Margarita Sanchez
I'm a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with nine years of experience helping adults navigate life's challenges with greater confidence, resilience, and self-understanding. I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, men's issues, women's issues, grief, life transitions, and chronic illness. I believe therapy should feel like a conversation. I use humor when it's helpful, offer honest feedback with compassion, and gently challenge you to step outside of old patterns that no longer serve you. My goal isn't to tell you what to do, but to help you build the insight, confidence, and skills to make choices that align with the life you want to create.
First session
During our first session, I'll start by going over a few important things, including confidentiality, emergency and crisis resources, and what you can expect from therapy with me. Then we'll spend some time getting to know each other. We'll talk about what brought you to therapy, what's been going on in your life, and what you're hoping to get from our time together. I'll also ask questions about different parts of your life, including your relationships, family, experiences, and history. I look at each piece of information you share as part of a puzzle. Every piece helps me better understand the bigger picture of you, your life, and what you're experiencing. Sometimes something that doesn't seem important at first can help us understand something later. You don't have to know exactly what to say or share everything at once. This is just the beginning of our conversation, and we'll continue putting the pieces together as we go.
Strengths
I bring warmth, experience, and a little humor when it feels appropriate. I take the time to listen and understand not only what you're going through, but also the experiences, relationships, and patterns that may be influencing where you are today. I work to create a space where you can feel safe, comfortable, and free to be yourself. There is no room for judgment here. You can talk about the things that are difficult, uncomfortable, complicated, or even hard to say out loud. I'll be honest and thoughtful with you. At times, I may gently challenge you, offer a different perspective, or help you recognize something you may not have noticed before.
Ideal clients
Someone who wants therapy to feel like a genuine conversation. They want to feel comfortable and heard, but they also want more than someone simply listening and agreeing with them. They're willing, or beginning to be willing, to look at themselves, their relationships, their experiences, and the patterns that may be keeping them stuck. People who are experiencing relationship difficulties, men's and women's issues, aging and life transitions, grief and loss, family dynamics, self-esteem, boundaries, and those who have spent a lot of time taking care of everyone else and are beginning to ask, “What about me?”
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I help you look at the connection between what you're thinking, how you're feeling, and what you're doing. Together, we may notice patterns that aren't helping you and look at different ways of thinking about or responding to a situation. The goal isn't to tell you that your thoughts are wrong, but to help you recognize when they may be making things harder and find approaches that work better for you.
Humanistic
I see you as a person first, not a diagnosis or a list of symptoms. I want to understand your experiences from your point of view and create a space where you can talk openly without feeling judged. You know your life better than anyone else, and my role is to listen, help you make sense of what you're experiencing, and support you as you decide what feels right for you.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Sometimes we spend so much energy trying not to feel, think about, or deal with something that the struggle itself becomes exhausting. I help you learn how to make room for difficult thoughts and feelings without allowing them to control every decision you make. We also talk about what's important to you and how you can begin making choices that move you toward the life and relationships you want.
Couples Counseling
In couples counseling, my goal is to understand what's happening between the two of you, not to decide who's right or wrong. We'll look at how you communicate, the patterns you may find yourselves repeating, where you're feeling disconnected, and what each of you needs from the relationship. I'll make sure both of you have an opportunity to be heard while also helping you listen to and better understand each other. At times, I may point out patterns or offer a different perspective that can help you see what's happening in a new way. The goal is to help you communicate more effectively, understand one another better, and decide together what you want your relationship to look like moving forward.
Location
Virtual sessions