notice patterns that keep problems repeating. She listens to daily stresses and longer-term hurts, and then she helps people try new ways of responding. Sessions aim to be practical and down-to-earth rather than full of jargon.
Her approach draws on attachment ideas and client-centered work, with tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR when they fit the situation. That means sessions might include talking through difficult memories, testing small behavior changes, or practicing ways to calm strong reactions. She explains methods clearly and checks in about what feels useful.
Sara supports people dealing with grief, caregiver stress, body image, blended family issues, and chronic illness among other concerns. She also lists less common focuses such as BDSM and kink-related topics, dissociation, and commitment or control struggles. These are explored with respect for each person’s values and boundaries.
Sessions are scheduled by appointment and Sara notes evening and some morning options. To begin, readers are asked to use the site’s matching and scheduling steps to choose a first session and share basic information beforehand.
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships. It looks at how early connections affect current reactions and helps people notice and shift ways of relating that leave them frustrated or hurt. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses clear exercises and small behavior changes to reduce reactivity and manage anger or anxiety. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) involves structured processing of painful memories to reduce their emotional intensity and the automatic reactions that follow.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, try methods that fit those goals, and check whether something is helping. Clients and the therapist decide together whether to keep an approach, adapt it, or try alternatives.
The original biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so confirm the current options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Video sessions let people work on emotional reactions face to face, while phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth or visual focus is limited. Therapists and clients can agree on practical arrangements that suit daily life and therapy goals.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of anger-related problems does she address?
She lists anger among her focus areas and works with people who struggle with losing their temper, building resentment, or living with someone else's strong reactions.
What is her general therapeutic style?
She uses a client-centered, practical approach that combines listening with actionable techniques from attachment work and CBT.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Sara has five years of professional experience as a therapist working in California.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a California LMFT and practices in California.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Which session formats does she offer?
Her original biography does not list specific session formats here; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.