Sandra Terifaj
Compassionate, experienced therapy for meaningful change
LMFT California
- Experience
- 35 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Sandra
Sandra Terifaj is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who brings 35 years of clinical experience to her work in California.
Background and approach
She focuses on a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating issues, depression, relationship and family difficulties, grief, intimacy-related struggles, self-esteem, and adapting to life changes. Additional areas of focus include codependency, narcissism, personality disorders, and women's issues.
Her style is collaborative and adaptive, guiding clients to explore and process the emotions and patterns that limit their well-being. Sandra draws on a blend of therapeutic methods to match interventions to each person’s needs, integrating client-centered listening with psychodynamic exploration and cognitive behavioral techniques.
Over her career she has worked in independent practice and supervised interns at nonprofit agencies, bringing both hands-on clinical experience and a history of training others. Clients who work with her can expect an approach aimed at uncovering obstacles, building insight, and developing practical skills for change.
Sandra emphasizes partnership in therapy, tailoring strategies to support healing, growth, and clearer decision-making as people move toward the life they want.
Therapeutic Approaches and Online Access
Client-Centered Therapy centers the client's experience and emphasizes empathy, active listening, and support so individuals can explore feelings and build self-directed change; it is helpful for concerns like low self-esteem, grief, and relationship struggles. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, offering practical strategies for managing anxiety, depression, and habit patterns such as addictive behaviors. Mindfulness Therapy encourages present-moment awareness and acceptance practices that can reduce stress and increase emotional regulation for people coping with trauma, anxiety, or life transitions.Finding the right approach is part of the work together; the therapist collaborates with each person to determine which methods fit their goals, preferences, and needs, and adjusts strategies over time as progress unfolds. That collaborative process helps align short-term skills with deeper insight work when appropriate.
Online therapy in her practice is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These formats make it easier to attend regularly, integrate therapeutic tools into daily life, and maintain continuity of care even when in-person meetings are not possible.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Licensed
California
Languages
English