Mara Bruckner , LMFT

Mara Bruckner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in Southern California with 22 years of clinical experience. She has worked across private practice settings as well as county and state-funded agencies delivering behavioral therapies to children, teens, and adults on the autistic spectrum. Her early work included play therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), social skills groups, and parent guidance aimed at improving day-to-day functioning and family interactions.

In private practice, Mara has extensive experience supporting teens and adults with Asperger’s or high-functioning autism, along with individuals facing anxiety, depression, and other challenges commonly associated with adolescence and adulthood. She is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - an evidence-based approach she uses to address depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and relationship concerns.

Mara’s counseling style is warm, interactive, and occasionally infused with well-timed humor to help ease heavy topics. She treats clients with respect and adapts treatment plans to fit each person’s needs, drawing on cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, solution-focused, and client-centered methods. Her practice emphasizes collaboration, inviting clients to participate actively in their sessions and in decisions about their care.

With a long history of working with individuals and families across a range of challenges - including relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting concerns, addictions, and mood disorders - Mara brings a thoughtful, flexible approach to therapy and looks forward to supporting people as they work toward their goals.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Mara Bruckner integrates a few complementary approaches when working with clients online. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; it is commonly used for anxiety, depression, phobias, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and many relationship concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where clients set the pace and priorities; this approach can help with self-esteem, life transitions, and building stronger interpersonal connections. Psychodynamic Therapy explores patterns that stem from early relationships and emotional history, offering insight into recurring difficulties and helping clients make different choices in present relationships.

Finding the right combination of these approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Mara collaborates with each person to determine the best fit based on their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting methods over time as progress and priorities emerge.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility for receiving care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options can make scheduling easier around work, school, and family responsibilities, and allow access to consistent support from licensed professionals regardless of geographic limitations within the therapist's service area.