Sheida Kalantari, LMFT

Sheida Kalantari is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California who speaks English and Persian. She focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, and self-esteem concerns. Sheida aims to create a respectful, down-to-earth space where people can talk about what feels hard right now.

Sheida draws on practical approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. She also uses client-centered and dialectical behavior therapy ideas to support emotional balance and clearer communication. Sessions tend to focus on concrete skills and small steps that fit into everyday life.

Her background includes several years of clinical work in county-contracted agencies and on a crisis assessment team. That experience shaped her capacity to support people through both urgent situations and longer-term struggles. Sheida emphasizes cultural humility and aims to honor each person’s background and values.

In sessions she listens first, then helps set clear goals together. She uses techniques suited to the person’s needs, whether that means practicing coping skills, reframing thoughts, or working on relationship patterns. The work is collaborative and paced to match what the person can handle.

Sheida sees therapy as a process of building skills and insight over time. She supports people who want steadier mood, calmer anxiety, clearer relationships, or relief from past trauma. Her bilingual ability makes it possible to work in English or Persian.

Therapeutic approaches for online work

Sheida commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress when you want practical tools to shift day-to-day patterns. She also uses client-centered methods that prioritize listening and the person’s own goals, creating space for people to lead the pace and topics of sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy ideas are part of her toolkit for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal skills. DBT-based skills can help with regulating strong feelings, reducing impulsive reactions, and strengthening communication. Together these approaches give a mix of skill practice and supportive conversation to address both immediate coping and longer-term change.

Finding the right mix is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to identify goals, try approaches that fit those goals, and adjust the plan over time. Clients and the therapist decide together whether to emphasize skills practice, reflective work, or both.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for deeper conversation and skills practice. Phone sessions can be a simpler option when video is difficult or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different daily routines.