About Sandra
Sandra Terifaj is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 35 years of experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, depression, relationships, family issues, grief, intimacy-related issues, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Sandra also pays attention to codependency, narcissism, personality disorders, and women's issues.
She keeps sessions straightforward and practical. Sandra listens first, then helps people name what feels stuck. She works at a pace each person can handle and adjusts methods to fit real life needs.
How Sandra works
Sandra uses Client-Centered Therapy to follow the person's lead and build trust. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice and change unhelpful thinking patterns. She also blends psychodynamic ideas to look at how past relationships shape present behavior.
Her long career includes independent practice and supervising interns at nonprofit agencies. That experience informs a calm, experienced presence in sessions. Sandra aims to help people move from feeling stuck to making workable changes.
In sessions she focuses on clear goals and practical steps. Conversations often include self-reflection, experimenting with new behaviors, and learning ways to cope when stress or old patterns return. The aim is steady, usable progress that fits the client's life.
Sandra lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Sandra works with
The areas below are the ones Sandra selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Codependency
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Narcissism
- Personality disorders
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Register | LMFT |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 35 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How Sandra's Approaches Work Online
Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's experience and priorities. In practice this means sessions begin by listening, reflecting back what matters most, and choosing next steps together. This approach is useful for building trust and for people needing a steady, accepting space to talk.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people notice thoughts and behaviors that contribute to distress and then test new ways of thinking and acting. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and patterns that keep repeating in relationships.
Sandra treats finding the right approach as a team effort. She will talk with the person about goals, try techniques, and adjust methods over time based on what helps most. The choice of approach is guided by the client's needs and preferences rather than one fixed method.
Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video is good for in-depth conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging support short check-ins, homework prompts, or ongoing reflection between sessions. These options aim to make consistent work on problems more practical and accessible.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with SandraWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What concerns does Sandra address?
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
What kind of experience does she bring?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
What session formats are available?
How does cost and billing work?
How do I begin working with her?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions