Sandra Terifaj, LMFT

Sandra Terifaj is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 35 years of experience. She helps people who are overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, or changes in life. Sandra also supports those facing addiction, trauma, eating concerns, self-esteem struggles, intimacy issues, codependency, narcissism, and personality-related challenges.

Her style is collaborative and direct. She listens first, then helps clients identify what is getting in the way. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings and on understanding patterns that repeat in relationships and behavior.

Sandra draws on cognitive behavioral methods to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and routines. She also uses client-centered listening to follow each person’s priorities and to create space for honest reflection. Mindfulness techniques are offered to help reduce stress and improve moment-to-moment coping.

When deeper history or repeated patterns are the issue, she uses psychodynamic ideas to uncover how past experiences affect present choices. Internal Family Systems concepts may be brought in to help people work with different parts of themselves rather than pushing them away.

Sandra has worked in private practice and supervised interns at nonprofit agencies. She practices in California as an LMFT and conducts sessions in English. To begin, a short questionnaire and scheduling step help match needs with her approach and availability.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing behaviors that keep problems going. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and patterns that lead to unwanted habits. Client-centered therapy emphasizes the client’s own goals and pace, with the therapist following and reflecting what matters most to the person to build insight and confidence.

Sandra works collaboratively to find the right mix of approaches for each person. She will discuss goals, preferences, and what has helped or not in the past, then suggest ways to proceed. That collaborative planning can change as therapy unfolds so methods match evolving needs.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone session, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is useful for deeper conversations and visual connection, phone can fit a shorter check-in or when bandwidth is limited, and chat or text can support quick reflections or between-session contact. These options help people fit therapy into busy schedules and different day-to-day situations.