Terese Ghilarducci, LMFT

Terese Ghilarducci is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California who uses a client-centered approach alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She draws on 25 years of experience supporting young people and adults through stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, and life changes. Her style is straightforward and practical, with room for creativity like art and journaling when helpful.

Terese spent many years as a school counselor working with high school students at an Alternative Education site. She helped students manage school phobia, depression, family conflict, substance concerns, and problems that affected attendance and academic progress. More recently she began working at an elementary school, bringing similar skills to younger children and classroom outreach.

Earlier in her career she worked as a social worker with foster children and foster families, which informs her understanding of adoption, attachment, and blended family stress. She also runs or facilitates support groups and classroom talks on bullying, inclusion, and coping strategies. These experiences shape a practical, down-to-earth approach to everyday problems.

In sessions she focuses on skills that people can use between meetings, such as thought tracking, behavior changes, and mindfulness exercises. She also incorporates listening, validation, and opportunities for creative expression like journaling or art projects. Terese aims to set clear goals and help people try small steps that build confidence.

Her work covers a broad range of concerns including parenting stress, ADHD, compassion fatigue, addiction-related issues, and identity matters for LGBT clients. Terese offers appointments by video, phone, live chat, and text messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

Using CBT and Client-Centered Care Online

Terese combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a client-centered attitude to help people manage thoughts, feelings, and everyday actions. CBT focuses on noticing unhelpful thought patterns and testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety, depression, or maladaptive coping. Client-centered work emphasizes listening, building trust, and letting the person's goals guide each session.

She pairs these with mindfulness practices to help people notice stress and calm their nervous system in the moment. Mindfulness exercises can be short and practical, such as breathing breaks, body scans, or simple grounding techniques that fit into a busy day.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Terese will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences, adjusting strategies as progress or needs change. This collaborative planning helps set clear, achievable steps between sessions.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for this style of work. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skills practice and sharing materials, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging provide quick check-ins or shorter coaching between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into school, work, or parenting schedules while keeping momentum on skill building.