Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Depression
How Mara works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Years in practice
- 22
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Mara
Mara Bruckner is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 22 years of experience in California. She has worked in independent practice and in county and state-funded agencies, helping people manage anxiety, depression, anger, and life transitions. Mara draws on decades of clinical work to offer steady, practical support for everyday struggles.
She has spent much of her career supporting teens and adults on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger syndrome.
Background and approach
That work included play-based methods, behavioral approaches, and social skills groups, and it shaped Mara's patient, structured style. In independent practice she continued that focus while also helping people with mood concerns and relationship problems. Her approach is warm and interactive, with a light touch of humor when appropriate.
She blends client-centered techniques with cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic ideas, then adds solution-focused steps to set clear goals. Sessions are collaborative so people can take an active role in their progress. Mara often helps people with anger, stress, parenting challenges, grief, self-esteem, and addictions.
She also supports those coping with abandonment, communication problems, hoarding, impulsivity, and loneliness. Her work aims to make symptoms easier to manage and day-to-day life feel more stable. People who prefer clear, practical steps and a respectful, down-to-earth therapist often find Mara a good fit.
She offers sessions in English and meets with clients through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging.
What Mara works with
Everything Mara lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Mara's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Sexual dysfunction
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Mara lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Online approaches that focus on practical change
Mara often uses cognitive behavioral therapy and client-centered therapy in online work. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors, which can reduce anxiety, depression, and anger. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and building a respectful, collaborative relationship so clients can explore what matters to them.Finding the right approach is part of the process. She will talk with each person about needs, goals, and what feels most comfortable, then try methods together to see what helps. The aim is to choose tools that make daily life easier and match the client's preferences.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit busy lives. Video lets people read facial expressions and do longer conversations. Phone sessions can work well when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging can be used for shorter check-ins or when typing feels easier. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into work, school, or family routines.
Questions people ask about Mara
What kinds of concerns does Mara address?
Mara works with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting challenges, addictions, grief, self-esteem, career changes, bipolar concerns, and coping with life transitions.
How does she approach therapy?
Her style is warm and interactive with some humor. She mixes client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic ideas and uses solution-focused steps to set practical goals.
What is her clinical background?
She has 22 years of experience working in independent practice and in county and state-funded agencies, including programs that served people on the autism spectrum.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - licensed in California and practices with clients in that state.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She meets with clients via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
How are fees and billing handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.