- Years in practice
- 8
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California, Montana
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Ida
Ida Whitaker is a licensed marriage and family therapist with eight years of clinical experience. She works with people facing addiction, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting stress, and relationship challenges. Ida aims to create a calm space where people can talk through painful memories and practical problems without judgment.
Ida uses structured, evidence-based methods alongside emotion-focused work. She often combines cognitive behavioral techniques with approaches that address emotions and trauma. This helps people reduce upsetting thoughts, practice new behaviors, and process difficult experiences.
Background and approach
Her background includes outpatient and group settings, and she has worked both in office and online. Ida has supported people dealing with substance use, trauma and abuse, chronic stress, and family-of-origin issues. She also assists those navigating fertility concerns, intimacy problems, and compassion fatigue.
Ida trained at Azusa Pacific University where she earned a master’s degree in psychology with a marriage and family therapy emphasis. She holds LMFT credentials in Montana and California. Her practical training also includes trauma-focused and substance use coursework.
In sessions she combines short-term, goal-focused work with deeper emotion processing. People can expect clear tools to manage symptoms and space to talk about meaning, attachment, and communication. Ida emphasizes teamwork and respect while helping people set realistic steps forward.
What Ida works with
Everything Ida lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Ida helps people with.
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
- ADHD
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
Approaches Ida lists
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Ida commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy and emotionally-focused methods in her work. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and practicing small, concrete behavior changes to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Emotionally-focused therapy centers on understanding strong feelings and improving how people express emotions in relationships, which can help with attachment, intimacy, and communication problems.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Ida will talk with each person about their goals, experiences, and preferences, and then test methods that feel useful. Sessions may mix short-term skill-building with deeper emotional work depending on what the client needs.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is useful for longer sessions that benefit from visual connection, while phone calls work well when bandwidth is low or when a quieter audio check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging can help people keep momentum between sessions, make brief check-ins, or fit counseling into a busy day. These options make it easier to attend sessions around work, parenting, or other obligations.
Questions people ask about Ida
What kinds of problems does Ida help with?
She helps with addictions, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, and trauma-related problems.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach blends cognitive behavioral techniques with emotionally-focused and trauma-informed methods to address thoughts, behaviors, and feelings in practical ways.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Ida has eight years of experience working in outpatient settings, group therapy, and online and in-office formats.
What credentials and location are listed for this clinician?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in Montana and California and practices from Montana.
Are sessions available in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Which session formats does she use?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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