- Attachment-based methods
- CBT techniques
- Emotion-focused work
About Erica
Erica Smith Jimenez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 23 years of clinical experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, grief, mood disorders, ADHD, and career or life transitions. Erica also supports issues like attachment, abandonment, codependency, and communication problems.
Her approach is straightforward and practical. Sessions focus on emotion regulation, building coping skills, and improving how people connect with others. She uses tools from attachment-based work, client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral techniques, emotionally-focused strategies, and motivational interviewing. These methods are used to address patterns that keep people stuck and to practice new ways of responding.
Erica works with people who are facing relationship conflict, divorce or separation, blended family stress, caregiver burden, or the fallout from trauma and abuse. She also helps those coping with depression, bipolar mood concerns, anger, shame, isolation, and questions about life purpose.
In sessions she blends direct feedback with a down-to-earth tone. Conversations often include identifying harmful patterns, trying small behavioral experiments, and strengthening emotional awareness in relationships. She encourages clearer communication and practical steps for change.
Clients can expect a focus on skills they can use between sessions, along with attention to childhood and attachment histories when those help explain current struggles. The aim is to reduce recurring distress and increase steadier functioning in day-to-day life.
How Erica’s approaches work in online sessions
Erica often draws on attachment-based and client-centered ways of working. Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships shape current patterns, and it helps with trust, closeness, and repeating relationship problems. Client-centered methods focus on listening, reflecting, and helping people name their feelings so they can make clearer choices in daily life.She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try small behavioral experiments. CBT helps with anxiety, depression, and habits that keep someone stuck. Choosing the right mix of approaches is part of the work; she collaborates with each person to figure out what fits their goals and preferences.
Confirm current session options before booking. The therapist’s online work can be useful for fitting therapy into a busy schedule, shortening commute time, or having a session during a work break. Many people find it easier to practice communication skills and mood management tools between sessions when meetings can be scheduled around school, work, or caregiving demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
23+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She supports stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, parenting strain, grief, mood disorders, ADHD, and related concerns like attachment and codependency.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is direct and down-to-earth, blending practical skills work with attention to emotions and relationships.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 23 years of experience working in clinical settings and with individuals facing relationship and mood concerns.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA LMFT) practicing from California.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees handled?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, fill out the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the booking steps provided.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.