- Years in practice
- 22
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Mara
Mara Bruckner is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with 22 years of experience. She has worked in independent practice and in county and state funded agencies where she provided behavior-based services for people diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Mara brings a warm, interactive style and a calm presence to sessions.
Her background includes work with people who have autism spectrum diagnoses, anxiety, depression, and other challenges that commonly appear in adolescence and adulthood.
Background and approach
She has experience offering play-based and behavior-focused supports as well as social skills group formats and parent guidance in agency settings. In independent practice she focuses on adults and adolescents presenting with mood and anxiety concerns and with neurodiverse profiles. Mara uses a mix of approaches so the plan fits each person’s needs.
She draws on client-centered methods to listen and build rapport, cognitive behavioral techniques to address thoughts and behaviors, psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns that developed over time, and solution-focused strategies for goal-oriented work. Sessions are collaborative and tailored to the individual. Her manner is approachable and often lightly humorous when appropriate.
That tone helps people feel less overwhelmed while they work through difficult topics like grief, relationship strain, parenting stress, addictions, or life transitions. Mara respects each person and includes them actively in shaping therapy. People seeking help for parenting concerns, relationship issues, mood or anxiety symptoms, or challenges tied to neurodiversity may find her practical, steady approach useful.
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
What Mara works with
Everything Mara lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Mara helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Sexual dysfunction
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Mara lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding each person’s experience and building a trusting relationship. Sessions emphasize listening, empathy, and helping people find their own solutions, which is useful for concerns like self-esteem, grief, and parenting stress.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) targets the connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It offers concrete strategies and exercises to reduce anxiety, manage mood symptoms, and change unhelpful behavior patterns over time.
Psychodynamic ideas help identify long-standing patterns that influence current relationships and reactions. This perspective can clarify why certain triggers feel intense and support deeper, reflective work on recurring issues.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match goals and preferences, and will adjust the plan as progress unfolds.
Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions take place. Video calls let people read facial expressions and body language. Phone sessions can be a better fit when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging allow shorter check-ins, quick check-ins between sessions, or a way to communicate when schedules make real-time appointments difficult.
These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent amid busy family routines, work demands, or when coordinating care across distances.
Questions people ask about Mara
What kinds of problems does Mara address?
She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, addictions, grief, anger, self-esteem struggles, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her sessions are warm and interactive with a collaborative tone. She often uses gentle humor and adapts methods to match each person’s needs.
What is her professional background?
She has 22 years of clinical experience in independent practice and in county and state funded agencies, including work with people on the autism spectrum and with adolescent and adult mood and anxiety concerns.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not taking international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be conducted by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session according to therapist availability.
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