Therapist profile
Arlene Drake, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - Family and LGBT issues
Continue with ArleneAbout
- Family conflict
- Trauma recovery
- Intimacy concerns
About Arlene
Arlene Drake is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in California with 40 years of professional experience. She works with adults who are dealing with relationship stress, family concerns, trauma and abuse, and issues related to intimacy and life transitions. Her practice includes attention to LGBT matters, anxiety, career concerns, and stress related to parenting and family roles.
Arlene frames therapy as a practical conversation. She treats clients as experts in their own lives and looks for strengths that can be used to solve current problems. Sessions focus on clear goals and small steps that fit into everyday life rather than long abstracts or distant plans.
In practice she listens for patterns that keep problems repeating. That might include attachment issues, codependency, or the effects of past abuse. She helps people identify those patterns and try different ways of relating to others and to themselves. Work can include talking through difficult memories, managing anxiety, and rebuilding trust after betrayal.
She also addresses concrete family matters such as adoption and foster care concerns, divorce and separation, and conflict between relatives. Other areas she attends to include body image, guilt and shame, and questions about life purpose and aging. Arlene uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques and adapts her approach to what the client finds most useful.
Clients are invited to set realistic goals and test small changes between sessions. Practical tools, communication work, and focused problem solving are typical components of her approach. The emphasis is on steady, manageable progress rather than quick fixes.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches and working online
Arlene uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on real-life patterns and relationships. One common approach is attachment-focused work, which looks at how early relationships shape current reactions and closeness issues and can help with intimacy problems and codependency. Another approach is trauma-informed methods that address the effects of past abuse and post-traumatic stress, using careful pacing and techniques to reduce distress when recalling difficult events.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She will work with each person to identify goals, test methods, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. The emphasis is on practical changes you can try between sessions and on finding pacing that fits your needs and comfort.
Session format details are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, and allow for brief check-ins when a full session is not possible. It also makes it easier to keep appointments during life transitions or work changes. Ask about the available session formats when you schedule the first appointment so you can choose what fits your routine.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Experience
40+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of relationship or family concerns does she address?
She works with adults on relationship strain, family problems, divorce and separation, and issues tied to adoption and foster care.
How does she approach therapy with clients?
She treats clients as the experts in their lives and focuses on practical steps, pattern recognition, and communication work to address current problems.
How much experience does she bring to sessions?
She has 40 years of professional experience as a clinician in California.
What are her professional credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
She does not accept international clients.
How are sessions billed and what is the cost structure?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.