Margarita Araiza-Johnston

Margarita Araiza-Johnston is a licensed clinical social worker with ten years of experience helping people navigate strong emotions and life changes. She blends practical strategies with listening to help individuals manage stress, anxiety, anger, grief, and relationship struggles. Margarita offers services in English and Spanish and brings a calm, straightforward approach to sessions.

She began with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology and a minor in French from the University of Redlands. She later earned a Master of Social Work from Tulane University in New Orleans. Early work with children and families in Illinois and California shaped her interest in family systems and parenting concerns.

Margarita has experience in hospice care and worked as a suicide and crisis counselor in Louisiana. She also completed training in mediation and family law mediation, which informs how she helps people talk through conflict and make decisions. Her background includes assessment, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and crisis counseling.

The therapist uses a mix of approaches to match each person's needs. That can mean focusing on how emotions and relationships connect, looking at thought patterns and behaviors, or using story-based and motivational techniques to move forward. She aims to make therapy practical, with clear steps people can try between sessions.

Clients can expect direct communication, help setting goals, and tools for handling intense feelings like anger. Margarita frames therapy as a collaborative process and supports people coping with parenting, career changes, fertility and grief, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and identity-related concerns.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationships shape emotional responses. In sessions this approach helps people notice patterns in connection and learn new ways to respond when they feel triggered. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It offers clear exercises and small experiments to change unhelpful thinking and behavior. Emotionally-Focused Therapy centers on emotions in the moment and how they affect bonds with others; it can be useful for working through intense feelings and improving communication.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, history, and what feels most helpful. Together they choose which methods to emphasize and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy can fit into busy days by reducing travel time and making it easier to schedule shorter check-ins. Some formats can work better when bandwidth is limited or when a quick phone call is needed for a focused session. Confirm the current session options before booking so arrangements match your routine and technical needs.