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LMFT

Cathleen Stafford, LMFT

  • Experience25 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Family, and Intimacy-related issues
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Cathleen

Cathleen Stafford is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 25 years of professional experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges.

Background and approach

She centers the work on each person's strengths, inviting clients to explore their inner parts, values, and goals while developing practical tools to manage everyday pressures and improve emotional connection. Her practice addresses a range of concerns including parenting and intimacy-related issues, blended family dynamics, communication problems, divorce and separation, and family of origin wounds.

Cathleen uses approaches such as Internal Family Systems, cognitive behavioral techniques, emotionally-focused strategies, and solution-oriented methods to tailor sessions to what a client needs in the moment. Clients can expect a collaborative stance that honors their expertise about their own lives while offering guidance drawn from decades of clinical work.

Based in California, Cathleen combines empathy with actionable interventions to help people move toward clearer priorities, healthier relationships, and greater emotional balance.

Integrating therapeutic models with online care

Internal Family Systems helps clients notice and dialog with the different parts of their inner experience, which can clarify internal conflicts and reduce self-criticism. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing concrete skills to shift patterns that maintain anxiety or depression. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathetic, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship that supports exploration and personal growth.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Cathleen will work with each person to assess their concerns, preferences, and goals, and may blend elements from these models to suit what feels most helpful in therapy. The aim is to tailor the work so clients feel understood and supported while learning practical ways to move forward.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, allowing people to fit sessions into busy schedules or access care from different locations within California. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care, try brief check-ins, or engage in deeper sessions depending on what the client needs and the therapist's availability.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, and a range of relationship concerns including intimacy, parenting, blended family issues, and communication problems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
The approach is collaborative and strength-focused, combining Internal Family Systems with client-centered, cognitive behavioral, emotionally-focused, and solution-focused techniques.
What is her level of experience?
Cathleen brings 25 years of professional work experience to therapy, drawing on long-term clinical practice to inform her interventions.
What credentials and location does she have?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, holding the credential CA LMFT 37242.
Does she offer services in multiple languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesDepression

Additional focus areas

Blended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesForgivenessInfidelityLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesPostpartum depressionSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Solution-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English