Sara Contreras, LMFT
California · 5 years in practice
Sara Contreras is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with five years of clinical experience.
License and registration
- LMFT, California
- 139564 · expires May 2027
- NPI
- 1740754993 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 5
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.
About Sara
Sara Contreras is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with five years of clinical experience. She focuses on practical ways to reduce stress, manage anxiety, and process trauma so people can feel steadier day to day. Sara aims to make the first step into therapy less scary and more manageable for those who are unsure where to begin.
She creates a warm, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk through upsetting thoughts and strong emotions.
Background and approach
Sessions are conversational and grounded in what a person needs right now. Sara blends client-centered work with tools from cognitive behavioral approaches to help people change unhelpful patterns and try new responses. Sara also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current struggles with trust and intimacy.
She incorporates EMDR methods when trauma symptoms are a central issue and when people are ready to address painful memories. Existential themes - like meaning, values, and making choices - are woven in when clients want to explore life direction.
Her experience covers a wide range of concerns including depression, grief, parenting stress, relationship and communication problems, sleep difficulties, ADHD-related challenges, and caregiver fatigue. She has additional focus in areas such as body image, dissociation, and alternative sex culture topics like BDSM and kink. Sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
Sara typically has evening and some morning availability and coordinates appointments with each person.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Sara lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- ADHD
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Sara names
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How Sara’s approaches translate to online therapy
Many of her methods move well to remote sessions. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns and is useful for exploring trust, intimacy, and communication problems in a calm conversation. Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and reflecting; it helps people feel heard and understood and supports self-directed change. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used when trauma memories are a core concern and can be adapted for online work when the person and therapist agree it is appropriate.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Sara will talk with each person about goals, symptoms, and comfort with different methods. Together they decide which techniques to try first and adjust the plan as progress is made or priorities change.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions are good for deeper conversation and exercises that benefit from face-to-face interaction. Phone sessions can fit into a busy day or when a lower-bandwidth option is needed. Live chat and text messaging provide brief check-ins, ongoing support between sessions, or a way to communicate without scheduling a full video meeting. These options offer flexibility to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other daily routines.
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Questions people ask
What concerns does she help with?
Sara works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, and coping with life changes. She also addresses relationship and intimacy-related concerns, ADHD, sleep issues, caregiver strain, and a range of other focus areas listed on her profile.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach is conversational and client-centered. She blends techniques from attachment work, cognitive behavioral strategies, and EMDR methods as appropriate to the person's needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has five years of professional experience working as a licensed marriage and family therapist in California.
What credentials and region apply?
She holds the LMFT credential and practices in California.
Which languages are supported and are international sessions available?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does she use?
Available formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How is cost handled for sessions?
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?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.
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