Erika Rana

Compassionate, practical therapy for relationships and life changes

LMFT California

Experience: 8 years in practice
Focus areas: Relationship, Family, Career
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages: English, Spanish

About Erika

Erika Rana is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with eight years of clinical experience. She focuses on relationship and family challenges, mood and stress-related concerns, addiction recovery, trauma and grief, and issues around intimacy, body image, and sexual expression.

Background and approach

Fluent in English and Spanish, she draws on her bicultural background to support clients who prefer therapy in their primary language. Her work blends client-centered, attachment-based perspectives with practical tools drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT).

Erika adapts techniques to each person's situation, integrating mindfulness and spiritual considerations when relevant. She has experience with clients connected to foster care and the criminal justice system, people affected by domestic violence and substance use, and those exploring alternative sexual cultures.

Erika describes therapy as a collaborative process aimed at building insight, coping strategies, and tangible skills for everyday life. She combines compassion with structured interventions to help clients navigate transitions, improve communication, and strengthen relationships.

Prospective clients are invited to reach out if her approach and background feel like a good match.

Therapeutic Approaches and How They Fit Online

Erika uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify unhelpful thoughts and build practical coping strategies for anxiety, depression, stress, and behavior change. She also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy to explore relational patterns and improve emotional connection in partnerships and family relationships, which can be especially useful for intimacy and communication issues.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic work and typically unfolds collaboratively. Erika will discuss goals, preferences, and personal history to decide which methods to prioritize, and she adapts techniques over time so the plan fits the client's needs and pace.

Online sessions can make this collaborative process more accessible through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats allow clients to engage from home or other convenient locations, fit therapy into busy schedules, and use different communication styles as needed. The variety of formats supports ongoing skill practice between sessions and offers flexibility while working toward the client's emotional and relational goals.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly address?

She works with relationship and family difficulties, depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, grief, intimacy and body image issues, parenting and career concerns, and related challenges such as codependency and communication problems.

What is her therapeutic style and approach?

Her style is collaborative and client-centered, combining attachment-based perspectives with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, DBT skills, and emotionally focused techniques to tailor practical tools to each client's needs.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has eight years of professional experience working with diverse populations in clinical and independent practice settings.

What are her credentials and where is she licensed?

She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with the California license number CA LMFT 137717 and practices in California.

Does she provide services in languages other than English?

Yes, she offers therapy in both English and Spanish to accommodate clients who prefer either language.

What session formats are available for appointments?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as session formats to fit different preferences and schedules.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin working with her?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule an appointment based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsCareer difficultiesDepression Coping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, Anxiety AddictionsLGBTTrauma and abuse GriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImmigration issuesImpulsivity Isolation / lonelinessLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

8+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English, Spanish