JoAnn DePetro, LMFT

JoAnn DePetro is a California licensed therapist with 40 years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, and depression. She practices as an LMFT - a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - which reflects specialized training in working with couples, families, and individuals across interpersonal and mood-related concerns.

JoAnn brings a respectful, sensitive, and compassionate stance to her work, tailoring conversation and treatment plans to each person’s unique needs. Her practice addresses a wide range of challenges including abandonment, body image concerns, communication problems, control issues, guilt and shame, impulsivity, isolation and loneliness, mood disorders, narcissism, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety and phobia, and women’s issues.

She emphasizes collaborative care that meets clients where they are, helping them take the courageous first steps toward a more fulfilling and balanced life. JoAnn aims to create an individualized path forward, adjusting therapeutic focus and techniques to align with each client’s goals and circumstances.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

JoAnn DePetro draws on attachment-based work to help clients explore how early relationships shape current emotions and patterns. This approach focuses on improving connection and security in close relationships and can be useful for attachment concerns, relationship conflict, and feelings of abandonment.

She also uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), which helps people identify and express core emotions and reorganize interaction patterns in couples or family settings. EFT is often applied when relationship distress, communication breakdowns, or intense emotional reactions are present.

For clients affected by traumatic memories, JoAnn incorporates EMDR techniques to address the ways distressing experiences are held in the body and mind. EMDR can be a useful option for those working through post-traumatic stress, panic symptoms, and overwhelming memories.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. JoAnn works collaboratively with clients, considering their needs, goals, and preferences to determine which combination of methods is the best fit and adjusting the plan over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy with JoAnn is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier for clients to receive consistent care from licensed professionals while balancing work, family, and daily life.