Sara Contreras, LMFT
Narrative-minded therapist who listens and clarifies
Details
| Name | Sara Contreras |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMFT |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 5 |
About Sara
Sara Contreras is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in California. She has five years of clinical experience helping people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, or big life changes. She aims to create a calm, nonjudgmental place where people can talk about what matters most to them.
Sara uses a narrative-informed style that helps people reframe their stories and notice patterns that no longer serve them.
Background and approach
She also draws on attachment-based and client-centered approaches to build trust and strengthen emotional connections. Sessions focus on clear goals and small, achievable steps that fit into real life. People come to her for a range of concerns including relationship strain, parenting stress, grief, intimacy-related issues, sleep problems, and work or career pressure.
She also supports those living with ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, chronic illness, and compassion fatigue. Sara is attentive to issues like body image, codependency, and attachment wounds. Her work tends to be practical and conversational.
She listens for the narratives that shape daily choices and then helps rewrite them in ways that feel more manageable. She encourages mindfulness and simple cognitive strategies to reduce distress between sessions. Sara offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules.
New clients begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a time that works for them.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Depression among the things Sara works with, alongside the areas below.
- 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 listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Sara 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 Sara directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and attachment work online
Sara blends narrative therapy with attachment-based and client-centered ideas to help people understand and change the stories that shape their lives. Narrative therapy looks at how personal stories influence choices and feelings, and helps people rewrite those stories in ways that feel healthier and more empowering. Attachment-based therapy focuses on how early patterns with caregivers affect current relationships and emotional responses, and it helps people build more supported ways of connecting. Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening closely and respecting each person's perspective while supporting their own solutions.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Sara will talk with each person about their goals, needs, and preferences and then choose methods that fit. That collaborative process means the plan can change as progress is made or new issues arise.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit a busy life. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a softer check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging are suited for shorter updates, between-session reflections, or when writing helps clarify thoughts. These options aim to make it simpler to keep therapy consistent and flexible around work, caregiving, and daily demands.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Sara supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and coping with life changes. She also works with issues like relationship strain, parenting stress, grief, sleep problems, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her approach in sessions?
She uses a narrative-informed approach alongside attachment-based and client-centered methods. Sessions are conversational and focus on reshaping the stories that influence behavior and feelings.
What is her clinical background and experience?
Sara is a licensed marriage and family therapist with five years of professional work experience. Her background includes helping people manage trauma, mood concerns, and life transitions.
Where is she licensed to practice?
She holds a California LMFT credential and practices from California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are sessions paid for and how much do they cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire. Then schedule sessions according to the therapist's available times.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Sara 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 Sara where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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