Margarita Araiza-Johnston, LCSW
Narrative-informed LCSW focused on relationships
Details
| Name | Margarita Araiza-Johnston |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | New Mexico |
| Licensed in | New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About Margarita
Margarita Araiza-Johnston is a licensed clinical social worker with ten years of experience. She blends Narrative approaches with practical techniques to help people untangle the stories shaping their lives. Margarita speaks English and Spanish and works from New Mexico.
She draws on a background in social work, hospice care, crisis counseling, and family services to guide her work. That mix helps her notice both immediate safety needs and the longer patterns that keep problems coming back.
Background and approach
Sessions are conversational and focused; she asks about what matters and what people want to change. Margarita often uses Narrative Therapy to help people reframe harmful or stuck stories. She pairs that with Attachment-informed thinking to look at how relationships shape feelings and behavior.
Cognitive Behavioral tools are added when practical steps and symptom relief are needed. Her experience includes hospice support, suicide and crisis counseling, and family systems work. She has also completed mediation training relevant to family law matters.
Those roles inform her calm, direct style when addressing grief, loss, or conflict. Common concerns she addresses include anxiety, depression, parenting stress, relationship and intimacy-related issues, grief, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. She also supports people with issues related to aging, fertility, domestic violence, and nontraditional sexual cultures such as BDSM and kink.
People can expect a collaborative pace. Margarita aims to clarify what a client wants, try small changes, and adjust plans over time. Her bilingual skills make therapy accessible for English- and Spanish-speaking clients.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Family conflicts, Parenting issues, Depression among the things Margarita works with, alongside the areas below.
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Margarita among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Margarita among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Margarita among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Margarita among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Margarita among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Margarita directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Margarita directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Narrative and Attachment Ideas Work Online
Narrative Therapy helps people notice and rewrite the stories that shape their behavior and feelings. Sessions focus on the language people use about themselves and their relationships, which can be especially helpful for depression, grief, or identity concerns.Attachment-Based ideas look at how early and current relationships affect emotional responses today. This approach helps people understand patterns in intimacy, anger, and communication so they can try different responses in relationships.
Finding the right approach is a shared process. Margarita will discuss goals and try methods together, adjusting as needed. Clients and therapist review what works and change course if something isn’t helpful.
Online formats allow the same therapeutic work without travel. Video calls offer face-to-face interaction for deeper conversations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a session needs flexibility. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or when someone prefers writing to speaking.
These options give more ways to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, or busy schedules. Licensed professionals can use these formats to offer narrative reframing, attachment-focused exploration, and CBT-style skill practice in a way that fits daily life.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of concerns does Margarita help with?
She helps people manage anxiety, depression, grief, parenting and family stress, relationship and intimacy issues, ADHD, and compassion fatigue, among other concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational and collaborative, mixing Narrative work with attachment-informed and cognitive behavioral tools to reframe stories and try practical steps.
What is her professional background?
She has ten years of experience including hospice social work, suicide and crisis counseling, family services, and mediation training.
What credentials and region are listed for this therapist?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - licensed in Hawaii and California, and she practices from New Mexico.
Can sessions be conducted in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
What formats are available for sessions?
Therapy is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How are fees and payments handled?
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 schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Margarita are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Margarita where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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