- Focus on sleep
- Attachment-informed
- CBT tools
About Sara
Sara Contreras is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California. She has five years of clinical experience and focuses on helping people who are stressed, anxious, grieving, or dealing with major life changes. She also supports those facing trauma, mood concerns, relationship and intimacy questions, and sleep-related struggles.
Sara creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can talk through what is worrying them. Sessions are conversational and grounded in what the person wants to change. She listens for patterns in relationships and behavior and uses that information to shape practical steps forward.
Her approach draws on attachment-based ideas and client-centered care to build trust and connection. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used to address unhelpful thinking and to develop coping skills. She also offers eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, which can be part of work on traumatic memories when appropriate.
Sara has worked with a range of concerns beyond core areas like anxiety and depression, including ADHD, parenting strain, caregiver stress, body image, and issues related to kink and alternative sex culture. She also supports people navigating career stress, codependency, and chronic health challenges.
Getting started is straightforward: a short matching questionnaire and scheduling based on available times. Sara is flexible about appointment times and coordinates sessions to fit individual needs.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Attachment-based work focuses on patterns in close relationships and how those patterns affect feelings and sleep. In online sessions this looks like talking through relationship history, noticing attachment reactions, and practicing new ways of reaching out and setting boundaries. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with practical coping strategies. CBT can directly address sleep problems by changing routines, reducing nighttime worry, and teaching behavioral techniques to improve rest. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an approach used for trauma processing; when it is part of care the therapist guides the client through structured sets of memory processing exercises tailored to the person's readiness.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose which methods fit their goals, needs, and comfort level. That may mean combining attachment ideas with CBT techniques or pausing trauma processing to focus first on stabilization and sleep routines.
Confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, like scheduling evening appointments or shorter check-ins during the day. It can also reduce travel time and let people continue therapy while managing work, childcare, or health limitations. The emphasis is on making therapy practical and usable in daily life rather than promising a specific outcome.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Sara help with?
Sara works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, and coping with life changes. She also addresses sleep struggles, relationship and intimacy issues, ADHD, caregiver stress, and a range of related concerns.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is conversational and client-centered. She aims to build trust and then uses practical strategies, reflective listening, and tailored exercises to help people make changes.
What is her background and experience?
She holds a California LMFT credential and has five years of professional work experience. That experience includes supporting people through trauma, mood concerns, and life transitions.
Where is she licensed and based?
Sara is licensed in California as an LMFT and practices from that state. Session arrangements and scheduling are coordinated according to her availability.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted. She works with people who are located where a California-licensed therapist can provide services.
How does pricing and payment work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Specific rates are provided during the matching and scheduling steps.
What are the first steps to begin sessions?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. After that you can schedule sessions according to the therapist's available times.