Margarita Araiza-Johnston , LCSW

Margarita Araiza-Johnston is an LCSW who works from an approach grounded in attachment and emotion-focused understanding. She brings ten years of clinical experience to sessions and speaks both English and Spanish. People come to her for help with stress, anxiety, depression, parenting struggles, relationship and intimacy concerns, and LGBT-related issues.

She began her career after earning a BA in sociology and anthropology with a minor in French from the University of Redlands. Margarita later completed a Master of Social Work at Tulane University in New Orleans, which shaped her focus on crisis response and end-of-life care. Her background includes hospice social work and work as a suicide and crisis counselor in Louisiana.

Margarita has experience with family systems, child abuse and neglect assessment, and domestic violence work. She also completed programs in mediation and family law mediation, which inform how she helps people navigate separation, divorce, and conflict. Bilingual therapy in English and Spanish is part of her practice.

In sessions she uses practical, clear methods to help people manage emotions and make changes. That can mean looking at patterns in relationships, learning skills to reduce anxiety, or reworking narratives people tell about themselves. She also supports those coping with grief, compassion fatigue, fertility concerns, and aging-related issues.

People working with Margarita can expect straightforward conversation about goals and next steps. She blends understanding of attachment and emotion with tools from cognitive and narrative approaches. The result is a mix of reflection and actionable strategies tailored to each person's needs.

How attachment and emotion work translate to online care

Attachment-Based Therapy helps people notice how early patterns shape current relationships and reactions, and it is useful for concerns like intimacy, attachment issues, and family dynamics. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on understanding and shifting emotional responses in close relationships to improve connection and reduce conflict.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs, and preferences. Sessions may blend attachment ideas, CBT skills, and emotionally-focused work as those fit the situation.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation for deeper emotional work. Phone sessions can be lighter on bandwidth and work well for check-ins. Live chat and messaging offer shorter, more frequent touchpoints for skill practice and ongoing support. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy days and to keep continuity when schedules change.