About Margarita
Margarita Araiza-Johnston is a licensed clinical social worker who draws on attachment-focused and emotion-centered methods to help people navigate hard moments. She speaks English and Spanish and brings ten years of experience to sessions. Her approach is practical and down-to-earth.
She began with a BA in sociology and anthropology and a minor in French from the University of Redlands. She later earned a Master of Social Work from Tulane University in New Orleans.
Background and approach
Early work included roles supporting children and families in Illinois and California. Margarita has worked in hospice and as a suicide and crisis counselor in Louisiana. She also completed study in mediation and family law mediation.
These experiences shaped her focus on assessment, crisis response, and family systems. Her practice covers a wide range of concerns. She helps people with parenting and family stress, anxiety and depression, grief and life transitions, and intimacy and relationship struggles.
She also supports people dealing with anger, self-worth, career questions, and compassion fatigue. Additional focus areas include attachment issues, aging and geriatric concerns, ADHD, and topics around kink and alternative sex culture. Margarita also works with people facing domestic violence, separation, fertility challenges, and forgiveness or shame-related issues.
She uses clear, collaborative methods in sessions. Clients can expect straightforward conversation, goal-setting, and tools to try between meetings. Sessions are offered via video, phone, chat, and text to fit different schedules.
Therapeutic approaches for online sessions
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current connections. In online work this helps people understand patterns in close relationships and try new ways of relating. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors affect mood and stress. In remote sessions it provides concrete strategies and short exercises to practice between meetings. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people notice and name strong emotions to shift how they connect with others and themselves, which can be useful for grief, intimacy, and relationship concerns.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will listen to your concerns, goals, and preferences and suggest methods to try. Clients and therapist make decisions together and adjust the plan as needs change.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions are good for face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone sessions can fit into a busy day or use less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging work for brief check-ins, coaching-style support, or when a written conversation feels easier. These options make scheduling more flexible and help therapy fit into everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
Also works with
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Stress, Anxiety
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, California
- Languages
- English, Spanish