Ruth Contreras, LCSW — Therapist in California

Hi there, I'm Ruth!

I work with adolescents to older adults. My approach is client-centered and mindfulness-based to meet your needs where you are currently at.

My focus

Clients whom I have the most experience are clients who have experienced trauma (including medical trauma), anxiety, depression, substance use/abuse, codependency, adjustment, and bipolar disorders. Working with a large age range from 12 years old to older adults (geriatric population).

My approach

The approach used varies based on the client's needs. The most common approaches used are client/person-centered approach providing unconditional positive regard, empathy, congruency, and active listening; motivational interviewing; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; mindfulness-based cognitive therapy; guided imagery therapy.

My communication style

The communication style used is all based on a client/person-centered approach, making sure I actively listen and make the client's goals a priority to meet the client where they are.

My journey to mental healthcare

The reason I became a therapist is because I wanted to give back to the world what I felt would benefit them as much as I did, and have been able to witness loved ones around me overcome some of the most difficult times in their lives.

My goals for you

My approach to goal setting with the client is being able to get the chance to build a healthy client-therapist relationship in order to understand what goals the client is focused on overcoming/accomplishing.

Our first session

During the first session, expectations are asking open-ended questions, identifying what leads to therapy, and what is expected for the client to obtain from therapy. This is the time I will ask most of the questions in order to start where the client is at.

I identify as...

Female
Hispanic or Latinx
Christian

Expertise

Treatment approaches

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

Mindfulness-Based

Trauma Focused

Attachment-based

Motivational Interviewing

Play Therapy

+ 6 more

Focus populations

Gay

HIV/AIDS

Immune-Disorders

LGBTQIA+

Lesbian

+ 5 more

Therapy types

Individual Therapy
Couples Therapy
Family Therapy

Ages served

Adults
Minors

Practice

Accepted insurance providers

Aetna
All Savers
Allegiance
Allied
Anthem

+ 55 more

Languages spoken

English, Spanish

Education

Master of Social Work, Mental Health from University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from California State University Channel Islands.

Sessions

60 minutes

Virtual sessions

Ruth Contreras