Anke Kalaiah , LMFT

Anke Kalaiah is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. She works with adults handling parenting challenges, grief, addiction concerns, and issues related to intimacy and self-esteem. Sessions are offered in English and German, and she practices in California.

Anke takes a straightforward, client-centered approach. She listens first and helps people set clear goals. She teaches practical skills you can use between sessions. Work together to find what fits your life and your schedule.

Her background includes a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University and earlier studies in German and social psychology at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. She has practiced clinically since 2011 and holds a California LMFT license earned in 2014.

Over 15 years of professional experience have included trauma and abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and family conflict. She has supported people through divorce, coparenting struggles, blended family adjustments, and parenting difficulties. An immigrant herself, she understands immigration, expat life, and cultural assimilation challenges.

In sessions she uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy alongside mindfulness and motivational interviewing. The focus is on practical skills - emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication. Her aim is to help people regain steadiness and make manageable changes that matter.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the client's lead to set goals and priorities. It helps people who need a compassionate space to talk things through and decide what matters most to them.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. It gives simple exercises to change thinking patterns and reduce anxiety, depression, and unhelpful behaviors.

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, teaches skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills are useful for managing strong emotions, improving relationships, and coping with crises.

Choosing an approach is collaborative. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what helps most. That conversation is part of the work and can change over time.

Online therapy here uses video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is helpful for more in-depth sessions and skill coaching. Phone calls can work when less bandwidth is available or for a quick check-in. Live chat and messaging suit short check-ins, writing out thoughts, or flexible scheduling. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to use the formats that feel most comfortable.