Teresa Lakin

Teresa Lakin is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 17 years of professional experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, and challenges to self‑esteem. She also supports those facing major life changes and questions about life purpose.

Teresa uses approaches drawn from client-centered work and psychodynamic thinking, along with trauma-focused methods. In sessions she focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters most. That helps clients make sense of patterns in relationships, behavior, and emotion.

Practical concerns are part of the conversation. Teresa talks through coping strategies for anxiety and addiction, and she works with clients on communication problems and family of origin issues. She addresses feelings such as emptiness, guilt, shame, and isolation in straightforward terms.

Her background includes long-term clinical work with people facing co-morbidity, avoidant or dependent personality concerns, and substance problems like drug and alcohol addiction. Teresa also helps clients facing midlife questions and those needing support with attachment and codependency issues.

Sessions aim to clarify what is getting in the way of change and to test small, manageable steps forward. Teresa encourages clients to notice patterns, practice different ways of responding, and track what works over time.

How her approaches translate to online work

Teresa uses client-centered methods that prioritize listening and clear reflection. That approach helps people name what matters and test small changes, which can work well over video or phone because it focuses on conversation and problem solving.

She also draws on psychodynamic ideas to help clients notice longstanding patterns in relationships and behavior. That perspective supports exploring how past experiences affect present choices and can be useful when someone wants to understand recurring blocks to change.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the early work. Teresa will collaborate with each person to decide which methods suit their goals and situation, adjusting as sessions progress so the focus stays practical and relevant.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm what is offered before booking. Many people find online sessions easier to fit into work and family routines, allow for shorter check-ins, or reduce travel time. If you need clarity about how sessions are scheduled or structured, ask when you complete the matching questionnaire.