Sara Contreras, LMFT
California · 5 years in practice
Sara Contreras is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California who uses an existential perspective to help people facing life’s big questions.
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) based in California who uses an existential perspective to help people facing life’s big questions. She offers steady support for stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, and major life transitions. Her style is straightforward and accepting, aimed at helping people feel heard as they decide what matters most to them.
In sessions she focuses on what is happening now and how it connects to values and meaning.
Background and approach
She also draws on attachment-based and client-centered ideas to build trust and collaboration. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and EMDR are available when practical steps or trauma processing are useful. Sara emphasizes simple, concrete goals.
That might mean pacing activity to manage depression, practicing skills for anxiety, addressing sleep or parenting challenges, or talking through intimacy and relationship concerns. She also supports people coping with chronic illness, caregiver stress, body image, and identity matters related to LGBT issues. Her approach is interactive rather than prescriptive.
She listens for what the person already knows about change, then offers tools and experiments to try between meetings. For trauma or intense memories she may use structured methods that focus on symptom relief and emotional regulation. Therapy sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging.
Sara works with each person to arrange times that fit their schedule, including some evening and morning options. Clients can expect a calm, respectful space to sort priorities, test out new habits, and make steady progress toward clearer choices and healthier routines.
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
- Existential Therapy
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- 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
Therapeutic approaches you can try online
Existential Therapy focuses on meaning, choice, and values. It helps people who feel stuck, aimless, or overwhelmed by major changes to clarify what matters and make intentional choices about next steps.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationship patterns affect your emotions and behavior. It is useful for people wanting clearer boundaries, better communication, or relief from recurring relationship fears.
Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own experience and priorities. The therapist follows the client’s lead, offers empathy, and helps people name their goals and try practical steps to reach them.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked in the past. Together they decide which methods to emphasize and adjust that plan as progress unfolds.
Online therapy here can take place through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is good for face-to-face conversation and reading body language. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or you want a simpler check-in. Live chat and messaging are helpful for short updates, skill practice, or when you prefer written reflection. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different routines.
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Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, and coping with life changes, plus a wide range of related issues such as grief, parenting strain, intimacy challenges, and career stress.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style blends an existential lens with client-centered collaboration and practical skills work. Sessions focus on values, day-to-day coping, and steps you can test between meetings.
What is her professional background?
She has five years of professional experience as a practicing therapist working with individuals on mood, anxiety, trauma, and relationship concerns.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT - licensed in California and practices there.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to match different scheduling and communication needs.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription plan that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's listed availability.
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