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LCSW

Margarita Araiza-Johnston, LCSW

  • Experience10 years
  • LocationNew Mexico
  • Focus areasADHD, Family, and Parenting
  • Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
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About Margarita

Margarita Araiza-Johnston is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who blends attachment-focused and evidence-based therapies to help clients navigate family, relationship, and life transition challenges.

Background and approach

She draws on a decade of clinical experience working with diverse needs such as depression, anxiety, grief, parenting concerns, compassion fatigue, and ADHD, offering an approach that considers both emotional bonds and practical coping skills. Born from years of social work practice, her style aims to balance empathy with clear tools for change.

Her background includes work with hospice patients, suicide and crisis counseling, and family systems practice, along with formal training in mediation and family law mediation. Margarita provides bilingual care in English and Spanish and brings particular experience in areas like domestic violence, child abuse and neglect assessment, attachment issues, and alternative sexuality topics.

She works with clients who seek support for intimacy, communication, self-esteem, career concerns, and complex family dynamics, tailoring interventions to each person’s history and goals.

How attachment and CBT translate to online therapy



Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on understanding relational patterns and emotional bonds that shape current difficulties; online sessions can help clients explore how past attachments influence present stress, family dynamics, and intimacy concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) emphasizes identifying unhelpful thoughts and developing practical coping strategies, which translates well to remote work through structured exercises, skill-building, and collaborative problem solving. Emotionally-Focused Therapy supports processing and reshaping emotional responses within relationships and can be adapted to virtual formats to examine interaction cycles and foster new ways of connecting.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist works collaboratively with each client to select or combine methods based on individual needs, goals, and preferences. Clients can expect an evaluative first phase that helps determine whether attachment work, CBT, EFT, or a mix of techniques will best support their progress.

Online therapy provides practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules or to maintain continuity when in-person meetings are impractical. These formats support consistent, ongoing work on family, relationship, and life-transition issues while allowing clients and licensed professionals to adapt pacing and communication style to what feels most helpful.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Margarita commonly address?
She works with a wide range of issues including family and parenting challenges, depression, anxiety, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, anger, self-esteem, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.
Which therapeutic approaches does she use in sessions?
Margarita integrates attachment-based work with evidence-based methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Narrative Therapy to address emotional patterns and practical skills.
How much clinical experience does she bring?
She has 10 years of experience that include hospice social work, suicide and crisis counseling, and family systems work across several states.
Where is she licensed and located?
She holds LCSW credentials in Hawaii and California (HI LCSW LCSW-4991, CA LCSW 121394) and practices while based in New Mexico.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Margarita provides therapy in English and Spanish, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for remote work?
Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and scheduling.
How is payment handled and what does therapy cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin working together?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Family conflictsParenting issuesDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyLGBTRelationship issuesGriefIntimacy-related issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily problemsFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Motivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

10+ years

Licensed

New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, California

Languages

English, Spanish

What Margarita can help with

Margarita Araiza-Johnston works with clients on family conflicts, parenting issues, depression, and coping with life changes.

How Margarita approaches therapy

Margarita's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Margarita is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in New Mexico, with 10 years of clinical experience.