Therapist profile
Margarita Araiza-Johnston, LCSW
LCSW - Family and parenting support
Continue with MargaritaAbout
- Attachment work
- Cognitive behavioral tools
- Bilingual English Spanish
About Margarita
Margarita Araiza-Johnston is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New Mexico with ten years of practice. She works with people facing family and parenting pressures, depression, anxiety, grief, and life changes. She provides services in English and Spanish and draws on experience across hospice, crisis response, and family-focused settings.
She earned a Master of Social Work from Tulane University after an earlier degree in sociology and anthropology. Early roles included working with children and families in Illinois and California. She also has experience as a hospice social worker and as a suicide and crisis counselor in Louisiana.
Margarita completed training in mediation and family law mediation and uses those skills to help people talk through conflict and practical decisions. Her background includes assessment, child abuse and neglect work, bilingual therapy, family systems, domestic violence response, crisis counseling, and suicide prevention.
In sessions she draws on approaches like attachment work, cognitive behavioral techniques, emotionally-focused ideas, motivational interviewing, and narrative methods. That means she helps people notice patterns, try small behavior changes, and reconsider the stories they tell about relationships and themselves.
She often supports people dealing with intimate or sexual concerns, codependency, communication problems, and commitment issues. She also works with those facing fertility concerns, aging and geriatric questions, and compassion fatigue from caregiving roles.
People who want to begin select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session. Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How sessions work
How her therapeutic approaches work online
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on relationship patterns and how early bonds affect current connections. In practice this can help people identify where they feel unsafe or disconnected in close relationships and try different ways of relating.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors together. It uses straightforward exercises and experiments to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful habits that get in the way of daily life.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy centers on feelings and how they shape interactions. It can be useful for people dealing with intimacy-related issues, grief, or repeated cycles of conflict in close relationships.
Finding the right approach is part of the work and will be decided together. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods that fit the situation, and adjust based on what helps most. That means clients help shape which techniques are used and when.
Session logistics should be confirmed before booking because formats are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around daily life, such as shorter check-ins or appointments that don’t require travel. Confirm the available session options when you schedule so they match your routine and technical setup.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, California
Languages
English, Spanish
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of family or parenting issues are addressed?
She helps with family problems, parenting strain, communication issues, and conflict related to caregiving or separation.
How would you describe her therapy style?
The approach blends attachment-based ideas, cognitive behavioral techniques, emotionally-focused methods, motivational interviewing, and narrative work to address patterns and practical steps.
How much experience does she have?
She has ten years of clinical experience, including hospice work and crisis counseling with families.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She holds LCSW credentials in Hawaii and California and practices from New Mexico.
Can I see a therapist in Spanish?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your 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.