Sarah Johnston Margarida , LCSW

Sarah Johnston Margarida is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, career strain, and major life changes. She aims to make the first steps toward getting help feel manageable and clear. Sarah works in Maryland and offers sessions in English.

Her style is straightforward and collaborative. She listens first, then helps people set simple, practical goals. Sessions often focus on small behavior changes and clearer communication that can make day-to-day life easier.

Sarah draws on client-centered methods that keep a person’s priorities central. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to spot and shift unhelpful thinking patterns. Mindfulness practices are included to help with stress and grounding during hard moments.

Over five years of practice, she has guided people through addiction concerns, family and relationship struggles, body image and eating-related issues, fertility stress, and caregiver burnout. Her work also covers attachment and blended family challenges, codependency, and coping after divorce or loss.

Sarah combines practical tools with motivational interviewing to support change and solution-focused work to create immediate next steps. People who want clear strategies, steady support, and a down-to-earth approach often find her helpful.

How her approaches work for online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding what matters most to the person in front of her. In online sessions this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, asks about priorities, and helps shape goals that feel doable.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, targets the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sarah uses CBT techniques to help spot unhelpful thinking and build new habits that reduce anxiety and improve coping. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple paying-attention tools to calm stress and stay grounded during difficult moments. These practices can be used between sessions as short, practical exercises.

Deciding which approach fits best is a team effort. The therapist talks with each person about their goals, worries, and daily life, then suggests one or a mix of methods. The plan evolves as progress and preferences emerge.

Online therapy with Sarah is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video works well for face-to-face conversation and nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can fit a quick check-in or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging are useful for brief updates, journaling between sessions, or when someone prefers writing to speaking. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent amid busy schedules.