Joanna Sanchez

Joanna Sanchez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Alaska with 15 years of experience helping people through major life changes and emotional struggle. She works with stress, anxiety, addiction recovery, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, and questions about life purpose. Joanna speaks English and Spanish. Joanna’s clinical background includes outpatient therapy, residential treatment, and leadership roles in mental health and substance use care. She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. That mix of settings means she understands both the day-to-day practical needs and the deeper patterns people bring to therapy. Her approach blends a relational and psychodynamic lens with trauma-informed care and targeted techniques from narrative therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy when helpful. Sessions often focus on talking through patterns, uncovering the reasons behind recurring difficulties, and learning specific ways to cope with stressful moments. Joanna describes her style as collaborative and insight-oriented. Sessions are conversational but focused, with time for both deeper reflection and concrete skill-building when needed. She aims to help people notice what’s holding them back and try new ways of relating to themselves and others. People come to Joanna when they feel stuck after a change, when past hurts keep recurring, or when addiction or grief make daily life hard. She works with adults seeking clearer direction, better coping strategies, and steadier emotional balance.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions

Joanna works from a relational and psychodynamic lens, which focuses on how current problems link to past relationships and recurring patterns. In online conversation she helps people notice those patterns and how they show up in daily life, which can clarify what to change.

She also uses trauma-informed care, attending to how past hurts affect present reactions and comfort with different pacing. Narrative therapy is used to help people rewrite how they tell their own story, often by separating problems from identity. Cognitive behavioral techniques provide short-term tools for reducing anxiety and managing cravings in addiction recovery.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Joanna will work collaboratively to decide which methods fit a person’s needs, goals, and pace. She adjusts when a client needs more practical skills or more reflective conversation.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make scheduling easier and fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce commuting time. These practical benefits help clients keep therapy as part of everyday life while they explore purpose, recovery, and emotional balance.