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Margarita Araiza-Johnston, LCSW

Based in New Mexico Online sessions

Attachment-informed therapist for parenting challenges

Book with Margarita
Years in practice
10
Credentials
LCSW
Licensed in
New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, California
Languages
English, Spanish
Focus
Family conflicts
Focus
Parenting issues
Focus
Depression
About

About Margarita

Margarita Araiza-Johnston is a licensed clinical social worker who centers her practice on attachment and emotion-focused approaches. She brings ten years of experience supporting people through parenting challenges, family conflict, anxiety, and life transitions. Margarita offers sessions in English and Spanish and works with a range of concerns including depression, grief, and relationship difficulties.

She trained in social work at Tulane University and began her career working with children and families in Illinois and California.

Background and approach

Her background also includes hospice social work and crisis and suicide counseling in Louisiana, which shaped her calm and practical approach. She has completed programs in mediation and family law mediation to support clearer communication and problem solving. In sessions she blends methods such as Attachment-Based Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to match each person’s needs.

That can mean mapping patterns in close relationships, learning new ways to talk with a partner or parent, or testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety. Margarita aims for straightforward strategies parents can try between meetings. She also addresses less commonly named concerns, including fertility stresses, aging and geriatric issues, kink and alternative sex cultures, and compassion fatigue.

These topics are approached without judgment and with attention to boundaries and safety. People who reach out can expect practical conversation, listening that names what matters, and flexible session formats. Margarita uses video, phone, chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication styles.

Focus areas and approaches

What Margarita works with

Everything Margarita lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Margarita helps people with.

Approaches Margarita lists

Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.

Online support

How attachment and emotion-focused work translate online

Attachment-Based Therapy helps people notice patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current reactions. Online sessions can support parents who want to change how they respond to stress or manage difficult moments with a child or partner. Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on identifying and shifting emotional responses that keep people stuck; it can help when couples or individuals want clearer emotional connection and less reactivity.

Margarita treats finding the right approach as a joint process. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and daily realities and then suggest which methods to try first. Progress is tracked together and approaches can be adjusted as needs change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which offer practical benefits. Video lets the therapist and client use visual cues for emotional work. Phone calls use less bandwidth and can fit a short check-in during a break. Chat and messaging are useful for quick troubleshooting, homework support, or when someone prefers written reflection. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around family time, work, or caregiving responsibilities.
Questions

Questions people ask about Margarita

What concerns does Margarita help with?

She works with parenting and family issues as well as anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy-related concerns. Additional focuses include ADHD, compassion fatigue, fertility stress, and communication problems.

What is her therapeutic style?

She blends Attachment-Based Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in plain language. The focus is on identifying relationship patterns and trying small, practical changes.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has ten years of professional experience working in social work roles, hospice care, and crisis counseling. Those roles inform her calm, direct approach to difficult topics.

Where is she based and what are her credentials?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with credentials listed as HI LCSW and CA LCSW and practices from New Mexico.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.

Can international clients work with her?

She does not accept international clients at this time.

What session formats does she offer?

She works via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How are fees and starting steps handled?

Costs vary with location and therapist availability and use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session.

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