Cathleen Stafford, LMFT

Cathleen Stafford is a California-based licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of experience. She begins from the belief that each person knows their own story and already carries strengths to draw on. Cathleen speaks plainly and aims to make the first steps feel manageable for someone nervous about starting therapy.

Her approach centers on listening and building on what is already working in a person’s life. She uses methods that help people understand feelings, shift unhelpful thinking, and repair important relationships. Sessions are intended to be practical and focused on small, doable changes.

Cathleen has supported people through stress and anxiety, parenting challenges, intimacy concerns, and depression. She also works with issues that touch family life, such as blended family dynamics, divorce and separation, and family-of-origin patterns. Other areas she addresses include caregiver stress, postpartum depression, social anxiety, and questions about life purpose and midlife transitions.

Her practice also includes attention to relationship wounds like infidelity, forgiveness, and communication problems. Soldier and veteran issues and concerns related to young adulthood are listed among her focus areas. Cathleen frames therapy as a collaborative effort where the client’s priorities guide the work.

She holds the credential LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Sessions are offered in English and are based in California.

How her approaches guide online therapy

Cathleen uses Client-Centered Therapy to place the person’s experience at the center of each session. That means the therapist listens closely and follows what the client says is most important, helping them make choices that feel right.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. CBT helps people learn new ways of thinking and practical skills to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful patterns.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy is another tool she brings to relationship and intimacy concerns. EFT helps people name and respond to emotion in ways that can improve closeness and repair hurt in important relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

If you are considering remote sessions, confirm which session formats the therapist currently offers before booking. Some people find online sessions easier to fit into a day, reduce travel time, or let them check in more often. Others prefer in-person visits for longer or more intensive work. Discuss practical needs and scheduling when you set up your first appointment so sessions fit your life.